1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: Hello, it's Stave O'Neill here to share a new true crime, 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: well sort of podcast with you that I've made with 3 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: a regular co host of the Debreuth, mister Bradford Oaks. 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: We all know Oaksy. It's called Slippery Slope. You can 5 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: listen here or search for it in your podcast app. 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: It's a story of jealousy, aspiration, international relations, taking place 7 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: mostly in Queensland's remote north central town of Mount iSER. 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Get the four episodes of Slippery Slope here every Wednesday, 9 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: or search for it in your podcast app. Okay, hope 10 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: you enjoy it. Here is episode one. Mount iSER, one 11 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: of the most remote places in Australia, nay the world, 12 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: smack bang in the middle of Queensland. They had it 13 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: all pubs, cowboys, rodeo, twenty four hour machas, a massive mind. 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: But something was missing. 15 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 2: She said, I got to say they don't have real problems. 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 3: You got problems. 17 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 4: And he said, what the fuck is that? 18 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 5: Some of them are screaming lizard crocodile, lizard crocodile. 19 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 6: And a water slide just made sense. 20 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 4: It was made in Turkey and we got a lot 21 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 4: of flak off that too. 22 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: There was a bit of an issue in the sus Canal. 23 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 4: Like I thought everyone was having a crack. 24 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 6: They're delaying and on purpose and they're just trying to 25 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 6: get it after the election. 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 5: Oh okay, of course this has happened to us in 27 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 5: Mount isa What else would happen? 28 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 7: Slippery Slope a true crime podcast about Mount iSER and 29 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 7: the Missing Water Slide with Dave O'Neill and Brad Oaks. 30 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: Well, Hello and welcome to a podcast. I'm Dave O'Neil. 31 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 3: Hi, I'm Brado's. 32 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: Now Brad tell everyone how we came across the story 33 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: of Mount Isa and the Missing water Slide. 34 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 8: Well, last year we were touring in northern Queensland. We 35 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 8: were in cans and then we flew to Mount Isaac 36 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 8: and we were picked up a channing person from the 37 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 8: Mount isa Council, Erica Erica. She drove us around, showed 38 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 8: us some very interesting sites and then told us this 39 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 8: wonderful tale. 40 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: Now you've been to man Isiser before, No, I'd never 41 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: been there. Yeah, and what was your first impression? 42 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:27,119 Speaker 8: Is it in Australia? Yeah, it's it's a long while. 43 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: It's very isolated for people that I know. It's in 44 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: the middle of Queensland. It's a huge mining town. 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 8: It's actually in Queensland, but it's closer to Darwin, yeah 46 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 8: than it is to Brisbane. 47 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's state capitol. 48 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: I've been there a few times. I hosted the one 49 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: hundred year celebration and I've been I've I've done a 50 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: gagin in Julia Creek. I always really liked Mount iSER 51 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: because very much a working town as opposed to a 52 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: five O town. Most people live there and most people 53 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: work in the mine or on the surrounding industries in 54 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: the mines. 55 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 8: I know, I think when I look at you, I 56 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:02,399 Speaker 8: think Western Queensland. You're like a stockland. 57 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: So we heard of this story and we thought that 58 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: is a great story, and so return to Mount Eyes 59 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: that interviewed people. We're going to cover the whole story 60 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 1: of this podcast. 61 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 8: I just point out to the we didn't turn to 62 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 8: each other, and this is a great story. It was 63 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 8: a couple of weeks later after we got back, said you, 64 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 8: I'm just fascinated by that story. 65 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: You went me too, and we both be into rooms 66 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: in Mount Eyes and individually googled and could find nothing 67 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: about it. There was nothing about this water slide. So 68 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: we thought this is a great story. Well, I mean 69 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: it's interesting people that live there have an opinion on 70 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: Mount Eiser. Obviously. Let's hear from Kim Coglan. She's the 71 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: sister now, she's been on council forever. Kim, what's your 72 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: what's your description of Mount iSER? 73 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 3: Hard? Rugged? Hot? 74 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a very quick summation, but that kind of 75 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: does sum it up. 76 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 9: It is. 77 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: I think it is a hard place to live, Brad. 78 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 8: In terms of hard, it was thirty one degrees when 79 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 8: we're in Cans the day before. 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, but that's humid heat. 81 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. 