St. Joseph’s Convent, Champion Reefs , Kolar Gold Fields

Sharing a photo of our 7th Std Class in St Joseph’s Convent sent to me
by my Friend Jane Rajaratnam Hoover. Such nostalgia looking st all our dear friends
We were around 12 or 13 years old. Mrs Hazel Sesarego was

our Class Teacher. 

Below is a short excerpt from my book

Kolar Gold Fields Down Memory Lane 

I was privileged to have studied in St Joseph’s Convent school at Champion Reefs. St.  Joseph’s Convent which established more than 105 years ago. The school celebrated its   centenary year in 2004-05. The Convent school had well equipped Science laboratories. There were separate physics labs, chemistry labs, Botany and Zoology labs. The libraries had a vast collection of reference books, Story books, Novels as well as rare and old manuscripts. 

Our schooling years were great thanks to our wonderful teachers. The teachers were all highly qualified and were kind as well as strict. They instilled the basic human values in us that still hold good today. They taught us the importance of hard work, dignity, honesty, integrity and to strive for excellence in whatever we did. They motivated us to rise above the mediocre and strive for bigger things. Many of the old students of St Joseph’s Convent also hold high positions in various parts of the world. They are teachers, doctors, engineers, computer professionals, etc around the world.

Some nostalgia about St Joseph's Convent KGF - Buying tuck from the Tuck Women

Our school, St Joseph's Convent, Champion Reefs, KGF,  didn’t have a Canteen or cafeteria. Every child had to carry her own packed lunch to school. My mum usually packed chapattis or sandwiches for us in plastic Tiffin boxes. Chapattis with butter and sugar or jam was our favourite choice for lunch. 

We had ur lunch in our class rooms or we ate it sitting on the benches under the huge trees in the school garden.

 Besides our plastic Tiffin boxes, we also carried our own water to drink in brightly coloured plastic water bottles with long shoulder straps. Some times when we didn’t carry our bottles to school, we just drank water straight from the taps in the school compound and didn’t worry about picking up any germs from the tap water!!!

 Our school didn’t have a tuck shop either so to speak. However, the cooks in the convent kitchen made delicious ground nut toffee for sale almost every day. We had to stand in line to buy squares of this toffee every day after lunch, through the Trellis of the Convent Kitchen. The Jaggery toffee with the chunks of roasted groundnuts in it was delicious.

 Some of my most memorable and happy memories connected with my school days at St Joseph’s Convent are of buying the forbidden tuck from the Tuck Women who always sat on the road outside the school gate with baskets of Green Mangoes, Borums, Gutty palams, Pani Chakke, Pattani, boiled Groundnuts etc.

 We were actually forbidden from buying anything from these Tuck Women, but their wares were so tempting that we just couldn’t resist the temptation. The thrill of disobeying the teachers and nuns to eat the ‘forbidden fruit’ was a great ‘high’ for us.

 For just 4 annas or 25 paisa, we could buy tuck such as green mangoes, green tamarind and guavas (which we ate with chilli powder and salt), Borums and Gutty palams (I don’t know the English word for this fruit but they were small purple fruit the size of small plums), Luckily we didn’t suffer from any tummy upsets or illness after eating all this junk.

LINDSAY MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, KGF (THE KGF SCHOOL)

In the 1970s when the number of students increased considerably, the KGF Boy’s School building in Nandydroog Mine was unable to accommodate all the students. A decision was then taken to bifurcate the School into two entities.

The Junior School for Standards 1 to 7 functioned at the same premises in Nandydroog Mine and came to be known as The Parkinson Memorial School after Mrs Parkinson who was the Head Mistress from mid 1920s to the late 1940s.

The High School or BGML BOY’S HIGH SCHOOL was shifted to a huge bungalow in Mysore Mine / Marikuppam . This bungalow was earlier the residence of Mr J.K. Lindsey who was a former Managing Director of the Mines during the days of the John Taylor and Sons Company.

It was a huge beautiful stone bungalow with a wrought Iron Stair case and solid carved stone pillars surrounded by about one and half acres of land This Bungalow could accommodate classes 8 to 10 and was renamed as The Lindsay Memorial High School after him.

 

The high standard of education imparted in the KGF Boy’s School was maintained right through the years ever since the inception of the School and is evident from this Extract from a School Inspection Report  by the Joint D.P.I. dated 14^th August 1982, which is appended hereto:

However, after a few years, the High School was again shifted back to the old school premises in Nandydroog Mine (The Parkinson Memorial Premises). The beautiful old bungalow that housed the High School lay abandoned for some time till it became the office of the SC ST Association in Mysore Mine.

