The WASM Wallabies are based at the Curtin University, Bentley Campus and represent the oldest tertiary mining institution, the Western Australian School of Mines. We are a student run organisation that competes at national and international levels in traditional mining techniques, formally known as the Mining Games. We also provide opportunities for professional development and exposure to the in
dustry through networking events. This organisation is primarily aimed at students studying mining related degrees such as mining engineering, metallurgy, geology, chemical engineering, surveying, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral economics as well as others. International Collegiate Mining Games:
In the morning of May 2nd, 1972 fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine, near Kellogg, Idaho,USA. Deadly smoke, heat and carbon monoxide gas rapidly spread through the mine tunnel, hampering efforts to rescue the 173 working miners. Initially, 85 miners escaped safely and two were rescued seven days later. On May 13, the last of the 91 victims were brought out, and 91 workers sadly died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning. Established in 1978, the International Collegiate Mining Games has become a yearly tradition that honours the memories of the fallen miners from the Sunshine Mine disaster. The highly competitive event allows for mining students from all over the world to come together and compete in an olympics-style games that focuses on maintaining traditional mining techniques alive. Being the largest event of its kind in the world, it is highly competitive, and there is a great amount of prestige for the winners. Teams representing countries from all over the world, including the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and Australia, have the opportunity to compete in men’s, women’s, co-ed, and alumni divisions for a fierce fight to be crowned the winners. The competition is comprised of seven events which represent old style mining techniques:
• Airleg: drill into a vertical rock or concrete face using a pneumatic airleg drill.
• Handsteel: drill into a block of concrete using a four pound sledge hammer and a 7/8 inch wide steel chisel.
• Survey: given a starting point, calculate the coordinates of a finishing point using an old fashioned surveying equipment.
• Gold pan: find five flattened lead or copper ball bearings in a pan full of dirt and rock.
• Swede saw: saw through a 6 by 6 piece of pine timber with a 36 inch bow saw.
• Trackstand: set up and tear down a five metre section of track, including sleepers, rail, connecting plates and bolts.
• Mucking: run an ore cart down a 75 foot section of track and fill it with muck (dirt and rock) using shovels.
