Ron had written to ‘The Big Australian’ when he was looking at buying the home at Abermain, but when that deal fell through he had put things on hold for awhile.

So now Ron contacted the BHP once again and although there were no vacancies to speak of at that time, they recalled his prior contact and gave him a start in any case.

First day on the job: ‘Ron can you go to the equipment shed at the end of this building and fetch a wheelbarrow’, was the leading hands instruction. Ron immediately set out for the shed that had been pointed out to him, in doing so, he took the shortest route he could navigate. He collected the barrow and returned to the ‘gang’ as quickly as he could. ‘Wrong’, was the ‘reprimand’ given to Ron at this point, not because he had actually done the incorrect thing, but rather because: ‘You are too fast, walk slowly and take the longest route in future’ was the correction he was offered. This amused Ron greatly, he was used to getting a job done to the best of his ability and as efficiently as possible and this included being as quick as the task at hand allowed. But Ron was now employed for eight hours a day and those hours needed to be paced so there was something left to do tomorrow.

Extract from Iron and Steelmaking 1998 Vol 25 No4.

All over the industrial world thousands of tall smokestacks have been demolished in the last few decades, and there's something fascinating about watching one of these giants crash to the ground.....

Members of Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association have taken the first steps to have the significance of the large steel sculpture - The Muster Point - more widely recognised as an icon of our steel heritage.

‘The Muster Point’ is a house-size sculpture erected in 1999

Media Release

90th Anniversary of Newcastle Steelworks Opening

Newcastle Industrial Heritage Association will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the official opening of Newcastle Steelworks, on Thursday 2 June 2005 at 10.30am.

The Steelworks has left its mark on Newcastle and its people. Most locals are related to someone who once worked at the steelworks.

All Novocastrians are invited to assemble at ‘The Muster Point’ for an address on the past and future of the steelworks site and its heritage, and to raise a toast to the anniversary.

‘The Muster Point’ is a house-size sculpture erected in 1999 by steelworks employees under the supervision of renowned sculptor Julie Squires, to commemorate closure of the steelworks.

It is located near the entrance to the steelworks site, on the corner of Industrial Drive and Selwyn St, Mayfield.