Mr. Lindsay’s Bungalow which housed the Lindsay Memorial School,  now lies in shambles. The walls are crumbling and the doors and windows have been plundered for firewood. The wrought iron stair way was dismantled and no one knows who stole it. The whole building has been vandalized and only the stone structure remains as a grim reminder of the erstwhile school which used to hum with the voices of a thousand little boys.

Function at RAJ BHAVAN KARNATAKA - Presenting a copy of my KGF Book

These are few pictures of the Function held at the Raj Bhavan Karnataka onWorld Anglo-Indian Day 2nd August 2011.

On the Dias with the Governor and Mrs Baradwaj and other Dignatries

 

Shaking hands with the Governor

Presenting a set of my books to Mrs Hans Raj Bhadwaraj while his Excellency, the Governor, Sri Hans Raj Bhadwaraj looks on

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Bhadwaraj reads the Title of the Book

 

 

 

Wishing the Governor at another Function on the 2nd Aug 2012

 

 

 

Buy a Copy of this Nostalgic Book on KGF at a Special Discounted Price

Buy a Copy of this Nostalgic Book on KGF Today

KOLAR GOLD FIELDS DOWN MEMORY LANE


Dont miss this Golden Opportunity

Contact:
Bridget Kumar
Mob: +919845571254
Email: bridgetkumar@yahoo.com

ST MICHAEL'S AND ALL ANGELS’ CHURCH, OORGAUM , KOLAR GOLD FIELDS.

The St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church, Oorgaum KGF was one of the first Anglican Churches in Kolar Gold Fields. It came into existence when the original church i.e. St Paul's Church shifted to Robertsonpet from Oorgaum.

As per early historical records, one of which are the papers presented by M L Griffith-Jones, a Diocesan Lay Reader at a meeting of the Church of England Men’s Society (CEMS) in 1916, a small Church was erected in the year 1894 at Oorgaum in Kolar Gold Fields (where the Compressor House of Bullen Shaft now stands) The Church had just basic infrastructure and was constructed with Funds collected by the rev W F Penny, who was the Secretary of the INDIAN CHURCH AID ASSOCIATION, LONDON.

The Church was dedicated to St Paul and placed under the control of the S.P.G. The first Chaplain was Rev James Sharp. In those early days, the Church could seat around 60 faithful and the evening services were conducted both in English and Tamil.

In December 1901, The John Taylor and Sons Company, London, sent out Rev. L.Giffard Pollard as the Chaplain of St Paul’s Anglican Church. It was during his tenure that he started the ball rolling for a new Church to be built as the existing church had developed cracks due to the sinking of a new vertical shaft (Bullen Shaft) just next to it. It was subsequently decided to build a new Church for the English speaking congregation, while the Tamil speaking Congregation would continue as members of St Paul’s.

Consequently, THE OORGAUM COMPANY took over the old Church building and land in Oorgaum and paid a handsome compensation for it to the S.P.G. The S.P.G then built a new Church in Robertsonpet or New Town (as it was called in those days) on a piece of land given by the Government out of the compensation amount. This Church continued the old name of St Paul’s Church and catered to the Tamil speaking Anglican Congregation of KGF.

The new Church for the English speaking Congregation was built on a piece of land given by the GOLD FIELD OF MYSORE COMPANY, quite close to the KGF Club and a short distance away from the old St. Paul’s Church.

The Foundation Stone was laid on 8^th October 1903. The John Taylor and Sons Company extended much assistance to the building of the new Church. A beautiful brick and stone Church and Parsonage in Victorian Style was ultimately constructed and was named as the “St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church”. The new Church was completed and dedicated on 3^rd march 1905. The Altar, Pulpit and Pews were brought from the old church while a new beautifully carved Teak lectern was installed. The Pipe organ which is still in use in this church was brought from Madras in June 1921. St Michael’s and All Angels Church was now strategically located and had a large English Speaking Congregation who worshipped here regularly.

St, Michael’s and All Angels Church was under the administration of the Church of England from 1905 and all the Chaplains of the church were appointed directly by the John Taylor and Sons Company. After India attained independence, the church was brought under the control of the   Church of South India - Diocese of Mysore in 1947.

St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church celebrated its centenary in the year 2005 and is still maintained in the same condition even today. Located in serene surroundings, it is a Haven of Peace and tranquility.

