A Historical Journey: 1961-2000

The years 1961 to 2000 were a defining chapter for Weston, NSW, a small town in the Hunter Valley.  These years were shaped by economic upheaval and community grit. The closure of the Hebburn No.2 Colliery in 1972 marked the end of an era for  Hebburn Collieries , severing a vital thread of Weston’s coal-mining identity. This loss, coupled with the devastating Capitol Theatre fire, the closure of the  Post Office  and Commonwealth Bank—which sparked protests and the dramatic arrest of Cessnock Council's  first Freeman of the City—tested the town’s resolve.  Yet, the community’s spirit endured, buoyed by milestones like the opening of the Alcan aluminium smelter, Joy Manufacturing and Weston's new Fire Brigade building, which stood as symbols of progress amid adversity.

Despite the economic blows, Weston’s residents rallied. The Weston Bears Football Club’s remarkable successes brought pride, while the establishment of  the Weston Pre-School strengthened community ties.  Fires, floods, infrastructure developments, and other events punctuated this period, reflecting both challenges and the town’s determination to adapt. From 1961 to 2000, Weston’s story is one of unwavering resolve rooted in its coal-mining heritage while forging a path forward through collective effort and local pride.

1963:      28 Feb.,  Kurri Kurri Public School unsuccessfully applied to Cessnock Council to have First to Tenth streets at Weston renamed.

1963:      In March,  Weston Pensioners' Hall in Second Street was destroyed by fire.

1964:      Weston Art Show first commenced.

1964:    Weston swimmer, Marguerithe Ruygrok chosen for 1964 Olympics

1965:     28 May, a fire at the Capitol Theatre in Station Street Weston had to be attended by the Weston, Kurri Kurri and Abermain Fire Brigades.  

See below:

1965:   30 Jun:   Edward John Frame, who had served the Weston Fire Brigade for 52 years, the last 24 as Captain,  retired.    In 2002 the park adjacent to the Weston Fire Station was re-named in his honour.

1965:     30 Jun:  Capt. E. Brewis replaced E. J. Frame as Captain of the Weston Fire Brigade.

1965:   Sawyers Gully School was closed in December 1965, when the school enrolment numbers had dropped to an uneconomical level.

The school house was purchased for £3,000.0.0 ($6,000.00) by William Bowden of Frame Drive, Weston, early in 1967. He engaged McKay Brothers, contractors of Wallsend to shift the school building whole to his land on Frame Drive Weston.

Subsequently, the Education Departnent revoked its title to the school site on 12th May 1967. This land and the school residence were sold in November 1967 by auction (papers 1967/223). The successful purchaser was Mr. C.C.T. Bowden.

1966: Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW: 1901 - 2001) / Fri 7 Jan 1966 [Issue No.1] / Page 127 / PROPOSAL UNDER SECTION 13 OF THE CLOSER SETTLEMENT (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1914, FOR REVOCATION OF DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AT LOXFORD

(6965)

Sydney, 7th January, 1966.

PROPOSAL UNDER SECTION 13 OF THE CLOSER SETTLEMENT (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1914, FOR REVOCATION OF DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AT LOXFORD

WHEREAS by notification in the Government Gazette of 13th May, 1955, it was notified, in pursuance of the provisions of section 13 of the Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act, 1914, that the land described in the Schedule hereunder was dedicated for a site for a Public School and whereas I am of the opinion that the purpose for which dedication was made has failed wholly and the land should be disposed of by Tender Purchase. Now, therefore, notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Closer Settlement (Amendment) Act, 1914, that it is proposed to revoke the dedication of the land described in the Schedule hereunder, and to dispose of the land in the manner aforesaid. (C.S. 65-214)

T. L. LEWIS, Minister for Lands.

Schedule

LAND DISTRICT-MAITLAND; CITY-GREATER CESSNOCK

County Northumberland, parish Heddon, 3 acres 2 roods 34 perches (the whole) within portion 536-Plan N. 6,111-2,111.

1969:     15 Jun:  The Kurri Kurri Fire Brigade were called to help fight a shop fire in Weston.

1969:      8 Sep:  When fire broke out in a Weston Butchery, the Kurri Kurri Fire Brigade were called to assist..  

