Published in the November 2013 Australian Longwall Magazine

For those of you that have had the dubious pleasure of making my acquaintance, I may have been introduced to you as a longwall consultant, a longwall expert or even a longwall guru.

The first two descriptions are bordering on the edge of credibility but I quite like the “guru” title as this retains an air of mystique that masks reality.

It would be cool to be known as an “elder statesman” of longwall mining, not so much due to my wise demeanor or my respected impartiality but more to do with the number of years I have been going down coal mines (39 and still counting).

However, I have a long way to go before I can come close to the real “elder statesmen” of longwall mining, people such as Brian Nicholls or Eddie Morgan to name but two.

One thing is for sure and that is that I will soon be awarded the illustrious title of “senior citizen”

As a “longwall senior citizen” it is a great privilege to be invited to write articles for this internationally read magazine. It is also a great honour to give lectures on longwall operations to the University of New South Wales and to many longwall crews around the world.

You would be forgiven for thinking that the life of a “longwall guru” is one of worldwide recognition and extensive travel. Sort of…

On a recent visit to a mine in central Queensland, the very moment I walked into the main office, I was greeted with a very loud “Oh no, not you again”.

Only minutes later: “Things must be really bad if you are here”.

It is true that I often get called in when longwalls are in serious difficulty and way back in the 1990s

I had the nickname of “Red Adair”. Pretty cool, huh?

I also had the nickname of the “Grim Reaper”, making money from other people’s misfortune. Not so cool.

I decided to look up the definition of “consultant” on Google. There are a number of variations but they all essentially define a consultant as “an expert who is trained to analyse a situation and provide professional advice”

Delve deeper into the definitions and Google will tell you that the difference between a contractor and a consultant is that consultants are often not held accountable for their advice.

I can relate to this definition quite well, as I always make the point that if as a result of my “consulting” the situation improves, I have done a great job.

If the situation worsens, however, then you did not follow my advice properly and it is entirely your fault.

I also looked up the synonym on Google for “consultant”. It comes up with the words “advisor or counsellor”

I think I have finally found the title that fits my job.

I am a longwall counsellor.

I roll up, review, assess and positively critique your longwall operation and then offer solutions that are a subtle mix of what you probably already know along with some sage advice derived from an extensive catalogue of international longwall problems.

You have to admit though, that in the very arduous and unpredictable world of longwall mining, it is close comfort to know that you can get an honest second opinion from another “longwall coal miner” who has seen nearly every longwall problem imaginable in the past 40 years and who has also been the cause of a few.

There is no substitute for “real” experience as opposed to “virtual reality”. We all learn from our mistakes (actually some don’t) and I will confess I have made more than a few.

Note: My most recent mistake was a bad one. In my recent article “The Wills Awards” I wrongly named Matt Barker at Moranbah North with my own first name. My sincere apologies Matt Barker. Fortunately the special gold medallions have not been manufactured yet.