OORGAUM HALL AND THE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE AT OORGAUM , KGF

This is a picture of the Telephone Exchange at Oorgaum taken almost 60 years ago. The clock at the side of the building always showed the correct time. This Telephone Exchange was always busy in the good old days with all the wires humming connecting the various departments and offices in the Mines as well as the Bungalows. It is now unused and locked up like the rest of the mining offices.

In the back ground is the OORGAUM HALL.

Towards the end of the 1890’s motion pictures came into existence and it was not long before the John Taylor and Sons Company began bringing in films for screening in KGF. A separate Picture Hall was built in Oorgaum quite close to the KGF Gymkhana Club and named as the Oorgaum Hall to screen only English Movies and Documentaries once or twice a week,

The Oorgaum Hall was just a basic Hall with a large white screen and a hand operated Projector and wooden benches for seating. It was the era of Black and White Silent Pictures initially and the Silent films were replaced by the ‘Talking Pictures’ only in the late 1920s.

Films of various genres were screened at the Oorgaum Hall. Westerns and Cowboy Films, Historical Extravaganzas, melodramas, Biblical Epics, Horror films, Crime and Gangster films, Romances, mysteries, Comedies, etc  were all avidly watched and enjoyed at the Oorgaum Hall.

EGG SELLER or THE EGG MAN

One of my fondest memories of my childhood in KGF, is that of the Egg Man or the Egg Seller The Egg man would come around door to door to sell fresh Country Hen Eggs to people. He had his own regular customers who he visited on specific days. He lived in a village near the Volagamadhi Hills and he’d walk the distance from his village to all the four mines in KGF where he visited his regular customers on specific days in each mine.

The Egg man began his journey every day with around 150 fresh hen’s eggs that he sourced from all the houses in his own village. He carried the eggs carefully in a huge round basket with a long handle which he hung from his shoulder. The handle of the basket was wrapped with a thick cloth which acted as a cushion on his shoulder so that the heavy basket didn’t hurt his shoulder. The old man’s back was almost bent over from the weight of the basket that he carried.

He supplied eggs to our house in Nandydroog once a week i.e. on every Tuesday morning. The first thing he did,  was to carefully lower the basket to the ground and then take out the eggs one by one and place them gently in a big bowl or basin of water, which the Ayah brought out as soon as he arrived.

We children would all crowd around him and watch eagerly to see whether the eggs he placed in the bowl would sink and lie flat at the bottom or rise up. The eggs that lay flat were the good eggs and the ones that rose up in the water were bad so they were immediately segregated and the good eggs were placed carefully in another bowl.

 Every time a bad egg was detected and put aside, the Egg Man’s face would grow longer, as this meant that he wouldn’t get paid for the bad eggs! The price would be then arrived at for the number of eggs that were bought. My Mum usually bought about 3 dozen eggs to see us through the week till his next visit.

These country fowl’s eggs were always smaller than the Leghorns Eggs and also a darker brown in colour. Eating country fowl’s eggs was considered to be healthy and more nutritious than the ‘Farm Eggs’ so my mum always ensured that there was a supply of fresh country hen’s eggs  in the house for us.

This is an excerpt from my book KOLAR GOLD FIELDS DOWN MEMORY LANE

Patrick and Heather Taylor visit to KGF on 9th November 2011 along with Bridget White-Kumar

I was pleasantly surprised about a month ago to receive this email from Mr. Patrick Taylor from the UK.

“Dear Bridget

My name is Patrick Taylor. I am in the process of reading your fascinating book on the KGF. My father, Arthur, a partner in the firm of John Taylor & Sons, was in charge of the mines during my early childhood, when I lived on the KGF for 7 years before returning to England for my education. Now 63 years old, I have never returned to India but my wife and I are coming to the KGF in November. I would be most interested to meet you if that would be possible. I have many happy memories of my early life in India and for me this trip will definitely be a trip down memory lane. It will be greatly enhanced if I can have the benefit of learning from your knowledge of the place that was the foundation of my life. Warm regards
Patrick Taylor

Patrick and his wife Heather were in Bangalore on the 8^th November and the next day I accompanied them on a trip ‘Down Memory Lane to KGF’. We started our trip with a visit to the new exploration site of the Kolar Gold Company at Chickregunta near Kuppam.

