Miners’ Promise attends annual St Barbara’s Day commemorations (1-4 December 2016)
December 2016
If you live in the Goldfields region you may have spotted the familiar Miners’ Promise logo about town, as Kalgoorlie celebrated the annual St Barbara’s Day Festival for 2016.
Thursday night remembered the miners who have lost their lives in workplace accidents, with the lighting of the miners flame next to the St Barbara’s Day statue in the centre of town and ceremonial laying of wreaths to commemorate those who have fallen.
We then set up camp for two days, outside Woolworths on Saturday morning and at the St Barbara’s Float Parade on Sunday along Hannan Street, and were swamped with interest about who we are and what we do for our members and their families.
Whilst we were there, we caught up with many people familiar with our organisation, including representatives from the Department of Mines and Petroleum, other key industry representatives and Miners’ Promise members and families. We also managed to pique the interest of a local kangaroo. 
Others we spoke with were not so familiar with Miners’ Promise. They shared their own personal stories, many of which involved tragedy and loss, and praised the existence of Miners’ Promise – wishing they’d been around for them in their time of need.
The rich experience of talking to so many people on this visit only further cemented our resolve to ensure every resource sector worker is provided the opportunity to become a part of the Miners’ Promise family.
As a result, the visit was declared a resounding success in terms of raising awareness, and has paved the way for more! So look out for us on the road in 2017!
