Collinsville Open Cut: One big family

It’s one of Queensland's oldest existing coal mines but Collinsville Open Cut’s history is tied to its people.

For Dragline Operator, Jason ‘Fordo’ Fordham and his Warehouse Officer wife Rachel, working at the coal mine really is a family affair.

Jason started working at the mine in 1998 after a stint with local council. During his time, he’s held tickets for almost every machine except for the drill.

Jason grew up in Collinsville. His family relocated there when his grandad moved to the region following the Mount Mulligan mine disaster in 1921.

“After the disaster, they packed up their house and family and were sent down by train to Collinsville, some 700 kilometres away,” Jason says.

“As a community they recreated the same streets in Collinsville that they were from in Mount Mulligan. With the same houses, the same neighbours and everything. My grandad's house is still there from Mount Mulligan in that same street in Collinsville.

With a solid base reestablished, Jason’s family jumped back into work.

“My dad went underground at Collinsville, Grandad worked there," he explained.

"Mum's brothers all worked underground as well.”

That tradition of calling Collinsville home has continued with the next generation.

Jason and his wife live only five minutes from the mine.

Their youngest son, Ryan also works at the mine, while their eldest son, Matthew, completed his Diesel Fitter Apprenticeship with Glencore and is now a qualified Fitter working with Hasting Deering.

The family ties even carry through on shift, with Ryan working on the same crew as Jason.

“Ryan operates trucks and watercarts and has just started training on the dozers,” Jason explains.

“We do the team days together and Ryan and myself sometimes have crib together when the dragline is down or on service.

“I often pop in and see Rachel at the warehouse for a coffee and get cleaning supplies for the dragline if time permits.”

“It’s a great lifestyle and I love having my family at the same workplace.

“Rachel and I carpool on dayshift as we start at similar times, our son starts a little later and usually takes his own transportation.”

Jason has a wealth of stories about his time at the mine, including the 'lost croc tale'.

“Not that long back they found a crocodile walking along one of the haul roads,” Jason recalls.

“We’re 30 kilometres away from our local river and 80 kilometres inland, so it’s pretty cool having a crocodile just wandering down the road.”

There’s no need to worry Jason assures us, the freshwater crocodile was caught and released safely back in the wild.

After more than 100 years of operating, it’s clear that Collinsville’s long rich past is making way for a bright and exciting future.