We were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson and Phillip Dingle. Phillip and Mr. Richards made our trip to the new exploration site truly memorable. It was a fascinating opportunity for us of looking into the future and seeing a new Gold Mining area taking shape. It was also a glimpse into the past, as to how the pioneers of our present day Kolar Gold Fields once explored and prospected for gold in a rocky barren area to what it finally evolved into. It was a pleasure meeting Raymond Cruze, Mr Gupta and all the Staff of  Kolar Gold Company. Sincere thanks to  Mr.and Mrs. Richard Johnson, Phillip Dingle and all the other staff of Kolar Gold Company for making our visit to the new exploration site a memorable one.

Patrick was quite nostalgic when we visited the St Joseph’s Convent. The Nuns were so thrilled to have him visit them. They said the ‘son of the house’ has come to visit them. The nuns house at the Convent was earlier the residence of Mr Arthur Taylor, the General of the John Taylor and Company.

Many will recall that  St Joseph’s Convent School was earlier functioning in the premises of St Mary’s Church compound (now Our Lady of Victories Church) in Champion Reefs. The school building was a simple structure with a tin roof. However, due to the massive Rock Burst of Earth Quake proportions in 1952, the St Mary’s Church, the presbytery, the Convent and the School Buildings all collapsed to the ground. Luckily, no one was injured and no lives were lost. But the buildings were completely destroyed.

Mr. Morgan, The Chief Medical Officer of the Company Hospital, rushed to help the Sisters and took them to the Hospital premises. He vacated one of the wards to accommodate them for the day. That evening he arranged for their indefinite stay at the Bungalow of the General Manager of the Mines, Mr. Arthur Taylor in Champion Reefs, who was away in England on a holiday at the time. The nuns were given half of the main house as their temporary abode. Even though this bungalow was huge and quite spacious it was insufficient to accommodate the Convent and the school with so many students. So while half of the main house, the garage and servants quarters were made use of for the Convent, the classes were held under the trees and in temporary sheds.

                                                                                                                    

When Mr. Arthur Taylor, returned to KGF from the UK he and his family shifted to another Bungalow near the Golf Course which now houses the Mining Offices. The   Bungalow and the adjacent land was thus sold to the St Joseph’s Convent Nuns. It became the nun’s living quarters and in course of time an extension was added to it to accommodate the Community. The school slowly expanded and huge class rooms were built around the nun’s house on the land given to the school by the Company.  The old house as Patrick remembered it still in the same beautiful condition today and lovingly maintained by the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes

We then went back to KGF and visited various places around Champion Reefs, such as Our Lady of Victories Church, the Champion Reefs Post Office, the Reservoir, the Champion Reefs Work Shops, the Imperial Bakery and the Hospital. Patrick was very sad to see the deplorable state of the Hospital where he recalled being treated for various childhood illnesses and also to have his hand sutured when he cut it while banging on a glass door.

He was also very dejected to see the state of Mr J K Lindsay's once beautiful bungalow. He remembered the beautiful spiral starcase in the house and playing on the lovely green lawns. This bungalow was later the J K Lindsay Memorial School. It was after the school was shifted back to the Parkinson Memorial premises in Oorgaum and the place was lying vacant, that vandals has destroyed the place and stollen everything of value including he doors and windows. The building is now the SC/ ST Association Office.

Patrick also visited the other Bungalow near the Golf Course where his family shifted after their return from their holiday in the UK in 1952. He was however quite sad to see it as it looked quite run down even though the Mining Offices are housed in it. Never the less this house also evoked a lot of Nostalgia and he recalled many happy incidents of his short stay there as he left for the UK in a couple of years. 

St Michael’s and All Angel’s Church was also on his list of places to visit and he was very happy to visit the Church which he remembered going to. He spent sometime in the Church speaking to the Church Representatives Mr. Nathan and Mr. Moses who presented him and me with a copy of the Centenary Souvenir.

 The KGF Club was the highlight of his visit. Mr. Kotnise, the President and Mr. Nathan, Secretary of the KGF Club welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and interacted with them. Patrick was immensely pleased to see the photographs of his Great grandfather John Taylor and all his other Taylor Ancestors displayed on the walls of the Conference Room of the Club.

He and his wife stood under the photograph of his Great grandfather John Taylor in the Main Bar and clicked many   photographs. 

He was pleased to meet Susai Raj, the old Bar man of the KGF Club. Susai Raj is now 88 years old but his memory was quite fresh when narrating various incidents connected with the Taylor Family. 

