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Jack Delaney

Also Known AsJohn William Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Biography

JOHN (JACK) WILLIAM DELANEY

by Brian J. Andrews OAM

John William Delaney, better known as 'Jack' was born in Lithgow 97 years ago on January 17, 1919. During his life Jack's twinkling eye and his story- telling charm made him one of the Hunter's most prominent historians.

Jack's move to Cessnock with his parents and older brother, Ted came in 1923. Only 4 years old at the time, Jack arrived in the Coalfields came on the same day (September 1st) of the Bellbird mine disaster that killed 21 men. He would later thoroughly explore this event as a historian.

Attending school in Cessnock and at Maitland Marist Brothers, Jack's days as a student ended when he left to help support his family, aged fifteen. He joined the Railway Department as a station porter at South Maitland.

Fighting for industrial awards whilst working his way up to become station-master, Jack eventually took up an executive position as a traffic controller.

His dedication to the region's past extended right through his life - when he died in 2010, he was still compiling the history of every Post Office located in the Cessnock local government area.

Dedicated to the Hunter region's past, Jack complied more than thirty books, pamphlets, and audio tapes of the region's pioneers. As a historian he was a keen conversationalist, compiling an extensive oral history of the region's miners, winemakers and business people - many of the subjects of these recording are now deceased, making the recording all the move valuable.

No matter whatever Jack produced, whether they were books, journals or audio recordings - Jack never enforced copyright, ensuring they were always freely available to all.

Brian Andrews' first contact with Jack Delaney came November 11th, 1984, at the Andrews Family Reunion at Mulbring, when Brian was chairman of the successful reunion of 1100 family members - Jack was there with his cassette recorder, producing one of his hundreds of recording.

Twelve years later, 1994, shortly before Brian retired to live in the Coalfields, he was contacted by Cessnock History Society to take on the role of Secretary, as their secretary had left the region to take up farming in the State's north - west. This bought Brian into a renewed contact with Jack Delaney.

Aware of Jack's valuable contribution to the City of Cessnock's history, Brian nominated Jack for an award, even though Jack was living in Stockton, for a Cessnock 'Australia Day' Award - Jack was rewarded with an 'Appreciation Award'.

In 1996, The Edgeworth David Museum opened at Kurri Kurri in the grounds of the Kurri High School. The nine members who had cleaned and restored the then 25 years old Kurri Kurri Museum, formed themselves into a new History Society - the Coalfields Heritage Group - this was in 1997. The Cessnock Society gave them $50 to make a start.

Since then, the museum has made remarkable achievements. Local historians, now all deceased were impressed with our progress and attitude to recording the region's history - they donated their collections to the museum's archives - Jim Comerford, Ken Marheine, and Jack Delaney. The museum proved an ideal setting for these three historians to regularly visit and use the museum as a perfect location to further compile their history among good company.

Not only did Jack Delaney deposit all his audio tapes, his coal mining history binders, his Catholic history of all Cessnock and region, all of the public school of the same area, and his research into the Cessnock wine industry - these are all regularly used by the museum's visitors.

A visitor recently wanted to know of the local Mistletoe Farm public school - sure enough it was all there in Jack Delaney's work.

This is the summary of a speech given at the Launch of the Voices of the Hunter Project on 22 July 2016 at the University of Newcastle Library by Lexie Matthews.

Date of Birth1919 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date of Death2010 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

OccupationHistorian Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Railway Traffic Controller Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Other OccupationStation Master Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Audio

Fred "Bunna" Shultz (1903-1993). Recorded 29 February 1980. Part 2 of 2

Fred "Bunna" Shultz (1903-1993). Recorded 29 February 1980. Part 1 of 2

Lyle O'Connell (1906-1989) - Mineworker. Recorded 9 February 1988. Part 1/1.

Allen Wright (1918-2007) - Mineworker, Bellbird & Aberdare Collieries. Recorded 18 November 1981. Part 1/1.

Russell Watson - Mine worker. Recorded 4 March 1988. Part 1/1.

Maggie Wallace née Kennedy (1902-1986) - Abermain resident. Recorded 20 April 1984. Part 2/2

Bob "Rocket" Thomson - Mine deputy. Recorded 19 October 1987. Part 1/1.

Colin Stone (1914 - 2004) - Mining Industry. Recorded 29 April 1988. Part 1/1.

John Slater (1916-2012) - Mine worker. Recorded 14 January 1994. Part 1/1

Thomas Shanahan (1893-1986) - Mineworker, New Greta Colliery. Recorded 3 June 1984. Part 1/1

Marjorie Ellen Patrick née Russell (1902-1993) - Patrick Horse Buses. Recorded 5 December 1983. Part 1/1.

