Edward John 'Coogan' Frame O.A.M.

Edward John ‘Coogan’ Frame, was the third  son of Edward John Frame and Catherine Falvey.  He was born at Weston, NSW on 13 Dec 1917 and baptised at the Abermain Catholic Church on 6 Jan 1918. His sponsor was Margaret Falvey.  Coogan completed his schooling at Weston School and Abermain Catholic School. He was nicknamed ‘Coogan’ after the actor Jackie Coogan.  

Coogan started work in the local coalmines when he was about fifteen years of age. His father, grandfather, uncles and brothers were miners so Coogan always believed that he too, would work at one of the local collieries. Coogan’s father Edward came home one day and told him that there was a job available for him at Hebburn No.1, so Coogan started at the mine and remained there until he was called up for Basic Training in 1939, at the beginning of World War II.  

Like his brothers Mick and Mervyn, Coogan started as a driver in the pit.  He then eventually went onto the coal to work. Hebburn No.1 coal was extremely hard and Management found it difficult to get miners to work there. It was all hand bored and miners only earned what they got off their pick and shovel. When the coal was taken out to pit top it was screened. A Union man and a Company man would be there to inspect their yield, and any shale or stones discarded. The miners would be penalised for this at the end of their shifts. They didn't earn big money; even when Coogan and his workmate Stan topped tonnage one time they only received two pounds ($4).

Coogan was in the first group of young Australian men to be called up for Basic Training. He trained for three months with the Army at Rutherford, near Maitland.  He recalled that they would often march through the main street of Maitland and other times when they camped in the hills at Mindaribba, near Paterson.  One particularly gruelling exercise was when they had to walk on gravel roads from Rutherford to Nelson Bay in one day with a full pack. They had to dig in overnight, and then walk all the way back to Rutherford the following day.  

After completing Basic Training, Coogan applied for both the Army and the Air Force. The RAAF signed him first, and subsequently, in 1940, he was posted to Parkes NSW. When he first joined up, Coogan was asked if he wanted to serve in Australia or overseas. Being the adventurous type, he opted for overseas duty. After completing his training at Parkes, Coogan was posted to Richmond where he volunteered to join the Empire Air Training School. He was given his papers for overseas duty by Chips Rafferty (real name John Goffage) who was an Australian film actor of yesteryear and an orderly at Richmond at the time. My father Mervyn had a photo with ‘Chips’ from when he too, was at Richmond during WWII but it has been lost.

At 3.am. one morning, amidst a group of ninety-seven apprehensive young recruits, Coogan boarded the Arangi and set sail for Great Britain via Canada. There was a convoy of ships sailing at the time, but the Arangi was ordered to maintain a seventeen-mile clearance from the convoy because, as the men later discovered, they were carrying a cargo of dynamite.  The men disembarked in Scotland and were then taken straight to Bournemouth where they were introduced to the King and Queen. After Bournemouth, Coogan was sent to the Isle of Man. He trained as an air gunner and did a lot of NF2 flights. His position was tail-gunner on the Lancaster bomber. After completing duty on the Isle of Man, Coogan was then sent to Red Hill in London, which was being bombed relentlessly day and night. To this day, Coogan maintains it was the civilians who were the real heroes in the Battle of Britain because of what they were forced to endure during that devastating period.

It was while he was on a gunnery course at Wolverhampton that Coogan met Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Price, daughter of Richard Price and Elizabeth Ann Williams. Coogan and Betty were married in St Mary’s Catholic Church Abertillary, South Wales on 11 May 1944.   Coogan served overseas for four years and three months and in September 1945, after the war ended, his unit set sail for home on a repatriation ship. Coogan’s wife Betty, and newborn baby daughter Dawn remained in Wales. Eleven months later, in August 1946, Betty and baby Dawn arrived on a ship carrying war brides to Australia. 

On 30 Aug 1946, The Cessnock Eagle newspaper reported Betty and Dawn’s arrival in Weston: 

WELSH BRIDE WELCOMED AT WESTON 

To welcome the Welsh bride and baby daughter of Mr E Frame (better known as Coogan) quite a happy number of relatives and friends gathered at the Soldiers Hall Weston on Friday night last. The bride, who was met by her husband in Sydney, travelled by train from there to Newcastle where they were met by Mr H Dodds of Weston, and came the rest of the way by car.

On arrival, the couple found a hall very tastefully decorated, and where a very elaborate supper was served - not forgetting the numerous presents awaiting them.

Mr Stan Marriott was called upon to propose the toast of welcome to the bride and baby daughter Dawn, who was indeed a picture of babyhood. In Mr Marriott’s few remarks, he expressed the pleasure the Frame family had in receiving Betty as one of their own, and was sure she would have no regret at coming out to Australia to the midst of such a well liked and respected family as the Frame family.

