Part of the crowd gathering together before the meeting got under way officially.
A poster outside the School of Arts building in Stroud on Saturday.
The meeting was organised by the Johnson's Creek Conservation Committee and the Barrington, Gloucester, Stroud Preservation Alliance.
Mammy Johnson's Creek is just one of the many rivers which runs from the Barrington Tops area. This map shows the rivers and the mines which threaten them - just in the Gloucester-Stroud area.
Tony Tersteeg speaking at the Meeting. Tony has just been elected to the Gloucester Council. We wish him all the very best with his efforts on Council, for the community.
Amanda addressing the crowd. Amanda was the principal organiser of the meeting at Stroud.
"Bucket Man's" home-made poster 
And here is "Bucket Man" himself.
David reading from a difficult-to-read script, while Amanda helps with the microphone.
Anti-Duralie Mine poster. You might quibble with the grammar, but the point is clear.
A poster about Duralie Coal Mine, at Stroud, complete with a Press Release by Frank Sartor, former Minister for Planning, announcing the approval of Duralie Coal Mine, but under certain conditions. The company is now seeking to change those conditions. 
Caroline Graham, from the Cataract River at Douglas Park, with whom I attended the meeting, getting to know some of the Stroud and Gloucester people who are concerned about mining threatening to damage the local rivers.
Dr Pauline Roberts from the Caroona Coal Action Group was one of the guest speakers. She outlined the activites of the Caroona and Liverpool Plains campaign against BHP's planned invasion of their area. There is currently a blockade taking place, preventing the mining company from getting on the properties where they wish to explore. Pauline is a very powerful speaker, and received great support from the crowd, while giving them great encouragement herself. 
4 comments:
You seem to have a full time job fighting environmental vandalism up your way Denis,
best of luck with your efforts.
Hi Duncan.
I should have spelled out that Stroud is near the Hunter, north-west of Newcastle. So, technically, it is not my area. But coal mining in NSW is very widespread. It is huge.
My presence, with Caroline, was an exercise in "solidarity" with fellow campaigners against damage to rivers and (in my case Aquifers).
In Queensland, it is an even bigger issue, but we do not seem to find anti-mining campaigners there, very much. I assume there are concerned landholders and environmentalists there, but we have not made contact with them yet.
We know that the Latrobe Valley (in Victoria) has water problems as a result of mining.
Cheers
Denis
Not wishing to detract from the seriousness of the issue but I would love to know the origin of the name "Mammy Johnson's Creek", mammy originally being an American term. I know the word was sometimes applied to older aboriginal women. I'd love to know her story.
Hi Mosura
I don't know, and have wondered. I cannot find anything from the Web. Stroud Historical Society exists, but has no web site, it seems.
Quill pens are still in use, no doubt.
I will see what I can find out.
Denis
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