Friends of the State Coal Mine celebrate a year of preservation and progress

FRIENDS of the State Coal Mine (FSCM) celebrated an extraordinary year of achievement at its recent Annual General Meeting marking 12 months of monumental progress driven by a dedicated volunteer workforce and committee.

Garry (Moz) Wilson was re-elected as FSCM President.

Reflecting on the milestone achievements and looking forward to an equally ambitious year ahead, Wilson shared his pride in leading the organisation alongside a dynamic volunteer team and on-site staff of Parks Victoria.

“At the heart of these successes has been the passionate FSCM Committee,” said Mr Wilson. “This team has advanced major initiatives to safeguard Wonthaggi’s rich history, positioning the group for continued triumph in the year ahead.”

The past year saw the volunteer team successfully advance several major preservation projects. Key efforts focused on cataloguing valuable historical files and restoring delicate mining artefacts.

The crown jewel of these efforts has been the ongoing Museum Restoration project, a massive work-in-progress that has ensured the compelling stories of local coal miners are preserved for future generations.

The FSCM’s achievements were heavily accelerated by forging vital partnerships with local business houses and community organisations.

Key contributions over the past 12 months have come from Bunnings Wonthaggi who provided repeated, high-profile opportunities to promote the State Coal Mine site directly to the public. The Wonthaggi Club assisted with critical administrative operations, streamlining the membership sign-on and renewal processes, and Autopro Wonthaggi and Total Tools Wonthaggi stepped up with essential trade and tool support.

Working with Townsend Nursery and the Wonthaggi Seed Bank, volunteers grew and supplied plants to donate to community groups in need across the Bass Coast region.

Additionally, the Mine Café provided steadfast support to visitors and workers alike, while local resident Trevor Foon made a deeply moving personal donation of historic family items to the mine's archive.

President Wilson extended a heartfelt thank you to the entire Bass Coast community, noting that their unwavering dedication had ensured the heritage of the State Coal Mine will continue to shine brightly for decades to come.

Directly addressing the mine’s many supporters, Wilson expressed his deep gratitude to the committee, dedicated volunteers, and Parks Victoria for their tireless teamwork.

“It has been my pleasure as President to be involved with a dedicated and passionate team of volunteers, the Parks Victoria team, and many other community organisations.

“Working alongside the Parks Victoria’s on-site team as well as behind-the-scenes contractors the community has achieved a major upgrade to the historic site.”

Over the past year, the FSCM committee reported that it had successfully bridged communication gaps with all levels of Parks Victoria and this collaboration had allowed volunteers to inject critical points of reference into management’s strategic plans for the tunnel and drift car restorations.

The group also actively advocated for Victoria State Government funding to ensure the Main Tunnel and Drift Car restorations could be completed. Beyond the physical restoration work the Friends have aggressively boosted local tourism.

By joining with the Inverloch Tourism Association (ITA) the group has championed Wonthaggi and the State Coal Mine as major destinations within the Bass Coast region.

Marketing efforts have surged driving digital reach to 25,000 views and expanding the FSCM Facebook page to over 2,000 members. The committee has also kept the State Coal Mine in the spotlight through local media, brochures and active participation in the Bass Coast Shire Council (BCSC) Volunteer Expo.

With the Mine Tunnel safely restored, FSCM and Parks Victoria remain focused on the final stages of the Drift Car project. Despite a temporary pause on the popular Walk in Walk Out Tours while extensive restoration work was carried out on the Main Tunnel, volunteers quickly redirected their diverse life skills toward vital on-site projects.

This proactive spirit coincided with a highly successful membership and recruitment drive. In response to local businesses requesting to join FSCM for promotion and marketing purposes, the organisation was able to review its membership structure and heavily advocate for increased visitor participation.

The campaign yielded excellent results, pushing the total volunteer count over 50. This surge has brought fresh energy across all operations, including a new wave of younger generation volunteers joining the gardening team.

The enhanced visitor experience is supported by stunning new SCM entrance signage featuring graphic artwork by Ellen and David Hubble. Looking ahead the volunteer team continues to collaborate closely with the on-site Parks Victoria team on upgraded historical displays and extensive garden improvements.