Mr Osman, 47, was working with a colleague at the Northparkes Mines when a large section underground collapsed.

The “devoted family man” left behind wife Christine and teenage children Mathew and Jodi.

This week Northparkes Mine released a statement passing on the families’ request for privacy at a memorial service yesterday.

“On 24 November, 1999 an airblast at Northparkes Mines tragically claimed the lives of Ross Bodkin, Stuart Osman, Colin Lloyd-Jones and Michael House,” a Northparkes spokesman said on Monday.

“Tomorrow will mark the 10-year anniversary of this event and Northparkes will be holding a private service for the families, friends and colleagues of the four men.

“As you will appreciate this is a difficult time for the families and staff of Northparkes who were working at the mine in 1999.

“We ask that you please respect the families request that media not be involved in this service.”

For this reason Northparkes would not release a comment until later today.

Mr Osman and his colleague, Mr Lloyd-Jones, 41, from Pontil drilling contractors in Dubbo, were working together 150 metres below the surface near Parkes when a large section underground collapsed.

Two supervisors from Parkes, Mr Bodkin, 41, and Mr House, 33, were also killed.

About 57 other workers were trapped for a time before being freed.

At the time, Pontil managing director Tom Browne said his two employers would not have known what happened.

He paid tribute to Mr Osman as ‘Mr Clean’ - “because he always came home cleaner than when he went to work” - and as a “happy-go-lucky person and a devoted family man” who loved his work.

Northparkes Mines will honour the four miners by naming two buildings after them as a permanent memorial of the tragic event, the Parkes Champion Post reported on Monday.

About 50 family members from across Australia and New Zealand, representatives from mine owners Rio Tinto and Sumitoma, employees and ex-employees and Parkes Shire Council staff were expected to attend, it reported.

The Osman-Lloyd Jones Health and Training Centre and the Bodkin-House Emergency Response Centre were scheduled to be dedicated in the afternoon.

faye.wheeler@ruralpr ess.com