The most southerly example of a Cornish design engine house in the world: Kawau, New Zealand. Photograph, S. P. Schwartz, July 2005

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L-R, Kevin Baker, King Edward Mine; Dr John H Morris, GSI; Deborah Boden, Cornish Mining WHS Office; Richard Williams, Poldark Mine; Dr Sharron P. Schwartz, CMHPNEWS
In October of 2005 the Cornish Mining Heritage Programme was accepted as a partner of Europamines, the European Mining Heritage Network, at its first AGM held at Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum. Three other Cornish organisations were also accepted as members: the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site Office, Poldark Mine and King Edward Mine. The new Cornish partners of Europamines are pictured left, receiving their membership plaques from Lead Partner, Dr John H. Morris, of the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI).

Europamines' site visit to Nowa Ruda Coal Mine, Poland, May 2005Europamines has held several site visits across Europe, one of which took place at Zloty Stok in Poland in May 2005, at which Dr Schwartz was invited as an observer. This group photograph was taken outside the entrance to the Nowa Ruda Coal Mine in Southern Poland.

 

 

L-R Antonio Angel Sánchez Peréz, Europamines' President, Dr Sharron P. Schwartz and Pedro Martos of the Fundación Sierra Minera outside the Cornish pumping engine house at Mina Blanca

Report on a conference in Cartagena, Spain, 30th  March – 2nd April 2006: Sustainable Tourism and Environmental Remediation in Areas Affected by Mining
The Conference was organised by the Fundación Sierra Minera, a not-for-profit voluntary organisation with members drawn from individuals and organisations interested in mining heritage in the Sierra Minera to the east of Cartagena. 
The conference presented the results of research into environmental issues, the detailed inventory of mining heritage resources and the pioneering initiative to restore the Las Matildes mining buildings as an interpretation centre and establish walking trails in the Sierra linking historic mining sites and buildings.  This was achieved thanks to Proyecto Jara, which was funded by the EU’s Life Programme, the regional government of Murcia, the local authority of Cartagena and the Caja Murcia Foundation. Through involvement with Europamines, Dr Sharron Schwartz was invited to attend the conference and gave a joint presentation with Ainsley Cocks of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site Office entitled The Conservation Value of Metalliferous Mine Sites: Cornwall, a Case Study. This described the nature and extent of mining heritage in Cornwall itself, its significance world-wide, explained how those involved with mining heritage in the county sought democratic engagement with local communities to provide a sense of ownership, described how they had dealt with environmental challenges and how they aimed to develop a sustainable approach to development.

Europamines' Exchange Visits
Visit of Professor Marek Lorenc to the Cornish Mining World Heritage (WHS) sites August 3-10 2006
Professor Lorenc at Crowns engine house, Botallack MineProfessor Lorenc, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Agricultural University of Wroclaw, was introduced by Europamines members Sharron, Ainsley Cocks, Kevin Baker, and Richard Williams, to several of the WHS areas during his week long stay, including St Agnes, Gwennap, Camborne-Redruth, St Just, Tregonning and Gwinear and Wendron. Several mining heritage attractions were visited: Blue Hills Tin Streaming works at St Agnes where site owner, Colin Wills, ably demonstrated the process of refining tin from the raw mineral to the end product - crafted items of giftware; Geevor Tin Mine where we were given a 4 hour guided tour by Bill Lakin,
Chair of Pendeen Community Heritage; Levant Mine with its winding engine operated by steam; Poldark Mine, site of an C18th tin mine owned and operated by Europamines' member, Richard Williams; King Edward Mine, which houses a large collection of tin dressing apparatus ably described by Kevin, and South Crofty Mine where we were shown around the workings by former miner and mining historian, Allen Buckley. In addition an underground tour of Cligga Mine was undertaken, a walk around Ding Dong Mine, Botallack and Wheal Owles, Wheal Coates, St Day and Gwennap Pit, and a walk along the Great Flat Lode Mineral Tramway's Trail with Kingsley Rickard of the Trevithick Society, an authority on Cornish steam engineering.

Visit of Dr Sharron Schwartz to Southern Poland, 5-10th September
Underground in the 'Julia' coal mine at WalbrzychPrior to the Europamines AGM at Wroclaw, Dr Schwartz was the guest of Professor Marek Lorenc, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Agricultural University of Wroclaw, who took her to visit the salt mines at Bochnia and Wieliczka (the latter a World Heritage Site) and the coal mining areas of Lower Silesia. Lower Silesia has been decimated by mine closures over the last decade and unemployment is high. There are plans to introduce sustainable tourism initiatives to the region and one mine, the  'Julia' coal mine at Wałbrzych, is hoping to develop a mining heritage attraction. Sharron met the current director of the venue and the former mine manager and gave her thoughts as to the efficacy of this project.

