Mining was a critical part of society in the late eighteenth century.
Canaries were kept in cages at locations throughout a mine as an
indication of dangerous air quality. If the canary died, you only had a
few short minutes to exit the mine to safety. The phrase, ‘Canary in the
coal mine’, came to represent a clear warning to those who paid
attention. In this issue we discuss mining during the colonial era as well
as the canaries in our own timeline.
Category: Print Editions