82 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 8: And then when we landed at eight thirty in the 83 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 8: morning in Mount Isaac, it was already thirty one degrees Yeah, 84 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 8: that's more like pizza oven heat. 85 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was like a pizza oven, and it got 86 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: hotder and hotter. Daniel Slade's also she was on the council, 87 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: she was a mayor. I met her when I hosted 88 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: one hundred year celebration. She's not a counselor anymore. Growing 89 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: up in maunt isa it. 90 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 6: Was never my intention to stay here. It grows on 91 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 6: you without you realizing. When I was left school, I 92 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 6: was out of here. There's no doubt about it, and 93 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 6: I met people who not just become friends, but have 94 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 6: become lifelong friends, and people who would you know, bury 95 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 6: a body for you. Basically, you know these people we've 96 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 6: grown up together. And I can't explain that sort of 97 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 6: feeling of community that man Isa has. And maybe it's 98 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 6: because we're so isolated of course this area. 99 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: And I didn't know this until I went there. Rob 100 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: Catter is the local member for the State Parliament. Now 101 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: that's Bob Catter's son. You know, we had a son. 102 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: I knew he had a son. 103 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 8: I love the fact that the differential is just well, 104 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 8: Bob Catter, who's a very colorful Australian federal politicians. 105 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: Being there forever to in Parliament, he has. 106 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 8: Been around and is a very strong advocate for Northern Queensland. 107 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 8: To differentiate between his colorful personality, his son is Rob 108 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 8: rather than Bob. 109 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's so funny and it's just one letter, the 110 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: difference between Rob and Bob. 111 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, it just clears it up straight away. 112 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: The people that don't know who Bob Cattery is. This 113 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: is his famous quote on the news when they're I 114 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: think I'm talking about gay marriage, weren't they? 115 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 3: It was It's about the referendum. 116 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, and just hear how it takes a turn. It's 117 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: only twenty seconds. But this will this will sum up 118 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: Bob Catter. 119 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 10: People are titled to the sexual proclimities. Yeah, I mean, 120 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 10: let there be a thousand blossoms blooms. So but I 121 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 10: ain't spending any time warrant. 122 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 3: Of course. 123 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 10: In the meantime, every three months a person's torn to 124 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:05,720 Speaker 10: pieces by a crocodile. 125 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: And North Queensland there we go torn to pieces by 126 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: a crocodile. 127 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 3: Do yourself a favor too. 128 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 8: If you want to google that, just type in Bobcatter 129 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 8: crocodiles and you will see it's a twenty second clip. 130 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 3: His face change halfway through that. 131 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,119 Speaker 1: It's unbelievable and that has become famous around the world. 132 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: But that's not Rob Catter. 133 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 3: No, Rob's a lot more to day. 134 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: Rob Catter actually lives in man Isa. He's got an officer, 135 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: he's got a house that he's got a family there. 136 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 8: He's the member for that area, yes, and which must 137 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 8: be a very big state of lectionship. 138 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: He's got a plane that he flies around which he 139 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: famolessly didn't put the landing thing down and skid it 140 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: on the tarmac. I do that all the time in 141 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: your plane. Let's hear from Rob catter Man. 142 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 2: Isser is a diamond and rough. 143 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 11: It's very hard to see it's beauty and it's value 144 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 11: and character on the surface, but it doesn't when you 145 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 11: open it up and get inside. 146 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 2: It's just it's great and gets holdier. 147 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 3: It's hard to leave. 148 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: He sounds to be like a little bit. There is 149 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: a real phenomena where people come brand and they just stay. Yeah, 150 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: did you have any desire to stay? 151 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 8: No, it was it was a bit too hot for me, 152 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 8: given that we did a gig there that I pretty 153 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 8: much shot. 154 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 3: My bolt there. 155 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 8: You know, a lot of the people from the region 156 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 8: were there, so after that, it's pretty much I'll just 157 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 8: be picking up papers for something to do. 158 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no gigs there, basically, is what you're saying. 159 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 8: But I could see, like remember how the sunsets were 160 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 8: absolutely beautiful, beautiful and striking. It had that kind of 161 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 8: thing too, which I think it might be proximate to 162 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 8: a desert, and so it has that nighttime that's stillness, 163 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 8: which is you know, really kind of commensurate with the 164 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 8: Australian outback. 165 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is a desert, isn't it. 166 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 3: I think it is, So what's the desert? 167 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: Let's hear a bit more from Rob Catater talking about 168 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: how it's very hard to leave the place. 