~  i l l a w a r r a   c o a l  ~
An Unofficial History of Coal Mining in the Illawarra

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A wheeler and his horse
carting the coal from the mine


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Rev.0

Erith Colliery

1881 ~ 1897

Opened: Original location 1867
Location: Bundanoon Creek
Owner: Martin Larkin
Seam:- Wongawilli (assumed)
Closed: circa 1897


1867 – Martin Larkin takes out Mineral Rights on his own property at Jordan’s Crossing (now known as Bundanoon.)

1871 – 200 tons valued at
£160 raised during 1871-1872 period from the mine known as Rock-roof.

1871 – 1881 Rock-roof Mine lies idle

1881 – Messrs. Baker (A.E & Sons) open up a seam of coal at or near the old Rock-roof Mine naming it Erith Colliery.

1881 – a limited amount of coal placed on market from Erith Colliery.

1881 – 1882 – 18 men were raising 50 ton per day mainly for use on the railways.

1882 – 1883 – 20 men employed

1883 – 1884 – 40 men raised 10,492 tons

1884 – contracts for the supply of 16,000 tons per year to the railways obtained.

1884 – 1885 – labour force fell to 24 men raising only 1,811 tons

1885 – latter half of year saw only 2 men employed with work almost suspended due to lack of sales.

1886 – 1887 – no work undertaken.

1887 – March 1887 the property of 250 acres plus winding engine, tram line, tools etc were advertised for sale through Tucker & Co. Sydney.

1896 – Messrs. Palmer & Coppard reopened the mine and production restarted

1896 – December – the operation was on half time basis and later abandoned.

1915 – The Erith Colliery Siding was removed on the 13th September 1915.

As the mine was established some 25 metres below the cliff tops, a wooden platform was built projecting horizontally from the cliff top, out into the valley void. Through a hole in this platform, skips loaded with coal were hoisted from the mine entrance in the valley.

It would appear that the loaded skips were then drawn along a single track some 300 yards long by horse, to a siding on the Great Southern Railway line for screening and loading into government railway wagons.


Excerpts from Light Railways, No. 130 – October 1995, Jim Longworth, a publication compiled by The Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc.

 

See also:-

Rockroof Mine

 

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