Arabic version: حملة ماونت آيزا تسعى للحصول على تمويل من الدولة لنصب تذكاري لعمال المناجم
Families in Mount Isa say they remain without a permanent memorial to honour 151 miners who died working at the mine since it opened in the 1930s.
According to ABC News, detailed plans and concept designs for a memorial precinct costing $300,000, paid for by Mount Isa City Council, were finished in 2023 but have been sidelined with no state government commitment to fund construction. The proposed site near the former underground museum was described as shovel-ready, with memorial panels, reflection spaces and landscaped gathering areas planned.
Families and former workers recounted long-standing losses. Sisters Claire Malyon and Bev McKay remember their brother Peter Sturmfels, killed underground while drilling at Mount Isa’s copper mine; other relatives and former miners, including Steve Trevor and John Moran, have campaigned for recognition for decades. Mount Isa Mines recorded its most recent fatality in 2014, and campaigners say plans drawn up over the years remain on hold despite being costed and located.
The story matters because the scale and history of the deaths underscore why communities seek formal recognition: 151 lives lost since the 1930s, more than 80 per cent of those deaths occurring between 1930 and 1980, and a 2012 Queensland mine safety report found about one-third of deaths at Mount Isa involved workers being struck by or caught in machinery while about three-quarters occurred underground. Other regional mining centres have built memorials to recognise local lives lost, and campaigners argue Mount Isa deserves similar acknowledgement.
What happens next: Traeger MP Robbie Katter says the state government should contribute funding for a permanent memorial, arguing a large portion of Queensland’s wealth came from dangerous work in mines such as Mount Isa. Mr Trevor said the project was estimated at $2.7 million when plans were completed in 2023; campaigners expect costs may now be higher. Minister for Mines Dale Last has been contacted for comment.
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