169 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 2: For me, I'm a good working example. 170 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 11: I came out with a two or three year plan 171 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 11: twenty one years ago, thinking yeah, just make some money. 172 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 11: And then you start to go, well, what am I 173 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 11: going to improve if I go back to the coast? 174 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 11: If I go backsely, what am I. 175 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 3: Going to improve? 176 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 11: Because I've got a good friendship base here, We've got 177 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 11: a good house, I've got a job, we got. 178 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 2: Enough money to holiday at the end of the year. 179 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 11: I think a lot of people have that set in 180 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 11: the head, like I've got to get back to Nusia. 181 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 11: I've got to get back to Brisbane and Gold Coast. 182 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 11: And then you start to say, well, why, you know, 183 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 11: what was better in your life there? And it's in 184 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 11: It's really interesting the amount of people that move away. 185 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 11: And I don't want to say with their tail between 186 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 11: their legs, but it's usually sort of in a good way. 187 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 11: They come out and say, you know what, I just 188 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 11: I just I couldn't replicate the same friendships and community 189 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 11: that I had. 190 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,839 Speaker 1: Here think about man eyes that no one's mentioned. It 191 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: is the mine. It is quite remarkable to go to 192 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: a mining town where the mine is right there in 193 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: the middle of the town, right there. 194 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. I've been a cup early and the mine's outside. 195 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a pit too. 196 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 3: Yeah. 197 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 8: And you know, of course, growing up in Victoria there's 198 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 8: the open Cup mine in the Gippsland region around more 199 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 8: Lawn and that's out of town. But this is really 200 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 8: strike here. It's just in fact. The town I believe, 201 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 8: is divided into mind side and town side. 202 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,439 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, and mind side used to be a bit posh, 203 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: I believe back because of course it would be posh, 204 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: because if you lived on the mind side, you go, 205 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: I'll just grab some rubies from my mind. Well, it's 206 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: interesting because when I first went there, I could not 207 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: believe I could look at the motel. I heard a 208 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: horn blasting and it was the mine. I looked at 209 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: the motel window and there it was right there. 210 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 3: Yeah. 211 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: So first impressions are really interesting with Mount Isa. Let's 212 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: hear from Corgo again, the counselor talking about someone's first impression. 213 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 4: Tell this story a fuller cum into Mount iSER. Never 214 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 4: been to mound iSER in his life. He went to 215 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 4: town He's rugby club. He was drinking there all afternoon 216 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 4: and I had to take him. He was staying at 217 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 4: the Berkeley Hotel, so I was taking him to the 218 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 4: Barkley Hotel and I was going across the Big Bridge 219 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 4: and at night, when the mines is lit up, it 220 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 4: looks like a shipliner. And I remember we were going 221 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 4: across the Big Bridge and he was talking and next 222 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 4: minute he looked and he said, what the fuck is that? 223 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 4: And I said what are you talking about? Because I 224 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 4: didn't know what he was going on about. And he 225 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 4: was in the car horrified, and I said, what are 226 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 4: you He said what's that? And I said it's the 227 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 4: mine and he was absolutely astounded. He said, but it's 228 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 4: right there, and I said, yeah, so we we don't 229 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 4: know anything different. But for people coming into Mount Isa, 230 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 4: I mean you drive down the Barkley Highway and you know, 231 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 4: you go up Railway Avenue and there's this mine, like 232 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 4: the whole mine is there. Like it's just it's unheard 233 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,839 Speaker 4: of because all other places in Australia the mine's there, 234 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 4: but the town's away. But you go back to when 235 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 4: it was discovered I mean you had to be right 236 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 4: near the mine, so you used to have mine side 237 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 4: and town side. 238 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: The mines was first, and then mant isa Do you 239 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: know how they how was discovered? How man Isaac came 240 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: to be. 241 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 8: I'm strongly paraphrasing here, so you know, feel free to 242 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 8: equate me. But my understanding was that there was some 243 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 8: prospectors just moving. 244 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 3: Through the area. 245 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 8: One of them horses that's something in its foot, yeah, hoof, 246 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,079 Speaker 8: and they turned it over and it was a big 247 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 8: lump of insert precious metal here, which begs the question 248 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 8: because we talk about how the town to be called 249 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 8: Mount Eliza, but I think I should have been named 250 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 8: after that horse. 