Visit of Professor Marek Lorenc and Andrzej Winnicki to mining heritage venues in Cornwall, Wales and England, 1-7 February  2007
Europamines' group at Big Pit, the National Coal Mining Museum for Wales
Professor Lorenc returned to Britain with Andrzej Winnicki, the last Director of the Julia Colliery in Wałbrzych, Lower Silesia, on a fact finding mission to see how we conserve, interpret, present and valorise our mining heritage as they seek support to develop the Julia Colliery in Lower Silesia, into a top tourist attraction.
The itinerary included Geevor Tin Mine, and Botallack engine houses, Cornwall; Big Pit, Blaenavon, the National Coal Mining Museum for Wales and UNESCO World Heritage Site; Caphouse Colliery, Yorkshire, the National Coal Mining Museum for England; Snibston Discovery Park, Leicestershire; Radstock Mining Museum, Somerset; Robinson's engine at the former South Crofty Mine and King Edward Mine in Cornwall. We were hosted way beyond anything we could have imagined and had the opportunity to talk with the Directors and Managers at each site.  Andrzej has learnt much from his visit and will use the knowledge he has gained to present a strong case for a major mining heritage venue at the former Julia Colliery to the Wałbrzych City Council in May.

LECTURES/EVENTS

16 May 2006:  
Powerpoint presentation to the Carn Brea Mining Society by Dr Sharron P. Schwartz entitled: 'Cornish Mining Migration: A Socio-Cultural Heritage.' 7.00pm Opie Building, Cornwall College, Redruth.

9th-11th June 2006: NAMHO 2006 Conference, Llangollen, North Wales. Joint Powerpoint presentation with the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site entitled: 'Landscapes of Industry: Cornish Mining Heritage, a Transnational Perspective'.

10-14th September 2006: Europamines' AGM, Wroclaw, Poland. Sharron reported on the successful bid to the British Academy to undertake a comparative project with Bath Spa University to examine the migration networks of Cornish and Irish miners in the C19th Atlantic world. Sharron thanked Europamines' Cornish and Irish members for their help in building the project which was undoubtedly strengthened by demonstrating a mutually beneficial link between academia and the heritage tourism industry. At the AGM Sharron was voted a Director of Europamines Ltd., joint Webmaster and Promotions Manager.

12 October 2006: Lecture entitled, 'The Social Implications of Mining's Boom and Bust' at the one day conference hosted by Cornwall College: 'Yesterday's Legacy - Tomorrow's Opportunity: How to benefit from Cornwall's World Heritage Inscription'.

31 October 2006: PowerPoint presentation to the 3Diapora meeting at Cornwall College hosted by the World Heritage Site Office and Kerrier District Council about the importance of Cornish mining migration and the need to have a migration centre at Heartlands, South Crofty.

11th-12th November 2006: the Southern Sons of Cornwall Cornish Festival, Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia. Sharron opened this festival as the guest speaker and ran two lectures/workshops about Cornish mining and migration.

16th November 2006: Illustrated lecture on the Cornish Mining Diaspora at Christ Church, Perth, Western Australia,  as part of the 3Diaspora Project.

3 March 2007: PowerPoint lecture about the social implications of mining's boom and bust, to the Mining Study Day hosted by the U3A at Callington, Cornwall.

7 March 2007: Lecture to the Irish Studies Group at Bath Spa University entitled: 'The Migration Networks of Cornish and Irish Hard Rock Miners in the Nineteenth Century'.

26 March 2007: Lecture to the Welsh Institute for Social and Cultural Affairs, Bangor University, Wales, entitled: 'Cornish Mineworkers in Latin America: Migration and Transnational Identity'.

27-28 March 2007: Europamines' representative at the UK Partners' meeting of the European Routes of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) at Saltaire World Heritage Site, Yorkshire. A PowerPoint presentation about Europamines was given by Sharron to ERIH members.

18-20th April 2007: Europamines' representative at the Transnational Partners' meeting of the European Routes of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) at Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. A PowerPoint presentation about Europamines was given by Sharron to ERIH members.

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