Margaret’s many Collie ties

People: NOLA GREEN

ON MONDAY, June 8, 1914, work stopped at the Collie Co-operative Mining Company as a mark of respect for Barthololmew Dransfield, who had died two days previously at the age of 67.

Bartholomew had been a coal miner for 45 years, first in Newcastle in England, then in Victoria, NSW and in Collie, where he arrived in 1899. In his obituary, he was described as “practically a pioneer of the Collie coal mining industry”.

He was chairman of the Miners’ Union in England, and frequently operated as a delegate; he continued to be active in union matters in Collie, and was one of the original directors of the Collie Co-operative Mining Company.

He originally came to Collie without his family, but after working and saving for a year, was able to pay the passage for his wife, Mary Anne, son William and daughters Anne and Lucie. These passengers were joined during the voyage by a second son, Colin, who was born on board.

When his widow, Mary Anne, died in 1930, her obituary said it was the “close of a long and useful life, a life that gathered a host of friendships because of its many endearing personal qualities.”

The highly respected family she left behind consisted of two sons, two daughters, 12 grandchildren and three

Colin followed his father into the coal mines and Janet worked as a housemaid at the Colliefields Hotel in 1915.

Margaret’s father was their son, George, champion footballer and cricketer, and owner of Dransfield’s store in Throssell Street.

He married Jean Lack, another Collie born-and-bred girl.

Margaret grew up in the family home, in View Street, attending Fairview Primary School and Collie High School, walking from her grandmother’s house to swim in Telfer’s Pool.

She remembers Stan Cull putting a lot of time into making Telfers’ a pleasant place, with lawns, always kept neat and tidy.

Eventually Margaret left Collie in 1976, as she felt the town had little to offer her.

“All my friends were getting married and there wasn’t much going on in Collie at the time, so I left.”

After years away, with her husband, Greg Bates, Margaret returned to Collie in 2012, living first in a caravan, then moving into the family home in View Street. The Collie she returned to was a different place, with many changes, most for the better.

“I can remember as a child, you could walk down the street, and say hello to everyone, as you knew everyone,” Margaret said.

“When I came back, I would walk down the street and not recognize anyone, so many new people had moved to the town.

“Collie has always had ups and downs, the closure of Amalgamated Collieries, the end of underground mining, the 12hour shifts which just about killed sport in the town.

“George played centre half-back for Centrals, and Colin and Janet were both made life members of Centrals in 1951.

“It was unheard of for a woman to be a life member of a football club at the time, and according to the Collie Mail she was the first in Collie, perhaps in the State.

“She was always working hard for Centrals.”

Because of the loss of population, Centrals and Railways amalgamated to become Collie Football Club, and eventually, Collie and Mines Rovers combined to form the Collie Eagles.

Her return to her old home town kindled Margaret’s curiosity about the family’s history, and she began delving into it.

“I wish I had talked to Janet more, asked her more questions about her early life and about the family,” she said.

Margaret is a volunteer at the Coal- fields Museum, and has enjoyed delving into Trove to find references to the early days of Collie and mentions of her family.

However, her focus is not entirely on the past.

She thinks the face lift the town has received in Central Park and more recently in Throssell Street, is “just brilliant”.

“When Peter Hall put that bull-nosed verandah on his shop, I thought it had gone back to how it used to be, I loved it,”she said.

“And the Colliefields – I am so glad Michele got to see it finished.

“I love the murals too.

“As for Central Park, when COVID was on, we used to gather up rugs and thermos flasks and cups, and someone would bake something, and we would come down and sit here, keeping the required distance, but just being able to see each other, our friends.

“It was so good to have that connection and the park is such an asset.

“We need to have these improvements because we need to bring the tourists here.

“We need to have them spend their dollars here, to keep the town turning over.

“But just as important is the fact that the improvements have been great for the locals, making life here so much better.”