Soon it was time to leave KGF as the Taylor’s had to catch the early morning flight back to the United Kingdom. With heavy hearts they bid goodbye to KGF and promised to visit again sometime.  I was immensely pleased that their visit to KGF went off well and all the arrangements made by me for their visit were appreciated by them.

 

Skating Rink , (Nandydroog Mine KGF)

The Skating Rink was diagonally opposite our house and next door to the Nandydroog Club. The Skating Rink was the only big Auditorium or Party Hall in KGF at the time and was the most popular venue for Wedding Receptions, Parties, Get-togethers, School Functions and Concerts, Musical recitals, Meetings, Dances etc. The Christmas Dances, May Queen Balls, Easter Ball, June Rose Balls, The Anglo-Indian Association’s Annual General Meeting and Ball, New Years Eve Ball, Independence Day Ball, The Republic Day celebrations etc, were all held at the Skating Rink.

A function was held there practically every month and it was a famous landmark for all in KGF.

In the olden days this hall was used for Ice Skating and Roller Skating by the British. The floor was as smooth as silk and was an amazing dance floor. Just before a dance, chalk powder would be strewn on the floor to facilitate easy dancing movements for the dancers. Besides being used as a hall for functions and dances, the Skating Rink was also an indoor Shuttle Badminton Court. We would regularly play shuttle here during the holidays.

Sadly, the Skating Rink which stood the ravages of time for well over a hundred years is now in shambles. The inner walls are all crumbling and the false ceiling of Tatty Cane is worn out in several places. However people still continue to hold their functions in it and camouflage the interiors walls with huge coloured Cloth and decorations. It will always remain their ‘dear old Skating Rink’

Kolar Gold Fields Down Memory Lane - A Nostalgic Book on KGF - Author Bridget White

This book “Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane - Paeans to Lost Glory” has been authored by me as a tribute to KGF and the happy and sublime childhood I spent there.

KGF also known as the Little England was Heaven on earth for those of us who had the privilege of living there. We were special people living in that very special place.

My book succeeds in capturing and preserving for posterity the nuances and ethos of a bygone era. It is a small attempt on my part to record for posterity, way of life in that once glorious vibrant place called Kolar Gold Fields and at the same time keep it alive in the hearts of its erstwhile inhabitants, which still beats for it. It is a small legacy that could / should be passed on to future generations.


For copies of this "Must Have" Book on our beloved KGF, please contact me: Bridget White Kumar
Tel (0091) 080 25504137 / 9845571254 / 9844044236
bridgetkumar@yahoo.com / bidkumar@gmail.com
ABOUT THE BOOK

“Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane - Paeans to Lost Glory”undertakes a nostalgic journey of almost 150 years right from the days of the origins of the Kolar Gold Mines, its historical and mythological connections, the arduous and difficult lives of the miners in those early days, the growth of the mines under the British Company of John Taylor and Sons, its gradual decline, and the ultimate closure of the once prosperous Kolar Gold Mining Company in 2003 Thus ending a golden chapter in History, which now lies buried in the annals of time.


It then moves on to give the reader a brief insight into the lives of the Anglo-Indian Community (a living legacy of the British Raj) in the early days of KGF. It brings out vividly the glorious and cosmopolitan life led by that tiny vibrant community in KGF who lived in sprawling bungalows with beautiful gardens and domestic helpers at their beck and call. It recalls the grand Christmas Balls and Dances held at the Skating Rink and the Jam Sessions and Pound Parties in Buffalo Lodge.

It finally focuses on the author's childhood memories of growing up as a young Anglo-Indian child in KGF in the 1950s and 60s - home, family, school, playmates, entertainments, games, picnics, etc. It recalls memories of old familiar haunts and landmarks of KGF and the people who were an indispensable part of life in those days. This golden period of KGF post Independence was the period of transition, when the influences of the best of old Colonial India merged with the new emerging independent India.

MINERS STATUE NEAR FIVE LIGHTS - KGF

The Five Lights Lamp Post now has a picturesque landscaped garden maintained by the Bharat Earth Movers Limited around it complete with a beautiful fountain. The garden is resplendent with green lawns and beautiful flowering plants unlike the rest of KGF which is otherwise dry and brown. They have also installed a statue of a miner with a power drill in his hand in the garden as a tribute to all the miners who worked in KGF.

The Bharat Earth Movers Limited have taken over the Nandydroog Mine Workshops close to the Five Lights to manufacture rail coaches and are providing employment to quite a few youngsters in KGF. This part of KGF looks prosperous and well maintained.

