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What we now know as the Southern Coalfields of NSW are those which are located south and south west of Sydney, on both sides of the Illawarra escarpment. Coal mining has played a significant role in shaping the Illawarra as the development of mine sites was accompanied by a flourishing of villages and towns. In the Illawarra there have been more than 60 known sites of coal mining since the mid- nineteenth century, several of which are still producing today. The sheer number of mine sites demonstrates the impact that coal mining has had on the locality, considering the flow-on socio-economic effects that mining has, not only in the initial development of a town and its populace, but in the ensuing years.
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The Southern coast was explored by George Bass and Matthew Flinders in the ‘Tom Thumb’ in 1796. In 1797, further exploration accidentally occurred when the ‘Sydney Cove’ sailing from Calcutta to Port Jackson shipwrecked at Preservation Island. 17 survivors were sent in the ship’s longboat in an attempt to reach the mainland, but this longboat also shipwrecked at Ninety Mile Beach, off the Victorian coastland (as it is now known). With no viable alternative, the survivors set off on an overland trek heading to Sydney on foot. 14 of the original 17 longboat survivors succumbed to fatigue and starvation and perished. 3 of the 17 reputedly stopped in the Illawarra at Austinmer where they used coal to build a fire. The survivors were finally picked up by a fishing boat in Port Hacking. The trek undertaken by the ‘Sydney Cove’ survivors was one of the definitive moments in the history of coal mining in the Illawarra. Following the tale of the ordeal, Governor Hunter sent George Bass to further investigate the Illawarra and the coal was found to be the coal seam which extends from Coalcliff to the Blue Mountains.
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Despite the relatively early discovery of coal, the Illawarra was slow to develop its commercial mining industry, which was partly due to the Australian Agricultural Company’s (AA Company) monopoly on coal productions in the colony. It was many years after the initial discovery of coal in the Illawarra that it was first mined, following the subjugation of the monopoly by the AA Company.
The first land grants to European settlers in the Illawarra commenced in 1817 and were successively followed by further land grants opening the way for the early industries, predominantly cedar-cutting, farming and dairying.
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In 1839, the Reverend and respected geologist William Branwhite Clarke explored the Illawarra coal seams as part of his geological survey of the colony. This exploration was crucial to the subsequent development of coal mining in the Illawarra region as it demonstrated the available coal reserves, thus paving the way for such reserves to be extracted.
Coal mining in the Illawarra began in 1848 at Mount Keira and the first coal export from the Illawarra left Wollongong harbour in 1849, destined for the Sydney market. The Mount Keira mine was followed by the opening of mines at [1] :
- Bellambi (or Woonona) in 1857
- Russell Vale and Bulli in 1861
- Mount Pleasant and Balgownie in 1862
- Coalcliff in 1878
- Corrimal and Mount Kembla in 1883
- North Illawarra and North Bulli (or Austinmer) in 1884
- Metropolitan in 1887
- Coledale in 1889
- South Clifton in 1891
- Excelsior in 1900
By 1900, 2,300 men were employed in the Illawarra mines and the combined annual production from the collieries totalled 1.26 million tonnes. [2] This jumped to 2.06 million tonnes in 1911 for the Southern district. [3]
The owner of the Bellambi mine, Thomas Hale, was the first to export coal from the Illawarra interstate, namely to Adelaide and Launceston. Thomas Hale also sent quantities of Illawarra coal to England, China and California.
The Mount Kembla Colliery was opened in 1882 by the Mount Kembla Coal and Oil Company.
Coal mining had a significant impact on the rise and development of the Illawarra. By 1885 there were 9 coal mines operating in the Southern coalfields, including Coal Cliff, North Illawarra Coal-mining Company, Broker’s Nose, North Bulli, Bulli Old Tunnel, Mount Pleasant, Mount Keira and Mount Kembla. [4] Although many mines remained open for lengthy periods, and some operated for over 100 years, several mines were exhausted relatively quickly such as the North Bulli mine (at Austinmer) which opened in 1886 and closed in 1895.
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Wollongong was established as a town by the Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell in 1834 but had been home to a protective garrison for the Illawarra region since 1826. In 1837, it was decided that the existing harbour at Wollongong would be further developed and a team of 300 convict labourers was assigned this task. It was not until 1844 that the wharves and breakwaters were completed, with subsequent developments continuing into the 1860s. This culminated in an official opening ceremony in 1868 which gave the harbour the name Belmore Basin. The importance of the Belmore Basin to the Illawarra coal industry is clear when analysing the figures: in 1868, monthly exports totalled approximately 31,450 tonnes divided among 68 vessels. [5]
Historical coal train, Wollongong
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The township of Wongawilli sprung up around the Wongawilli Colliery, owned by Alexander Lang, which commenced mining operations in 1909. In 1916, the Wongawilli Colliery was taken over by Hoskins which resulted in an upgrade of the facilities, ensuring an improved production rate. Hoskins also built one of the first coal washeries in the Southern region which assisted in improving the already high-quality of the coal extracted. Coal and coke from Wongawilli was of great importance in the development of the Port Kembla Iron and Steelworks.
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ABS (1910) History of Coal Mining, Year Book Australia, Series no. 1301.0
ABS (1920) Year Book Australia, Series 1301.0
Aplin, G. (1988) Brief History of Wollongong- 1796, The Australian Encyclopedia, National Geographic Society, Terry Hills
Landau, M., McBeath, D., & Parris, R. (2006) Strategic Management Plan for Historic Coal Mining Sites of the Illawarra, OHM Consultants
Peabody Pacific (2008) Statement of Heritage Impact, Metropolitan Coal Project Environmental Assessment, Peabody Pacific
Stewart, E. (ed.) Mining the evidence of Wollongong’s coal industry, Heritage NSW, NSW Heritage Office, Summer 2005-06
The Age, Coalcliff, The Age, Fairfax Digital, Feb 8, 2004, Retrieved online 31/03/2009: http://www.theage.com.au/news/new-south-wales/coalcliff/2005/02/17/1142098501130.html
The Age, Coledale, The Age, Fairfax Digital, Feb 8, 2004, Retrieved online 29/04/2009: http://www.theage.com.au/news/new-south-wales/coledale/2005/02/17/1142098501306.html
The Brisbane Courier (1885) The Coalfields of New South Wales, The Brisbane Courier, 10th September 1885
Wollongong City Council, Local History and Information, Last modified 05/03/2009, Retrieved online 20/04/2009: http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/library/onlineresources/
suburbprofiles/Pages/default.aspx
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1. It should be noted that discrepancies exist in the sources regarding the opening dates of coal mines. In most instances, the data has been sourced from the Wollongong City Council Library.
2. Landau, M., McBeath, D., & Parris, R. (2006) Strategic Management Plan for Historic Coal Mining Sites of the Illawarra, OHM Consultants
3. ABS (1920) Year Book Australia, Series 1301.0
4. The Brisbane Courier (1885) The Coalfields of New South Wales, The Brisbane Courier, 10th September 1885
5. Landau et al.
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