Milton John Osborne (Pike River Miner)

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Milton was a N.Z Forest Service staff member at Whangapoua Forest from approx 1980 to the end of NZFS in March of 1987. He also worked at Kaueranga and Waihou Forests. He was popular with everyone and was a huge part of this area. For a short time he worked on salvaging fallen Kauri and became a skilled bushman Around 1990 he shifted to work in the SI and finished up at Ngahere where he bought property and married Anna His interests were solely around and providing for his family of Anna, son Robin and daughter Alisha. His skills were many, he was a skilled machine operator, bushman, gold miner, fire fighter amoungst many other things. Milton was noted for his honour, once he had given his word it would last forever, his word was as good as a written contract. His interests were varied and he could turn his hand to cusine cooking, landscaping and cake decorating, writing poetry, hunting, fishing, white baiting, house renovations, civic duties and local politics He was a man who stood out, appeared to have a somewhat gruff exterior. Milton was actually a very soft and caring person who will be very much missed by many many people. He is especially fondly remembered by all of his friends around the Coromandel Peninsular Pike Miver Mine was an opporunity for Milton to progress his future wealth for his family. A chance he took with both hands, but sadly something in the mine on that day of the 19th has gone terribly wrong A sad day in which 29 lives were lost, families were shattered, the whole of NZ felt the ownership of this tragic day.