251 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, like Malli Mount Trigger, Mount Nelly, because 252 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: of course the indigenous people were there first, of course, 253 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: and they're part of Ount Eyes, of course. And it 254 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: used to be it was known for what sort of thing. 255 00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 3: I believe it was known as the training. 256 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 8: It was well known for the quality of the stone 257 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 8: axes that were made in the region, right, which again 258 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,119 Speaker 8: would point towards them using really good minerals the materials. 259 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that they're now mine mineral. Congo seems to 260 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: know what she's talking about when it comes with the 261 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: history of Mount Isa. 262 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 4: So the story goes, the horse got a rock thing 263 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 4: in his hoof and he saw it. A lot of 264 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 4: them are prospectors at the time, and from there like 265 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 4: all the prospectors come out, but John Campbell Miles laid 266 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 4: claim to it first. And there's a long, long history 267 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 4: of miners coming here. So I just know that my 268 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 4: great grandfather was the pioneer that discovered, like was with 269 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 4: John Miles. Then my father was a shift boss in 270 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 4: the mines, and then like I worked in the mines. 271 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: The miners had several owners over the years. Well, the 272 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: vibe I get current owners is not a good relationship, 273 00:12:58,400 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: I believe. 274 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 8: No, I believe it started out as Mount Eyes of mining. Yes, 275 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 8: and for years you would see that in the stocks pages. Yes, 276 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,360 Speaker 8: you know m I am was synonymous. You know, it 277 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 8: was something with b HP. It's one of the most 278 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:18,319 Speaker 8: productive mining areas in the world in terms of its size, 279 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 8: and it's now falling into the hands of what did 280 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 8: they say, bean counters encounters economers. 281 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I actually put the question to Rob Catter let's 282 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: have a listen. 283 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 11: I'd say really bad. It was off the charts good. 284 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 11: When I sort of first moved here and it was 285 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 11: Mount Eyes and mines. They used to have a Christmas party. 286 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 11: I'm told before my time they had a Christmas party 287 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 11: in every kid in town. Every kid in town, regardless 288 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 11: where their parents worked at the mine as not got 289 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 11: Christmas present. 290 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: And the friends of mine, like who my age, were 291 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 2: parted that. They said, mate, they. 292 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 11: Weren't little presents, like they went like a decent bloody toy. 293 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 11: And you know, they did up sports fields and you know, 294 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 11: helped people into housing and helped develop housing suburbs and 295 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 11: really invested in creating a good livable city and keeping 296 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 11: fi FO out and making a permanent workforce. And you 297 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 11: know Extrata came in, which was the precursor to Glencore, 298 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 11: and it's just completely different. There's a lot of animosity 299 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 11: towards the mine now, I'd say because they do it. 300 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 11: They're just commercially focused and have that same community focus. 301 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: They're not mining them the money people, aren't. 302 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 11: They from the global commodity traders where one of one 303 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 11: hundred and fifty or more minds are in the world 304 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 11: where respecting the respeca dust to them and they work 305 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 11: off commodity prices and high out, they'd require higher returns, 306 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 11: and a lot of other mining companies do around the place, 307 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 11: so they'll shut something down before someone else would. 308 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 4: And they're not miners, they're economists. 309 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: Are the bankers? 310 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, and like it's yeah, so I think that's where 311 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 4: that's where the trouble is. We need a mining company 312 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 4: to buy out Mount Eyes. 313 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 10: Yeah. 314 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: Hello, so I'm bringing you early. 315 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 8: I've realized we've got Troy rolling from the Northwest Weekly. 316 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: Hell a, Troy, I'm not too bad. Tell us what's 317 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: your relationship with Mount Isaac? You there when you were 318 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: a younger man? 319 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 3: Is that right? 320 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 9: Ah, Yeah, that's right. I started my journalism cadet ship 321 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 9: in Mount ISAA maybe ten to fifteen years ago, and 322 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 9: then I went off and did other things in media, 323 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 9: and then a friend of mine started the newspaper up 324 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 9: here again last year, and so yeah, here I am. 325 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: Troy showed me around Mount Isaac when he said he 326 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: went off and did other things. Bravaty worked for a 327 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: very famous politician. But we're not going to interview me 328 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: about that, right, All right? 329 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 3: Did you ever think you'd go back there? 