FORMER mining boss John Walker was remembered as a community-minded person and a family man and for his efforts in establishing the mining memorial at Limestone Park at a service at Ipswich City Uniting Church last month.
John was born in Ipswich on September 3, 1938 to Connie and Jack Walker. He had a happy childhood, growing up at the family home at Kendall Street, East Ipswich, where he loved playing backyard cricket and enjoyed his school life.
In 1958, he was conscripted into National Service at Wacol Army Base and served almost two years at 25th Artillery Battery, 5th Field Regiment.
He was a miner, working for his family who operated a number of coal mines in the West Moreton District and eventually worked as an Assistant Mine Surveyor from 1963. In 1965, he was appointed an Underground Mine Manager, working night shift at Aberdare No. 8 Colliery. Over 30 years he worked in various positions including Mine Surveyor, Mine Manager and General Manager.
John was awarded the Ipswich Senior Citizen Award in 2017.
As Secretary – Treasurer of the Ipswich – Rosewood Coalminers Trust, he was an integral figure in the construction of the mining memorial at Limestone Park. He dedicated thousands of hours to the cause during an eight year period that resulted in donations of more than $1 million.
While mining was a great passion of John’s life, he was first and foremost a husband and a father. He was devoted to his wife Lyn and their three daughters, Louise, Suzanne and Fiona.
John and Lyn raised their daughters in their Rowland Terrace home at Coalfalls where they lived for 50 years.
John was a dedicated member of the Ipswich City Uniting Church, the Ipswich North Rotary Club and also devoted his time to Habitat for Humanity, an organisation that supports the community’s most vulnerable families and assists them with accessing safe shelter, sanitation and livelihood training.
He was a sports fanatic, a lover of music and a talented poet.
