Thursday, 12 October 2006
As the hard working mining town of Cobar prepares to celebrate it's unique annual Festival of the Miner's Ghost, an astonishing photograph depicting a possible ethereal presence near the Great Cobar Copper Mine Open Cut and Heritage Centre, has added further mystery and intrigue to the legendary event.
Taken in daylight last February by a local female school teacher during a self guided tour of Cobar's heritage sites, the photograph clearly shows an inexplicable substance or presence rising within the safety fenced edge of the open cut.
The stunned young teacher, who at this stage has requested her name not be disclosed, said the strange incident visually lasted about three seconds, just giving her time to take one photograph.
"As I had recently arrived in Cobar I decided to take some photos of the Heritage Museum to email home to my family," the teacher explained. "I had taken about four photos consecutively of the Heritage Centre from the same position.
"When I was about to take the fifth photo I saw something appear white, yet transparent, through the viewfinder of my camera.
"I looked up and saw the transparent form and then I clicked the camera button.
"I had no doubt in my mind that it was a 'ghostly vision' yet it wasn't until around April that I heard about ?The Miner's Ghost' through friends and then I remembered the photo I had taken in front of the open cut mine.
"With the Festival of the Miner's Ghost happening in Cobar I thought this would be a good opportunity to pass this picture on to the residents of Cobar."
This year's even more mysterious Festival of the Miner's Ghost, scheduled to be held between October 21 and 29, features a number of special events including the celebration of Cobar Management's CSA mine's 40th year of operations. Other highlights include St John's School annual bazaar, a police charity golf day, rock and roll big band at the bowling and golf club, an outback music festival, art, WIRES exhibitions and a spectacular fireworks finale over the ghostly open cut.
A special presentation will be made during a civic reception in Drummond Park to honour the successful Cobar Rooster's rugby league first grade team which recently won the 2006 Group 11 premiership.
Important guests at the festival are likely to include the CSA Mine's Glencore owners from Switzerland and the Swiss Ambassador to Australia.
Held annually to showcase the community, the festival's raison d'etre is to celebrate the reported presence of a ghostly visitor to the Great Cobar Heritage Centre which since its construction more than a century ago has served as mining company offices, a boarding house and museum.
http://cobar.yourguide.com.au/detail.as ... =10&y=2006
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