330 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 8: I don't know. 331 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 9: It's one of those places where people always say they 332 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 9: come back. It's like a boomerang sort of town. People 333 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 9: keep coming back, so when you actually walk down the 334 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 9: street and people remember you, they're not always surprised to 335 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 9: see that you've come back. 336 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 8: To be honest, it's not like a jail town where 337 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 8: people are, oh, you've been way did five to seven 338 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 8: when I. 339 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: Was talking to you. The relationship between Mount Is and 340 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: the mine is really interesting because they're kind of proud 341 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: of the mine, aren't they. 342 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 9: Oh, yeah, this place is very very pro mining, so 343 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 9: because it's basically a gigantic mine with a town wrapped 344 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 9: around it in. 345 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 3: The middle of nowhere. 346 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 9: So I mean the mine was here before the town 347 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 9: as well. So if you'd be anti mining in Mount 348 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 9: Iy you would be very lonely. 349 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: And now tell us about is part of the mind 350 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: shutting down? 351 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 8: Soon? 352 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 10: It is? 353 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 9: Yeah, So later this year they'll have the underground section, 354 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 9: which is actually there's like hundreds of kilometers of underground 355 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 9: mine there that they extract copper from. And well, that 356 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 9: whole section is closing down. So it's somewhere between six 357 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 9: hundred and twelve hundred jobs, which is about ten percent 358 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 9: of the entire workforce in Mount Is. 359 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and what's the vibe about that that's obviously a 360 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: bad thing. 361 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 9: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean it's obviously people don't like 362 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 9: seeing the mines closed. There's obviously people that think that 363 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 9: it should stay open. There's other people that say that 364 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 9: what a mine does it runs out of stuff. There's 365 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,120 Speaker 9: other things on the horizon though that There's always minds 366 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 9: being proposed out here as well, so it's not just 367 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 9: the one manners of mine. There's quite a lot of 368 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 9: mining production all around the area. 369 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 8: To be honest, has it run out of stuff or 370 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 8: is it an economic decision? 371 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 9: Depends what you ask. If you ask the company Glencore, 372 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 9: they'll tell you that they've basically just depleted the resource. 373 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 9: So they just it's just not economical for them to 374 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 9: get it out anymore. They're just closing it. Well, they're 375 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 9: going to restart and open cut mine over the top 376 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,199 Speaker 9: of it in the next few years. 377 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: Well, that'll create more jobs, won't it. 378 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 3: It will. 379 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 9: Yeah, they're not as many jobs as what is currently 380 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 9: in the underground section, but it will create new jobs. 381 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 9: The thing is that mine hasn't been fully sort of 382 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 9: signed off on yet. They haven't made a final investment decision, 383 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 9: so just have to wait and see. 384 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 8: And there's a resistance to five zoo there as well, too, 385 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 8: isn't there that? Is there a concern that these jobs 386 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 8: will be allocated at locals or. 387 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 9: Yeah, well that's always the big battle out here in 388 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 9: any mining town, is that. Yeah, you get the guys 389 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 9: that fly in and fly out, and they live in 390 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 9: camps or they live on accommodation, and you know, they 391 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 9: don't spend outside from sort of buying beer and playing 392 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 9: the pokey's, they don't really commit to the town very much. 393 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: I think it was you telling me, was it Glenko 394 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: who changed the shift time so it went from eight 395 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: hours to a different twelve hour shift? Was that right? 396 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 9: It was the previous company that owned the mine before Glencore, 397 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 9: so extrata they extended from eight to twelve hour shifts. 398 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 9: And if you listen to longtime locals, y'or two, it 399 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 9: really did take a lot of the heart out of 400 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 9: a lot of the community organizations, particularly because you know, 401 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 9: I don't know if you guys have ever worked a 402 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 9: twelve hour shift, but you're pretty buggered by the end 403 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 9: of it. 404 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: Hang On, hang on, hang on, hang on, Troy, you're 405 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: asking two comedians if they've ever worked a twelve hour shift. 406 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 3: Answers, No, we did drive them Durham back we went. 407 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 1: You're right, once you finished a twelve hour shift in 408 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,959 Speaker 1: the physical job, you can't go to tennis or soccer 409 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: practice your knack. 