How Green was my Face refers to the first showcase in the use of ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil) for blasting in Kalgoorlie by ICI. It was at an open cut on the Percy Lease – not far from the Goldfields High School. The blast was overly successful and flying rock landed on the road to Boulder. I remember the occasion well as I was at the Great Eastern High school and it was a big event at home that night as Dad (Dick Martin) had been at the blast. I reckon it would have been 1962 or 1963.
A few Mine Managers had broken windscreens. Nitro (my father) recorded the event in prose. Dad was then promoted to the role of “Experimental Officer” with a rise of two pound a week to develop the use of ANFO for under ground blasting. I remember that well as he worked on it at home at night with notes he kept in a pocket notebook. By:- Gary Martin
HOW GREEN WAS MY FACE – By ‘Nitro Nitrate’
The Lake View are a social crowd, of that we all agree,
They issued invitations, an ‘Explosives Test’ to see,
The routine drill was perfect, t’wars a pleasure to behold,
We all watched with great interest, in spite of biting cold,
The holes were charged, the tamping right the igniter cord
all set to light,
And vantage points to view the blast were soon picked out and
pretty fast,
The count down went from one to ten, and Oh! Lord what happened
then !!!
A bang, a roar, a whistling sound, with bodies cuddling in the
ground
As overheads the sulphides flew, and each one said did that
hit you?
The first shot was a trailer, it only showered the mob ,
The second one made distance, you could hear the sulphides
lob.
The third one really warmed up, two windscreens was the kill ,
But that was really nothing just an item on the bill.
The fourth one seemed to linger, as if to tempt you from your
place,
Several brave ones took it, but you should have seen their
pace.
The fifth one followed quickly, the Winder Roof could tell,
The elevation was just right the way the sulphides fell,
The sixth one didn’t falter, it let go with a roar,
Some chap down in Boulder swore he’d seen a flying boar.
The seventh was a kind one, it showered things to the sky,
The only damage done, slight injury to an eye,
The eighth one after waiting for its chance to do its stuff,
Disdained to shower with little ones and really blew up rough!
The ninth one seemed to linger, as if it wished to stay,
And then it gave it all the works, and blew it all our way.
Dick Martin Light Overalls
The Percy took it gamely, like a soldier tired and true,
Just what they said and how they felt I’ll leave it up
to you,
The I. C. I. Boys chuckled, you can see shes easy done,
You just make up the goo, then blow her in with gun,
Don’t be, at all nervous about her coming out,
But warn the other leases to leave no one lying about,
You have no need to worry about her hanging back,
You ought to see the hole she made – Once in a tiny crack
Moya Sharp
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