North West Star
30 May 2012
JOHN Winter is one of many people who stumbled on Mount Isa years ago, and now plans to happily spend the rest of his days in the mining town.
As a 23-year-old, Mr Winter was on what he called a “working honeymoon” with wife Brenda which only got as far Mount Isa in 1974.
Now retired after working in mines rescue for 46 years, Mr Winton has no plans to leave.
“People say ask me, you’re retired now so are you going to move to the coast to retire?,” he said.
“I say tell them – why would I go there and start all over again? I’m happy here, bugger the coast!
“Not too many traffic lights, it’s nice and peaceful. I love it,” Mr Winter said.
The North Australia Project outlined Mount Isa and the North West as places to cater for speculated population growth in northern Australia.
“There’s room for more if the work is here,” Mr Winter said.
“It all depends on the mines and how much work is there.”
Mr Winter said the growing fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workforce was the biggest setback to increasing Mount Isa’s population, because people don’t settle here.