On the frontline: From armed forces to mining resources

Early starts, long days and relative isolation are some of the challenges that miners have to contend with, but for Timothy Crimmins, those demands are almost second nature.

Having previously served in the army and worked on cattle stations, the Auxiliary Operator at McArthur River Mine (MRM) isn’t fazed by the 3.30am wake-up calls or 12-hour days.

“MRM is remote, but then again, I’m used to it,” he says of the open-cut mine, located about 970km south-east of Darwin.

“Working out in cattle stations and then being in the army, it was common to be away for weeks at a time, not having any communication with anyone. So it’s not a drama for me personally. And it’s the lifestyle that we choose.”

As far as career paths go, Timothy’s is perhaps one of the most varied. Growing up in Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands, he left school and was “out chasing cows and doing a lot of farming and station work” for four years.

In 2007, at age 21, he joined the army and was posted to the second cavalry regiment in Darwin. He did a couple of training tours in Malaysia before deciding to leave the armed forces in 2013.

And this is where things get particularly interesting. While working an office job in the hire industry, he moonlighted as a rodeo clown.

“I was a rodeo clown for six years,” he says. “So when a bull rider falls off, I put my body on the line to protect him and make sure he gets out and can go out to do it all again. I tried being in rodeos as a young fellow, doing a bit of bull riding and stuff. But I found that taking hits was a lot easier than falling off.”

However, a severe injury put an end to his days as a rodeo clown. “I did my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament); I had my knee pretty much torn to shreds in 2018.”

He then decided to follow his family into mining, joining MRM two years ago.

“My stepfather and a lot of my uncles and aunties and cousins are all in mining,” he says. “I was probably the last one to drag the chain. It was a bit of a family thing, but I just sort of ventured out and did other things first.”

For him, MRM has provided a sense of familiarity. “I feel at home at MRM because it’s very structured with what you’re doing from day to day,” says Timothy, who works with all the mini excavators up to 120 tonnes and all the loaders, including the 980, 992 and the big 995 (he can’t wait to move up into the big diggers: the Cat 6040 and 6060).

“It’s a great lifestyle. It reminds me of being back in the army – it’s a family-like atmosphere in the village. And my crew’s pretty tight-knit. We have about 40 to 50 people in the crew and we work the same days and nights, and fly in and out together, so it’s really good.”

Timothy also likes the roster that’s offered, working seven days and seven nights and then having 14 days off. So what does he do on his days off?

“What everyone does in the Territory: hunting, fishing and camping,” he says with a laugh. “That’s the lifestyle up here – everything’s at your doorstep. Even where I live at the back of Darwin, in not even five minutes I can be out in the middle of nowhere.”

The dad-of-two also gets plenty of time to spend with his kids – Matilda, four, and Daly, one. And that focus on family is another reason he likes working at MRM.

“MRM is very family oriented,” he says. “If there are any dramas at home, I can just jump on a plane. There’s a lot of help and support. The mining industry is often about the bottom line, but one thing I can say about MRM is that it’s all about the family.”