Newmont Mining Corporation

Waihi, New Zealand

Newmont Waihi Gold's mine rescue team recently took a canary and a television film crew into a 100-year old mining tunnel under Union Hill on the outskirts of Waihi. Waihi Heritage Vision had asked the operation for assistance with a segment about World War I and the New Zealand Tunneling Company it was developing with Maori Television.

"As we drove, it became obvious the film crew thought miners still used canaries to detect gas," said Pete Lowe, rescue coordinator for the mine. "This caused a few wry smiles amongst our team, but we soon explained that we have more sophisticated and much quieter gas detectors today."

In 1915, Tunneling Company men left Waihi mines to enlist with the armed forces and tunnel under enemy lines in northern France. They were joined by Australian, British and Canadian companies, who used their mining skills to conduct an underground campaign against Germany. Their role was to excavate a gallery, pack it with explosives and detonate it before the enemy had the chance to do the same. Working silently to avoid enemy detection was imperative to survival.

During the shoot, the rescue team recreated a scene from a photograph of a Tunneling Company training school in France.

"The breathing apparatus used in 1915 was very similar to the Draeger BG4 we use today," said Jake Croall, metallurgist and mine rescue team member. "That shows how good the original design was."

Filming also took place at the Cornish Pumphouse and at Waihi Cemetery, where a number of Tunneling Company enlistments are buried. The segment will air on ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day April 25.

March 1, 2010