Gymkhana Ground in Oorgaum KGF

 

 

 

The Gymkhana Ground in Oorgaum is close to the First Grade College and the Oorgaum Post Office.

It was the only Stadium in KGF where all the Sports meets and big Political Meetings were held.

During the days of the British, the Gymkhana Ground was used for Equestrian and Horse racing events as well as for Polo and Hockey matches.

Even in those days, the Gymkhana Ground was the only huge ground with a single covered stadium in the whole of KGF.

Statue of Dr Ambedkar near Robertsonpet KGF

This is the statue of Dr. B R Ambedkar near Robertsonpet KGF

The Telephone Exchange at Oorgaum

This is a picture of the Telephone Exchange at Oorgaum which was taken recently. This Exchange was always busy in the good old days with all the wires humming. It is now unused and locked up like the rest of the mining offices.

Book on KGF - Kolar Gold Fields Down Memory Lane - Paeans to lost Glory!!!

A Nostalgic Book on Kolar Gold Fields

KOLAR GOLD FIELDS DOWN MEMORY LANE  - PAEANS TO LOST GLORY

By Bridget White
Pages 276 
Indian Reprint available 
Price: Rs 260.00 in India only

For Copies of this book Contact:
1. BRIDGET KUMAR
(Bangalore)
Email: bridgetkumar@yahoo.com / bidkumar@gmail.com
Ph: (+91)9845571254 / (+91)9844044236

Website: http://memoriesofkgf.blogspot.com/
http://anglo-indianrecipes.blogspot.com/
http://bridgetkumar.wordpress.com/ 

2. Gangarams Book Bureau
M G Road, Bangalore 560001

3. PAGE TURNERS
SIP PENGUIN BOOK STORE
89, MG Road, Bangalore 56001

4.John White
(Chennai)
Email: mpjohnwhite@yahoo.co.in
Ph: (+91) 9941841157 / (+91) 44 25595008

5. FLIPKART (INDIA)
http://www.flipkart.com/

UK Edition Published by AUTHOR HOUSE UK LTD,
ISBN:978-1-4520-4459-0 (sc) (Paper Back )
ISBN: 978-1-4520-5103-I (e) (E Book)
Price:US$13.00, A$20.00, C$20.00, GB Pounds 10.00

KOLAR GOLD FIELDS - DOWN MEMORY LANE is also available online at leading online stores such as Author House UK Ltd (authorhouse.com), Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Water Stone, Xulon, Tesco etc.

FROM THE LAND OF GOLD - Bangalore Mirror 13/2/2011

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/81/2011021220110212195901318cefbb16a/From-the-land-of-gold.html
From the land of gold - Juliana Lazarus




Bridget White’s book Kolar Gold Fields: Down Memory Lane captures the essence of how a barren piece of land became a thriving township and an Anglo-Indian stronghold.....

When two people from Kolar Gold Fields get together, you can safely predict one thing: A talkathon. “Remember the Namakara hawker? And Chinaman John? Remember the Pound Parties in Buffalo Lodge? And how Sabu the jhatka man would say “Giddy up a ding dong...”

Bridget White has been a part of many such conversations that led to her blog http://memoriesofkgf.blog spot.com. And before she knew it, she had enough matter for a book! That’s what Bridget’s Kolar Gold Fields: Down Memory Lane is all about: A rambling conversation about the legends behind KGF, its people, its places. About how a barren piece of land became a thriving township, with varied nationalities like the English, Spanish, Germans, Italians and Irish living and growing together – that’s why KGF has been a traditional Anglo-Indian stronghold (see box) though most of the Europeans left after Independence.


Fresh memories
“It took me about two years to get the material together,” says Bridget, who was born in KGF and spent her early life there before moving to Bangalore permanently in 1976. But more than three decades later, the memories are as fresh as the smell of sodium cyanide when gold was being smelted in the mines. Of mountains coated with silicosis, of the uncertainty each time her father went down into the mines, of hearing whispers about the odd miner swallowing gold in an attempt to steal, of hearing a rumbling sound one night (it was a rock burst) and running out into the garden in sweaters and nighties.

She chuckles at the memory of the Namakara hawker (called so because he had a namo on his head!). “He would wear a black coat and white dhoti and had two men trailing behind carrying white bundles. He was a walking fancy store that sold everything from safety pins to underwear to nail polish and naphthalene balls,” says Bridget.