410 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 8: It is that three ships down the two or is 411 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 8: that two shifts and closing down? 412 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 9: It's two ships now. 413 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: But of course, with the history of the mind when 414 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: we were up there, Erika showed us the underground hospital, 415 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: which was a feature in World War Two. The miners 416 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: built that, didn't they. 417 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 9: My understanding is that Northern Australia was pretty undeveloped back then. 418 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 9: The war was used to try and build highways and 419 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 9: they built airstrips and in case the Japanese invaded, So 420 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 9: I think out here was obviously going to be a 421 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 9: place that soldiers were going to fall back to if 422 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 9: the Japanese ever did come down, and so they needed 423 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 9: a hospital to be able to put injured soldiers in 424 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 9: and all the rest of us. There's like a bunch 425 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 9: of tunnels built into the side of a mountain out 426 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 9: here that that was a hospital. 427 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 8: We visited that amazing looking at their history too, it 428 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 8: would have been a nice, big fat juicy target for 429 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 8: the Japanese Imperial Army because it was in fact after 430 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 8: the bombing of Darwin. I think that was an influence 431 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 8: where they said, well, we have to have a hospital, 432 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:06,479 Speaker 8: it's safe. 433 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 3: And on top of that, there. 434 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,159 Speaker 8: Was the Brisbane line, which was basically, we will defend 435 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 8: everything from Brisbane back, so that, you know, the people 436 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 8: might have actually felt like they were being isolated there. 437 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 9: There were a lot of American soldiers in man Isa 438 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 9: during the war too, and they used to get into 439 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 9: fights with the miners and go down to the river 440 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 9: bank and sort it all out. 441 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: You live in Mount Isaa, you work there. Talking about 442 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: the lack of the things for young people to do, 443 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: is that an issue you reckon? 444 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 9: Well, we're in the middle of nowhere, So if you 445 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,399 Speaker 9: don't like what Manasa has to offer, you don't have 446 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 9: much else to choose from. I guess it just depends 447 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 9: what you like to do. Because we've got Lake Mundaro, 448 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 9: which is, without sounding like a tourist pamphlet, there's you know, 449 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 9: Lake Mundara is a pretty big it's the water source, 450 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 9: but they've turned into a big, nice lake where people 451 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 9: go fishing and boating and stuff. And then it's a 452 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 9: pretty multicultural place as well, as much as people probably 453 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 9: don't realize. So there's a lot of good restaurants and 454 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,159 Speaker 9: stuff as well. So I don't mind it, but I 455 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 9: guess it just depends, you know, if you're wanting to 456 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 9: go and see Metallica on the weekend or something, you're 457 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 9: not going to be doing that. From Mount Eyes on what. 458 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 3: An appropriate thing in a mining town. 459 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,920 Speaker 1: Policat Isa he Troy, thanks for talking to us. 460 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 3: No problem, Well, apart. 461 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: From all the issues with the mind, so that part 462 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: of the mind's closing down. There is this whole problem 463 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: with the young people and a lack of things for 464 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: the kids to do. 465 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 8: Brad, there is, but the relationships are strong. I think 466 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 8: Danielle was talking before. I think she said something like 467 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 8: people have got your back. People would bury your body 468 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 8: for you. Basically, Okay, So not a good idea in 469 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 8: a mining town. Yeah, probably a better way to get 470 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 8: rid of it. It kind of speaks to firm friends. 471 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 8: And Rob Catter said the same, how close these people 472 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 8: are and so even if you don't have kids, you're 473 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,160 Speaker 8: concerned about the issues for the chi're. 474 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, but there is. I mean, there's lots of sporting clubs. 475 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: There is a lack of the things for the kids. 476 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: Let's hear from Rob Catder. 477 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 2: Oh well, you know it was really nice. 478 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 11: Once a politician in Brisbane and lady had come up 479 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 11: to me and said, Robert, we just want to say 480 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 11: to you. I spent a few days out in the 481 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 11: committee here in Mount ISAA getting across some of the 482 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 11: issues here. And she said, you know, I get a 483 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 11: lot of people from my office in Brisbane. 484 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 2: She said, I got to say they don't have real problems. 485 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 11: You've got problems if you wanted to take education, health, 486 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 11: population decline, industry risk and industry growth. 