Mixing The Pits With The Hits

Steve McKenna heads to Billy Elliot country and discovers a region of contrasting fortunes.

Hunter Chief In Rich Pickings List

A LOT has changed since Centennial Coal chief Robert Cameron began his career more than 30 years ago as a young mining engineer in Hunter pits.

Nothing But Muddy Pools Left In Angledool

ANGLEDOOL is 60 kilometres north of Lightning Ridge and 12 kilometres south of the Queensland border. It was founded in 1870 and used to have 3000 people, locals say. It also had five pubs, two stores, a memorial hall, a school, a police station and an Aboriginal mission. It now has 36 people, 20 occupied dwellings and two open rubbish pits. The hall is still there, sort of. It is very decrepit. The police station, the stores and the school are long gone. So, too, the mission. The last pub burnt ...