The annual Eastern Goldfields Miners' Memorial service yesterday saw the unveiling of three new names, all of whom were missed in previous years.
However, the name of a worker who died in WA's Goldfields mid last year was not among the new additions.
The contractor, whose name has not yet been publicly released, died in June of 2021 at the Daisy underground mining complex.
Still no findings into last year's mine death
At the time, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the worker.
Now, nearly nine months later, the DMIRS has not released any findings from the inquiry, and the department has confirmed to the ABC that the investigation is still ongoing.
Goldfields historian and research officer for the memorial, Moya Sharp, said she hoped the identity of the worker would be released so that their name could be added to the memorial next year.
Ms Sharp, who can be credited for unearthing the names of the three previously missed miners, said the memorial was a powerful visual representation of how dangerous the mining industry had been over the years.
"It makes it so much more real to see all the names there … all these hundreds and hundreds of names," she said.
"Then [people] realise the actual toll, in lives, that the mining industry has taken.
The additional names unveiled this year were Thomas Glasson, James O'Neill and Charles Brown — workers who died in the years 1900, 1905 and 1941 respectively.
Family attend unveiling of great-grandfather's name
Mr Brown's grandchildren, Geof and Amanda Hearn, and great-granddaughter, Emily Rankin, travelled from Perth to Kalgoorlie for the unveiling.
The family described the memorial as "a great recognition" and said it helped them to connect with their family history.
"It prompts an understanding of the importance of where we came from, and the fact that we are Australian," Mr Hearn said.
Hope for safer mines in the future
John Bowler, Mayor of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and chair of the Miners' Memorial, said that while the addition of any new names was a tragedy, he found hope in the fact that the mining industry of today was far safer than of years gone by.
"As a committee, we hope that we don't have a name to unveil each year," he said.
"The long lists [of names] of the past are a thing of the past, but it also shows that we have to be vigilant."