Des O'Neill (1904-1991) - Early history of the Catholic Church in Cessnock. Recorded 09 November 1984. Part 1/1.

Barbara O'Neill - formed and taught Greta Migrant Camp School. [n.d.].

Ted Newton (1912-2002) and Merv Scarlett (1932-2011) - Mine workers and railway worker. Recorded 26 January 1994. Part 1/1.

Ted Navin (1896-1983) - Cessnock baker. Recorded 14 June 1978. Part 1/1.

Harry Morgan - Clerk, Pelton Colliery. Recorded 7 December 1987. Part 1 of 1.

Terry Martin (1915-2011) - Mine worker. Recorded 26 January 1994. Part 1 of 1.

Kevin Lane (1930-2010) - Engineer. Part 1 of 1. Recorded 9 February 1988

Olive Kirk née Marris (1904-2001) - Kearsley resident. Recorded 01 December 1984. Part 1 of 1.

Bill Kearney (1914-2000) - History of Kearsley. Recorded 1 December 1984.

Alf Hodge and Gladys Hale née Hodge - Mine worker and sister. Recorded 14 January 1994. Part 1 of 1.

Irene Hamilton née Atkinson (1913-2008) - Kearsley resident. Part 1 of 1. Recorded 11 December 1984. Also Harold Atkinson - Recorded 12 December 1984

Austin Greener - Mine manager and Inspector for the Mines Department. Part 1 of 1. Recorded 24 March 1988.

Publication

Summary : Bob Wyborn (1906-1990) - Brunkerville sawmill. Recorded 31 July 1983. Part 2/2.

Summary : Bob Wyborn (1906-1990) - Brunkerville sawmill. Recorded 31 July 1983. Part 1/2.

Summary : Eileen Williams née London (1906-1998) - Cessnock resident. Recorded 14 November 1983. Part 2/2.

Summary : Eileen Williams née London (1906-1998) - Cessnock resident. Recorded 14 November 1983. Part 1/2.

Summary : Bill Seward (1911-2002) - Superintendent of Collieries. Recorded 11 March 1988. Part 3/3

Summary : Bill Seward (1911-2002) - Superintendent of Collieries. Recorded 11 March 1988. Part 2/3

Summary : Bill Seward (1911-2002) - Superintendent of Collieries. Recorded 11 March 1988. Part 1/3

Summary : Allen Wright (1918-2007) - Mineworker, Bellbird & Aberdare Collieries. Recorded 18 November 1981. Part 1/1.

Summary: Colin Stone (1914 - 2004) - Mining Industry. Recorded 29 April 1988. Part 1/1.

Summary : Thomas Shanahan (1893-1986) - Mineworker, New Greta Colliery. Recorded 3 June 1984. Part 1/1

Summary : Marjorie Ellen Patrick née Russell (1902-1993) - Patrick Horse Buses. Recorded 5 December 1983. Part 1/1.

Summary : Ambrose Murray (1918-2010) - Mineworker and greyhound trainer. Sawyer's Gully & Bishop's Bridge car tour. Recorded 20 July 1983. Part 1 of 1.

Summary : Bruce Davis (1902-1999) - Shipping Agent. Recorded 19 October 1988. Part 2 of 2

Summary : Bruce Davis (1902-1999) - Shipping Agent. Recorded 19 October 1988. Part 1 of 2

Summary : Mary Hinshaw (1913-2002) - Abernethy resident. Recorded 11 November 1984. Part 1 of 1.

Summary : Vince Forbes (1894-1981) - Mineworker, Abermain No. 2 Colliery. Recorded 18 November 1981. Part 1/1.

Summary : Norm Brien (1909-2000) - Shipping Agent. Recorded 15 May 1988. Part 2/2

Summary : Norm Brien (1909-2000) - Shipping Agent. Recorded 15 May 1988. Part 1/2

Summary : Eileen and Bill Armstrong - Abermain residents. Recorded 18 November 1984, Part 1/1

Summary : Eileen and Bill Armstrong - Abermain residents. Recorded 18 November 1984, Part 2/2

Summary: Isabella Wheatley, nee Hill. Recorded 15th November 1983. Part 1/1.

Summary: William Thompson (b. 1904) - Bookmaker, Cessnock. Recorded 25 July 1980. Part 2 of 2

Summary: William Thompson (b. 1904) - Bookmaker, Cessnock. Recorded 25 July 1980. Part 1 of 2

Photograph

Millfield North Colliery, NSW

Collection

Voices of the Hunter

Jack Delaney

Connections

CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Coalfields Local History Association Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

More information

AcknowledgementOur thanks to Brian J. Andrews OAM, Hon. Sec. Coalfields Heritage Group, for providing this article. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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