Then there was Chinaman John whose children had Chinese features but their mother’s Indian complexion. John would bring exquisite silk from China, sometimes in the form of cushion covers and table cloths and kimonos.

“Those were life’s simple pleasures,” sighs Bridget. And all that changed when John Taylor and Sons sold the mines to the government.“Everything fell through once the government took over,” says Bridget. “Trade unions became very strong and the mines soon became non-viable which is why the government closed down the mines in 2001.”

Shadows from the past
KGF is now a place of historical interest where song-and-dance sequences are shot for films. It’s also an educational hub but despite that it remains a pale shadow of its former self. Cyanide dumps form about 20 per cent of its total area, leading to a fairly high incidence of asthma, wheezing, TB and other respiratory illnesses among residents.

With mining no longer an option, more than 7,000 people have left to find work in Bangalore. “The mines are now filled with water and there’s slurry on the mountains surrounding KGF. According to an Australian company, even if they get 50g of gold from a tonne of slurry, it would be viable to start mining,” says Bridget.

In fact, the union cabinet cleared a proposal last year to revive the mines after a parliamentary standing committee report that at least 30 lakh tonnes of gold reserves lie unexploited in the area. The revival may take some time but till then, we have Bridget’s book.

For copies of the book, email Bridget at bridgetkumar@yahoo.com or call 9845571254, 9844044236.

KOLAR GOLD FIELDS - DOWN MEMORY LANE - Feature in Jan 2011 issue of TOGETHER Magazine

Feature on my book  “Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane” which appears in the January 2011 issue of " TOGETHER" Magazine

“Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane” undertakes a nostalgic journey of almost 150 years, beginning with the historical and mythological origins of the Kolar Gold Mines. The book focuses on the progress through the years under the John Taylor and Sons Company, the gradual decline, and final closure of the once prosperous Kolar Gold Mining Company, in 2003.


Authored by Bridget White-Kumar, born into an Anglo-Indian family, who lived in KGF for many generations, the book recalls the cosmopolitan life led by the tiny vibrant Anglo-Indian Community in the early days of KGF. It also focuses on the author's childhood memories of growing up in KGF in the 1950s and 60s.

Kolar Gold Fields was well known for its colonial ambience and was called ‘Little England' due to its British and Anglo-Indian population. It was one of India's earliest industrialized towns and was unique for its secular and egalitarian society. The book succeeds in capturing and preserving the ethos and nuances of a bygone era.

This book is a 'must have' for all those who lived in Kolar Gold Fields and would like to preserve their memories of KGF forever.

For copies of this book contact Bridget Kumar Email: bridgetkumar@yahoo.com

Kolar Gold Fields had many firsts to its credit

KGF and its Many Firsts

Kolar Gold Fields had many firsts to its credit. In 1894, the Mysore Government financed the construction of a branch railway line, 10 miles long connecting all the five mines between Mysore Mine (Marikuppam) and Bowringpet Junction (Bangarpet) to connect KGF to the Bangalore Madras Railway line.


The Kolar Gold Fields Sanitary Board was constituted in September 1899 with three ex-officio members and four non-official members nominated by the Mining Board. The KGF Police, a special body with 50 officers and 279 men, under a separate European Superintendent, largely composed of Sikhs, was formed in April 1900, with jurisdiction over Bowringpet, Malur and Mulbagal taluks.

In 1902, the Mysore government established the first major hydro-electric generating station for commercial operations at Shivanasamudram. The longest transmission line, at the highest voltage in the world, was constructed to meet the power needs of mining operations at KGF. The erstwhile Mysore State became the first state in India to establish such a huge hydro-electric plant and KGF was the first town to get hydro-electric power.

In 1903, the British government constructed a lake in Bethamangala to supply water to KGF and surrounding townships. Arrangements were made for filtered water to be supplied to the mines through huge pipelines from the Government Water Works at Bethamangala, five miles away from KGF and the underground water source of the Pala River. Soon Bethamangala became a popular sailing and picnic spot for the British population in KGF

Official release of Book on KGF - KOLAR GOLD FIELDS - DOWN MEMORY LANE

My book on KGF, entitled KOLAR GOLD FIELDS - DOWN MEMORY LANE was officially released by Mr. Kenneth Powell, on 26th October 2010, during the recently held Anglo-Indian Reunion - Jamboree 2010 at the Bangalore Palace Grounds

KOLAR GOLD FIELDS - ROCK BURSTS / AIR BLASTS – THE KGF RESCUE TEAM

KGF ROCK BURSTS / AIR BLASTS –  THE KGF RESCUE TEAM

RESCUING MINERS TRAPPED UNDER GROUND

The thrilling mission to rescue and save the miners trapped in a Chilean Mine for 69 days has prompted me to write a small account about such similar instances in KGF.