1970:  13 Mar:  Fire broke out in the Weston Co-op Store . Weston and Kurri Kurri Fire Brigades fought the fire.

1972:    30 Jun: Hebburn No.2 Colliery ceased coal production.

1973:     Arthur Tungate was appointed Captain of Weston Fire Brigade, replacing Captain E. Brewis.   

1973:      8 Mar: The old wooden Homestead Bridge in Government Road, Weston was soon to be replaced by a concrete bridge.

1974:      10 Jan:  Fr. Michael Cooper, 27, became the new rector of St. Mary's Anglican Church.

1974:       Apr:  Alderman Andrew James 'Mick' Frame  gave details of a proposal for a mining museum at Freemans Waterhole.

1974:       Oct:  The new Weston Fire Brigade building (see below) was completed. The cost: $27, 413.

1976:      Dec:   Margaret Fairfull, 22, of Weston, a travel agency worker, gained the highest marks in a world-wide examination based on facets of international airline travel.

1977:     23 Mar:  The Rev. Max Trinbell was appointed rector of St Mary's Anglican Church after spending most of his 28 years in the ministry in outback Australia.

1977:     30 Mar:  Mr. Mick Frame, who had been connected with Ambulance classes for 40 years, received his second award, a 'Certificate of Merit', from the NSW St. John's Ambulance Association.

1977:      Apr:  The first workers move onto the Joy Manufacturing site at Weston.

1977:     3 Aug: Loutish behaviour forced the Weston Civic Centre Committee to cancel the regular Youth Dances in its hall in Station Street Weston.

1977:      Sept:  Weston Bears soccer team was flushed with success by winning the pre-season, 1st grade minor and major premierships and club championship. No other club in northern soccer history had ever completed this fete.   

See: Weston Bears Football Club.      Play video below:

1978:       A fire in a shop on the corner of Station Street and Cessnock Road caused considerable damage.

1978:      24 Jan: Punters began using the Weston TAB Agency established next door to the Aberdare Hotel in Cessnock Road.  Neil and Carole Russell, who owned the hotel, built the agency on former hotel land.

1978:      Joy Manufacturing officially opened.

1978:      17 May: Cessnock City Librarian, Mr Reg Horner, advised that the Weston branch of the Library would remain open even though it had  poor patronage.

1978:       7 Jun: Joy Manufacturing at Weston had almost reached its full development potential. The workforce had reached 87.  The first workers had moved onto the site in April 1977 and the factory was officially opened just two months ago.

1978:       28 Jun: Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Streets at Weston, still being unsealed, caused a great deal of anguish to residents who formed themselves into a group to seek help from Council.

1979:       3 Jan:  Andrew James 'Mick' Frame (b. 1911 Weston) was honoured by the Kurri Kurri Hospital Board for his 22 years of service to the community.  The Board placed a framed portrait of Mick Frame in the hospital.  

See:  Andrew James 'Mick' Frame O.A.M.

1979:      26 Jan:   Andrew James 'Mick' Frame (b. 1911 Weston) was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of service to the community.

1979:       Mr John Jones was appointed postmaster at Weston after previously being at Manildra, between Orange and Parkes.

1980:      The Alcan Aluminium Smelter was expanded with a second potline, reaching capacity of 90,000 M.T.P.A. Later, the smelter capacity increased to 180,000 metric tonnes.

1980:    12 Mar: Membership of the re-formed Weston Retired Mineworkers had grown to 70, over which Mr Ernie Dunlop presided.

1980:    19 Mar: Aldermen Mick Frame (b.1911 Weston) and Allen Musgrove (Weston) of Greater Cessnock City Council announced that they would not seek re-election at the next election in September. By then, Mr Frame would have served 18 years and Mr Musgrove 12 years.

1981:     7 May: Two shops in Station Street were destroyed by fire.

1982:      8 Jun:  A cake and coffee shop in Cessnock Road caught fire.

1983:     21 Oct: Fire destroyed a house in Date Avenue Weston.

1984:      30 Apr:  Fire severely damaged a house in Cessnock Road Weston.

1987:      Andrew James 'Mick' Frame (b. 1911 Weston) was named Kurri Kurri Apex Citizen of the Year.  

