28 / 44
26
MODERN QUARRYING
July - August 2015
AT THE
COAL FACE
WITH
BILL STARKEY
A
position at the Londa Collieries
group as deputy chief engineer saw
Bill relocate from the UK to India. In
1969 he made the move to South
Africa, taking up the position as
sales and marketing engineer for Trolex Stockport,
UK. He fell in love with the country and decided to
stay. He started up Syscom, which was acquired by
Davis of Derby in 1978, and he stayed on as MD.
In 2001, Paul Wright approached Bill to join AST
(Alien Systems & Technologies (Pty) Ltd. He was
looking for a person experienced in both electrical
engineering and mining, which is a rare combina-
tion, then and now. Bill ticked all the boxes and
held his position as divisional project manager for
the Pyrogen brand until 2014, when he retired.
Bill was a certified mining electrical engi-
neer, held a UK National Certificate in Electrical
Engineering, as well as a UK National Certificate in
Electrical Engineering Higher.
According to AST, his unwavering love for his
late wife and constant support for his children, as
well as his knack for serenading the AST offices
with his Frank Sinatra impressions made Bill a loved
figure in the company and the industry at large. Bill
passed away peacefully in his sleep on 22 June.
Clinker and Me
The use of animal power in its various forms world-
wide is well documented and known, from dog
sleds, horses, donkeys, buffalo, elephants, dolphins
and even monkeys. However, one use of horses lit-
tle known is their role in underground coal mining.
This is Bill’s personal recollection of his experience
as a pit pony driver:
‘August 1942, during the Second World War,
the school-leaving ceremony consisted of a brief
school report and a bonus of finishing school at
lunch time. On arrival home, No 17 of the Church
Gresley row of terraced houses, the aspect of
William Starkey, fondly known as Bill
in SA mining circles, has passed away.
Having worked in the mining industry
for over 69 years, Bill was a legend in the
sector. The son of a miner, he started
out working with pit ponies in Church
Gresley Colliery in South Derbyshire,
England, at the age of 14 – a tale he
documented in his 1996 short story –
Clinker and Me.
Mining
legend
passes
away
Memories of a coal pit pony driver