Mr Mick Frame suitably responded on behalf of his family. Consideration felt for a tired bride and baby, the happy couple left the evening a little early for their future home in Abermain.

Dancing was enjoyed by all present. Musical items were rendered by Miss Delma Frame and Mrs L Davies. Mr A Lumsden carried out the duties of M.C.

After Coogan’s return to Australia, he resumed work at Hebburn No.1 Colliery. He was one of only three men after the war that was granted a special permit to be taken on as a casual. Normally a man would have to be two years at the coalface to qualify.  After being in Australia for a couple of years, during which time second daughter Lyn was born, Betty learned that her mother was seriously ill back home in Wales. Betty returned to Wales with her two young daughters and Coogan arranged to follow as soon as possible. The family remained in Wales for approximately eight years, during which time Coogan worked in the Welsh coalmines. The winters were severe and Coogan’s health deteriorated. Eventually, his doctor advised him that he should return to the warmer climate of Australia. Thus, in June 1956, along with their daughters Dawn and Lyn, Coogan and Betty finally returned to Australia aboard the ship Australia.

The family settled at first in Weston, and then later, after Coogan retired, he and Betty moved to a new home in Kurri Kurri. Two more children were born: their son Glen and daughter Caroly.

When Coogan arrived back in Australia, it coincided with his older brother Mervyn’s retirement from Hebburn No.2 Colliery and Mervyn was able to secure Coogan a job at the mine. Coogan succeeded Mervyn, and also his uncle Roy 'Frosty' Frame in becoming President of the Hebburn No.2 Miners Lodge. Always one to stand his ground, Coogan fought fiercely for the rights and conditions of his fellow miners. After being cavilled out at Hebburn No.2, Coogan, along with brothers Andrew (Mick) and Alexander, found employment at Newvale Colliery. At the time of his retirement in 1977, after 45 years at the coalface, Coogan was Lodge President at Newvale No.1 and a Central Councillor.

Shortly before he retired, Coogan told the Newcastle Morning Herald’s Paul Rea:  'I’ll be finishing with regret, but I suppose I’m getting a little worn,' he said. 'I’ll miss the blokes, but not the work or the machines.' 

Paul Rea wrote:

'The blokes will miss Coogan, too. He is a colourful character, even 200m underground. One of his workmates described him as a good pitman. 'Coog’s kept this pit working on a few occasions,' he said. 'He can be a tough negotiator but he never takes things personally. He’s always got a wisecrack.'

Instead of taking it easy after retirement, Coogan saw this time as an opportunity to work for the greater good of the community. Apart from being a regular volunteer worker with Meals on Wheels, Coogan organised many fundraisers for Kurri Kurri Hospital and various community groups, not to mention protests and rallies to try to save, among other things, miner’s jobs, hospitals, the Abernethy aged care facility, the last remaining poppet head, and of course, Weston’s Commonwealth Bank and Post Office!

Kurri Kurri District Hospital has been the main beneficiary of Coogan’s fund raising efforts. As a young 15-year-old lad working in the mines, he contributed threepence per week towards the running costs of the hospital and that began a lifetime of support for the institution. In about 1984, the State Government announced that it was going to close Kurri Hospital. This started a lengthy campaign of fundraising to provide new equipment for the hospital and put a positive case forward for its retention. That successful battle was followed by another in 1996 when the hospital came under threat of Government funding cuts. On that occasion, Coogan addressed a rally of more than a thousand residents, organising fundraisers and doorknocks to save the hospital. The many thousands of dollars raised over the years by the Kurri Hospital Life-saving Committee, of which Coogan was President, has provided new adjustable beds, bedside tables and lockers, a Bain Marie, new air-conditioning, a heart monitor and much more.

When the Government planned to close Wallsend Hospital, the organisers of a picket line contacted Coogan seeking his help and he arranged for four busloads of people to travel to Wallsend to support the cause. At that time, it was the longest running picket line in Australia. Now the hospital is staying open and undergoing redevelopment. Allandale Hospital, under threat of downgrading, was also given strong support. When Abernethy Old Peoples Home was threatened with demolition, Coogan was President of the Abernethy Action Group which not only saved the hostel, but also secured State and Federal Government grants totalling $1.5 million to rebuild the facility.

A committee member of Hunter Prelude Early Intervention Centre, Coogan was instrumental in securing a donation of $10,000 from the Mineworkers Trust in his capacity as State President of the Retired Mineworkers Association. Funds were also raised for the Miners statue in Rotary Park Kurri Kurri, as well as the Church of England, so that it could open an Op. Shop. Mining heritage having a special place in his heart, Coogan also approached the Coal Board and obtained a $10,000 grant from them so that the last remaining poppet head in the area could be saved. It now stands tall and proud, beautifully preserved at Kitchener. Coogan acknowledged that the Coal Board was always supportive whenever he was fundraising for a worthy cause.

