Mining Mud and Medals: Book talk

The Ballarat Electorate has enjoyed a long history connected with mining and its Schools of Mines, located at Ballarat, Daylesford, Clunes and Creswick. Talented members of their alumni enlisted during WWI, together with many a miner, carpenter, and electrician, all well versed in creating mineshafts to tunnel under enemy lines. Mining Mud & Medals highlights the role of the men who served in the Australian Army Tunnelling Corps during WWI, especially those from the Ballarat Electorate. This project is an initiative of the members of Victorian Interpretive Projects Inc. (VIPs), funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The Mining Mud & Medals project has culminated into a book, which was shortlisted at the 2020 Victorian History Community Awards, featuring chapters on the Schools of Mines in the Ballarat Electorate, Tunnelling at Gallipoli, the Recruitment of Tunnellers, the Tunnellers Honoured in Trees, but most importantly biographies highlighting more than 170 Tunnellers from the Ballarat Electorate. Project Manager Yvon Davis will talk about the project, the men from the WWI Tunnelling Companies and the Mining Mud & Medals book. Following the talk, the book will be available for purchase at a special price at a book signing with Yvon Davis.