Aust miners lay wreaths for Pike River men

Miners in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia laid wreaths today for the 29 men who lost their lives in the Pike River coal mine on the West Coast.

Mining communities around Australia marked the annual Saint Barbara's Day in honour of the patron saint of miners and in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder district, the commemorations began with wreath-laying for the Pike River miners and contractors who were killed last month.

Last weekend, the Goldfields New Zealand Kiwi Club in the town staged a service for the men, with both Maori and traditional Christian facets.

Club president Derna Trifilo told the ABC that the Pike River disaster had affected the large New Zealand population in Kalgoorlie-Boulder hard, especially as many worked in mining.

"It really hits home for a mining community like Kalgoorlie," she said. "This community has come together like none I've known before. It's something mining town understand, when tragedies such as this hit them."

- NZPA