487 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 2: And she's just about every metric we could say. 488 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 11: We've got the alcoholism, social disruption, crime, you could put 489 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 11: in real negative slant on it. But krikey, we still 490 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 11: love being here. 491 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 4: Oh look this is look. And I'll speak very bluntly 492 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 4: with you. You know, people say, oh, there's nothing to do, 493 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 4: rah rah, Well hang on a minute, Like we shouldn't 494 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 4: have to put on something for you to do. You 495 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 4: can still like we've got a skate park here, we've 496 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 4: got a pump track. We've got like thirteen parks or something, 497 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 4: and nearly all of them have got play equipment in it, 498 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,439 Speaker 4: or how about you just go get your mate and 499 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 4: get on a bike and ride around for a little bit. 500 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 4: You know, not break into houses or anything, but you know, 501 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 4: just ride around on your bikes. And my son especially 502 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 4: was never without a ball in his hand. He'd kick 503 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 4: a ball around or him and his mates would go, 504 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 4: you know and do their stuff. So I still think 505 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 4: there's a lot to do in Mount isab Igo. 506 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, it mean she makes a good point. I 507 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: mean we didn't have much. I mean we were in Melbourne, 508 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: but we didn't have that much growing up as kids 509 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: to entertain ourselves, did we know? 510 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 8: And in fact you talk about just a digress, you're 511 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 8: talking about it having a ball in your hand. Now, 512 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 8: I believe in your street there was somebody who moved out. 513 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: Oh sure, we're talking about Johnny Firthy who plays for 514 00:23:55,960 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: the NBA. Now, the kid that I practically raised cross 515 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: the road and he used to play basketball the time 516 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 1: with the school at the local clubs and then he 517 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: got signed up for the NBA. 518 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 8: It's the same in Central Australia. And I was talking 519 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 8: to a football or Rubert patheris ex Collingwood player who 520 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 8: went up and did some development of work in the 521 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 8: central part of the Northern Cheritory and I said to him, 522 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 8: do you think that Indigenous people are better at football? 523 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 8: He said he felt that it misses his opinion. He 524 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 8: felt that it was because they have a ball in 525 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 8: their hand from the moment they can walk, really they 526 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 8: have a footy or they're having a game of footy, 527 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 8: and so. 528 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: That because it's cheap entertainment, it is. 529 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 8: And he said, to be eighty kids playing forty on 530 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 8: each side playing footy. I'm just really intrigued by how 531 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 8: important a ball is. 532 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:46,640 Speaker 3: He said that by the time. 533 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 8: You get to teenage years, you've seen every bounce to 534 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 8: that ball, and that's what makes you ten thousand hour experts. 535 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's why the theory that you need 536 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 1: ten thousand hours of practicing your chosen field, like us 537 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 1: in standup comedy, exactly ten thousand hours. And I bounced 538 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: a lot of balls done. So you've got all the 539 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 1: sporting clubs up there. You've got the forty, the cricket, 540 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: they've got tennis in Mount Eyeser, all sorts of sports. 541 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 3: Body bearing, yeah. 542 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: The body bearing, the soccer cot. 543 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 3: The body finding club. 544 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: They've got a great pool up there, but this you 545 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: would hope. Okay, a big swim center outdoors and outdoor 546 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: swim center there right near the mine. Actually it's right 547 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: next to the mine. But the thing is the example 548 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: we're about to play illustrates how bored the kids are 549 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: a mount eyes are well. Let's shay she runs the 550 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: pool there, she runs the swim center. Let her tell 551 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: the story. 552 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 5: A couple of years ago we had some crocodiles in 553 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 5: the pool as well. Had little turtle last year also, 554 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 5: not that the turtle was too bad, but the crocodiles 555 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 5: were a bit more of a feat to get out. 556 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 5: Someone had been trapping them out at the lake and 557 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 5: brought them in overnight and threw them over the fence, 558 00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 5: and they've gone into the water. I opened the pool normal, 559 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 5: it was pitch black, spotlights were on. I did my 560 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 5: walk around and check. But the crocodiles were obviously in 561 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 5: the corners in the shadow. Early in the morning, just dormant. 562 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 5: And then as the water started churning up, we had 563 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 5: an aquaerobics class on. There was music pumping and everything 564 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 5: was going. They started to move around and we don't 565 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 5: know whether they wanted to join in or just escape 566 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 5: the place fast. They looked pretty nervous and pretty scared 567 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 5: at first. To be honest, I don't know who was 568 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 5: more scared. A couple of people in the class started 569 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,199 Speaker 5: screaming and running and didn't really know what was going 570 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 5: on at first until some of them were screaming lizard, crocodile, lizard, crocodile, 571 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 5: And yeah, it went from there. So we could scoop 572 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 5: some out with the buckets. They were only little babies. 