Weston was dealt a cruel blow in 1994 with the closure of its Commonwealth Bank, and this pain was compounded in 1996 when the Post Office closed and its services transferred to an agency in the town. Coogan said in frustration at the time, 'We’ve got a Railway Station with no trains, a Police Station with no policemen, we almost had a Post Office with no stamps and now we will have a Bank with no money!' 

Coogan was bitterly disappointed at being unable to persuade the Commonwealth Bank bureaucrats to reconsider their decision and the subsequent closure of the bank. However, he decided if that were to be the end of the town’s financial institution, then he would make sure it got a good funeral! He organised a coffin, six pallbearers and a lone piper for the event. After addressing the hundreds of local residents in the crowd, persuading them to not tear up their bankbooks, he and a few of his loyal following staged a sit-in at the bank.

After this event, Local Government writer, Maria Ceresa, wrote the following article:

How they arrested the first Freeman of Cessnock City 

Two days after his community decided to honour Edward “Coogan” Frame for a lifetime’s local work, the retired miner was taken into custody.

On the morning of his arrest, Mr Frame gave his dog and cockatoo a double helping of tucker because he did not know when he would be back.

He then joined four of his retired mining mates in a sit-in at the Commonwealth Bank in the small Hunter Valley town of Weston to protest against the local branch’s closure.

The 76-year-old activist from Kurri Kurri was the youngest demonstrator who refused to leave the building. This, and his long reputation for leading local causes, meant he was the first to be led towards the paddy wagon.

The police then turned to his 81-year-old mate Les Harris, and asked if he would come quietly.

“Les told them” ‘I’ve been fighting beside Coogan in the mines for 60 years and I’m not about to stop following him now,’ Mr Frame said yesterday.

He and his mates were arrested on February 11. Two days earlier, Cessnock City Council had decided to bestow its highest honour on Mr Frame and make him its first Freeman of the City.

He will receive the unusual title in recognition of his lifelong community work next Tuesday.

The feisty activist believes the elderly people of Weston have a right to a local bank.

When the arresting police told him he might do time in the Cessnock lockup, he protested: “I told them I shop locally in Kurri, and that’s where I want to be locked up. The sergeant said he had dealt with drunks who were better behaved than us.”

The Federal Member for Charlton, Mr Bob Brown, rang the police station at the time, offering to bail out the men but they were never charged.

Mr Frame said the police had treated them so well they made the officers honorary members of the Retired Mineworkers Association.

And the Mayor of Cessnock, Councillor Maree Callaghan, quipped that she went to the police station to “protect the police”.

Councillor Callaghan said the reason behind Mr Frame’s arrest was the same as the reason for his honour- his love of the coalmining communities of the Hunter.

The battle to save the Weston bank joins Mr Frame’s demonstrations to save the Kurri Kurri Hospital, an 18-month-long fight-complete with picket line-to save the Wallsend Hospital building, numerous attempts to stop the State Government closing mines and a successful joust to relocate a retirement home.

His latest coup was a letter writing campaign, which resulted in the NSW Department of Health, granting the local hospital $200,000 worth of new

X-ray equipment.

A letter to the Kurri Kurri Workers’ Club, signed by the Department’s head, Dr Tim Smyth, who has a “soft spot” for Mr Frame, reads:

“PS: Tell Coogan, no more letters!”

“If we didn’t fight, no-one else would,” Mr Frame said. “If we don’t show a bit of grit and guts, they’ll just tread on us.”

For his outstanding service to the community, Coogan Frame was awarded: 

• The NSW Premiers Medal 

• Citizen of the Year Medal

• Senior Citizen of the Year Medal 

• The Hospital Medal

• Citation from the Post Master General 

• 1994: Freeman of the City of Cessnock (Inaugural) 

• 2005: Medal of the Order of Australia (O.A.M) - at the age of 87

Coogan’s most recent victories were won against global mining companies for an increase to the weekly pensions of mineworkers’ widows. He also took on the State and Federal governments to ensure Abernethy nursing home, now named Jacaranda Grove Nursing Home - continued to provide a haven for the elderly.  Along with these well-deserved achievements and awards, Coogan received the gratitude, love and respect of an entire community. 

Even in his twilight years, Coogan didn’t slow down unless his health got in the way. He was very modest about his triumphs and believed he was well rewarded for his efforts. However, almost every day of his life, he left his fellow man another legacy. It didn’t matter how bleak the day, or how heavy the burden you carried on your shoulders - whenever you encountered Coogan with his twinkling eyes and mischievous grin and he began with, 'did I ever tell you the one about..…'    you just knew you were going to hear a joke that would make you smile.  That was Coogan!

After one almighty battle that he could not win, Edward John 'Coogan' Frame passed away at 2.am on Friday 30 March 2007 in Kurri Kurri Hospital. He was 89-years of age. His wife Betty died in Kurri Kurri 28 May 2010.