1989:      Masonic Lodge Tomalpin was formed by the amalgamation of the Weston and Kurri Kurri Lodges. It met at the Masonic Centre, Second Street Weston.

In 1990,  Weston experienced more severe flooding.   The following group of photographs of the indundation around Fourth and Swanson Streets are courtesy of Lisa Williams and the Facebook group,' 'I grew up in Weston'.. 

See also Fires, Floods & Future Challenges 

1992:               Weston Swifts were formed in 1992 as an All Age club competing in the Coalfields Amateur Soccer Association competition. 

1993:                Katie's Sale Store opened in Cessnock Road Weston in the old Co-op Store building.

1994:       Apr:  Cessnock City Council inaugurated its 'Freeman of the City' award.  Edward John 'Coogan' Frame (b. 1917 Weston) was the first recipient. 

See: Edward John 'Coogan" Frame

1994:       Apr:  Closure of the Commonwealth Bank in Weston (see below).

1994:    Weston was dealt a cruel blow in 1994 with the closure of its Commonwealth Bank. Two days after he was named the inaugural Freeman of the City of Cessnock, Edward John 'Coogan' Frame, who was born in Weston in 1917, the son of Edward John ('Bluey') and Catherine Frame, was taken into custody by the police when he and some of his retired miner mates arranged a protest at the Commonwealth Bank after being unable to pursuade the CBA bureaucrats to reconsider closing the bank. (He can be seen in the protest  photo above with the megaphone.) Coogan Frame decided that 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. Coogan Frame 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!'

1994:    On 10 Oct 1994, the former Weston Presbyterian Church in Cessnock Road (see above) was renovated to serve as a Coffee Shop for the Weston Tidy Town Committee.

1995:      In 1995, Alcan International divested its holdings in Alcan Australia and the wholly Australian-owned company became Capral Aluminium.

1996:     15 Aug 1996: Weston Ladies Bowling Club celebrated their 50th Anniversary.

1996:     On 27 Nov 1996, Andrew James 'Mick' Frame (b. 1911 Weston) was awarded the honour of 'Freeman of the City of Cessnock.'   

See:  Andrew James 'Mick' Frame O.A.M.

1996: There was an unsuccessful battle 30 Oct 1996 to save the Weston Post Office from closure.  Afterwards, Post Offices services were transferred to an agency in the town (see below).

1998:           29 May 1998:  A short-lived twelve issue newspaper called the Kurri Kurri-Weston News commenced. 

1999:           23 Feb 1999:  The first edition of a new weekly newspaper titled the Kurri Kurri & Weston Independent appeared.

1999:

55. BRONZE MEDAL

Arthur John Earl, Weston,

for his actions at the scene of a house fire at Weston.

On the morning of 11 November 1999, fire broke out in a home at Weston. Mr Earl noticed smoke coming from the roof of the house, and told his wife to call the fire brigade while he went to assist.

Believing people were inside, Mr Earl kicked in the back door but was unable to enter due to the thick smoke. He then kicked in the front door, and crawled inside the house.

After checking the lounge room and the two bedrooms without finding anyone, he exited the burning house and continued to hose down the building until the arrival of the fire brigade.

2000:      Capral Aluminium decided it could not support the capital required to maintain the local smelter and sold it to VAW - a German Aluminium Company.

2000:      On 28 Feb 2000, Arson fire destroyed a Weston Public School building valued at $30,000.00.

2000:      In Apr 2000, a  $1.1 million building project opened at Weston Public School included a school hall, canteen, library and covered walkways.

2000:      On 23 Aug 2000,  Swimmer Stewart Pike of Weston was awarded the Australian Sports medal.  

2000:      On 19 Oct 2000, Ms Briony Snedden of Weston was named Miss Cessnock City.

2000:      On 9 Nov 2000, an open space area adjacent to Weston Park and Government Road named the George Smith Reserve.

A HERO'S WELCOME

2000:      On 23 Aug 2000,  Swimmer Stewart Pike of Weston was awarded the Australian Sports medal.  On 25 Nov 2000,  Stewart Alan Pike of Weston was given a hero's street parade through Weston in recognition of his outstanding performances in the Sydney Paralympics.    

See Stewart Pike  and SPORTING NOTABLES.