THIS cheery group of ladies comprises workers at the Eastern Mica Company's Guthrie Port facility in the early 1960s.
They are, from left - Nan Canale, Nettie Black, Barbara Malcolm, Tina Bissett and Jean Kucharski.
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials which are easy to divide into thin layers. The word 'mica' is thought to be derived from the Latin word micare, meaning 'to glitter', in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral.
The ladies at the Mica Works split the mineral which was then machined into shape as a non-conducting washers and insulators.
Nowadays, the most common use of the mineral is in jewellery.