There were several instances of tragic and fatal accidents inside the mines that left many workers physically handicapped and incapacitated. Several times, there was loss of lives due to the Rock Bursts or Air Blasts. The Rock Bursts during the 1920s and 30s and the massive Rock Burst in 1952, claimed many lives as quite a few miners were buried alive.When the Air Blasts occurred under ground, several miners would get trapped inside the tunnels and die due to suffocation and injuries. The passages and tunnels get blocked due to landslides.

The John Taylor and Sons Company   formed a dedicated rescue team which would immediately get into action to rescue workers trapped underground due to mining accidents and disasters such as rock bursts, fires, explosions, cave-ins, flooding of the mines etc. The KGF Mining Rescue Team was thus established in 1923. The Rescue Station was housed in a building quite close to the Oorgaum Station Railway crossing a short distance away from the Nandydroog Mine Offices. 

The Rescue Team was always on call 24 x 7, to attend to any emergencies both underground and on the surface. The team was well versed in all rescue procedures and specially trained to rescue miners trapped underground with minimum time loss. They were fully trained in rendering timely First Aid and in the use of the Proto Safety equipment, SABC Breathing sets etc, especially when the miners were suffocated due to lack of oxygen on account of landfalls, fire, smoke, toxic mine gases, etc.

The KGF Rescue Team was soon considered to be the best mining rescue team in the country and won many awards and citations. A picture of the team which won the Barraclough Challenge Shield in the All India Mines Rescue Competition in 1955 is appended hereto.

In the event of a fire breaking out or rock falls /caving in of the earth underground due to Rock Bursts, the workers would break small glass bottles of Eucalyptus Oil immediately. The strong smell of eucalyptus would quickly spread through all the tunnels underground thereby warning the miners working in other tunnels to quickly rush to higher safety levels, from where they could come up to the surface safely.

The Mines rescue team would then get into action to rescue the trapped workers. However, despite the best efforts of the Rescue team, sometimes flooding, fire outbreaks  and other accidents underground claimed many lives before the Rescue Team reached the spot. The family members of the workers trapped underground would wait for several hours outside the shafts, keeping their fingers crossed, to know the fate of their loved ones. The agony and mental suffering on their faces just couldn’t be explained in words.

However, as mine rescue is a particularly dangerous work, the rescue crews also risked their own lives to save their fellow workers. Sometimes they also suffered serious injuries and burns during their Rescue missions.

As children living in KGF Rock Bursts or Air Blasts were quite common occurrences for us and we learnt to live with them. We normally didn’t get frightened or worried when there were small ones. We just carried on with whatever we were doing at the time. However, sometimes these air blasts were quite huge in their intensity and they caused much damage to buildings and houses and also caused massive rock falls underground, sometimes even causing fatalities to the miners. We’d then rush out of the house to safety. Some times, buildings or houses got damaged during severe air blasts and people also suffered minor injuries because of the debris falling on them.

When I was about 5 years old, I remember waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of shattering window panes and bits of the roof tiles falling on my bed. My mum bundled us up in our cardigans and we ran into the garden and stayed there till the rumblings stopped. She would then make us all a hot drink of Bournvita and tucked us all back into bed. The next morning we could see all the debris that had fallen from the walls and roof due to the tremors of the air blast.

When I was studying in the 6^th Standard in the St Joseph’s Convent School, there was a massive Air Blast at around eleven in the morning, and this caused a lot of damage to the school building. Bits of the ceiling fell down on us and huge cracks began to appear on the walls. The teachers quickly evacuated all the students and we assembled on the Basket Ball field in no time. Since the rumblings continued for a long time, the school declared a holiday and the school buses and vans were organized to take us all home. Due to the severe impact of the Air Blasts the school building was damaged quite a bit. The nuns undertook some immediate repairs and we were back in school in no time.

Every time there was an Air Blast, my mum would make us kneel down and say a prayer for the safety of the Miners trapped underground. Quite often my dad, who worked as an Underground Engineer in Nandydroog Mine, would also be on duty at the time of the Air Blast, and we would be quite tense till he returned home safely.