573 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 5: Some of them were a little bit faster, and we 574 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 5: had to get one of the ladies we know quite 575 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 5: well from the class. Actually, her husband came down. He's 576 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,120 Speaker 5: a big fishing fella, and he brought cast nets and 577 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 5: that's how we got them. 578 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 8: Okay, so I just want to point out your share 579 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 8: and I can imagine that's that's a problem. But I've 580 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 8: seen a lizard and I've seen a crocodile, and we're 581 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 8: talking a difference in meters. 582 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I think there were baby crocodiles, but 583 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: they were still scary. 584 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 8: Yeah, I know, they they were very different. I believe 585 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 8: that they probably were similar about twenty million billion years ago, yes, 586 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 8: but they branched out. 587 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 1: Well, it's kind of like saying Wallaby kangaroo. Wellby kangaroo, 588 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: isn't it? 589 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 3: Is it now? 590 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 8: I felt like it's more like saying Wallaby horsell. Okay, 591 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 8: that's probably what Bob Catta was talking about. Yes, I 592 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 8: mean being ripped apart over a series of. 593 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: Days in the swimming pool in Mount Isa. Well, anyway, 594 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: that's the thing about Man Isa. We're getting to the 595 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: water slide now because the kids are so bored they're 596 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 1: putting crocodiles in the pool. Even though she didn't say 597 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: they were kids in that quote, but she told me 598 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: later they were kids that did it. Let's cross the 599 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: Danniel Sligh the former and because there used to be 600 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,120 Speaker 1: a bread I don't know if you know that there 601 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 1: used to be a water slide in Mount iSER. 602 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 3: No, I did not know that. 603 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 2: For a while. 604 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 6: When I was a kid here we had a water slide. 605 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 6: Is that quite a ride on my bike, to be honest. 606 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 6: But I would ride out there, do the water slide 607 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 6: and have the time of my life. And of course 608 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 6: it was a private entity and it went broke, all 609 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 6: closed down. And the one thing that I realized as 610 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 6: a resident let alone the mayor, is we need more 611 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 6: fun things for kids to do, especially the older kids. 612 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 6: You know, we're talking you of crime and lots of 613 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 6: things happening. You need to keep these kids engaged, lots 614 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 6: of fun things to do. A water slide just made sense, 615 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 6: you know. 616 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 1: There we have it. Someone had suggested a water slide 617 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: for Mount iSER. So we get to the start of 618 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: the story bra. 619 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 3: All right, and so they didn't have that water slide. 620 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 8: The another ones we had with kids, we just had 621 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 8: slipping slide. They had a big bit of plastic. 622 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: A dad would put ten pegs in the plastic and 623 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: also be near the road. We used to do one 624 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: on the nature trip and you could often go into 625 00:28:59,000 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: the driveway. 626 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,480 Speaker 8: Or the road and if you can put a little 627 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 8: bit of desurger urgence on it and if you slid 628 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 8: onto that cooch grass there was next to your's skim 629 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 8: for this. 630 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: So we've come to the end of the first episode. 631 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: So Mount Isa they're going to get a water slide. Well, 632 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 1: it's been proposed, but there's quite a few hurdles to 633 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: cover and the incident occurs. 634 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, you don't just go and buy one at Clark Rubber, No. 635 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: You don't. It's a whole thing. Good intentions. Look listen 636 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 1: to the next week because something goes wrong. 637 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 6: Queensland Government had gone to all the mines in Queensland 638 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 6: and said we want some money from you. Special meeting 639 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 6: of man Isser City Council. It was my idea for 640 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 6: the water slide, but it's not big enough. 641 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 7: Slippery Slope a true crime podcast about maunt iSER and 642 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 7: the missing water slide with Dave O'Neill and Bredos. 643 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: Slippery Slope is written and hosted by Dave O'Neill and Bradoaks. 644 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: Original music created by Itinerant Productions. Cheer their website. There's 645 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 1: some great stuff there. Ww dot Itinerant Production dot com, 646 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: editing by Courtney Carthy, published by Neely Media. Thank you 647 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: to all the guests involved in the making of Slippery 648 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: Slope in this episode, Kim Cogland, Daniel Sleigh, Troy Railing, 649 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: Robcatter and Shade Donovan at the pool. Find more information 650 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: in the episode notes or at nearly dot com dot au. 651 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: And thanks to the people of Mount iSER.