Rev.0

Tongarra Colliery

References to coal mining in the Albion Park area.

"Brownlees had acquired land and were amongst the first settlers of Stockyard Mountain and Tongarra, also opening a Coal Mine." (pp 35)

"Tallawarra Power Station has a capacity output of 320 megawatts from 6 coal burning units. Work was commenced on the site in 1948 and No. 1 Unit went into commercial operation in 1954, No. 2 in 1955, No. 3 in 1956, No. 4 in 1957, No. 5 in 1960 and No. 6 in 1961. N. J. Rowland is Power Station Superintendent. " (pp 115, 116)

"Yellow Rock: ……………..and the opening of a coal mine has brought activity to this beautiful spot once again." (pp 122)

"Tongarra: A sawmill, a coal mine and a proposed dam are all part of Tongarra's history while a new route over the mountain to replace Macquarie Pass ……………"(pp 123)

The Town at the Crossroads A story of Albion Park. By Stan Thomas First Pub. 1975 ISBN 0 9598373 1 0 Weston & Co Publishers Pty Ltd.

Extract from Green Meadows

"More success was achieved, but only in a small way, in the coal mining industry. Shellharbour municipality is essentially an agricultural district but from the seventies the presence of coal seams in the mountain near Macquarie Pass at Tongarra was talked about of until in 1893 William Brownlee, whose house was on a ridge leading up the hill, began driving a tunnel 800 feet a.s.l.

In August it was reported to have been driven 40 feet into a seam of the purest and best gas coal 22 feet thick. There were three other seams above it in turn 14 feet, 6 feet 8 inches and the topmost 4 feet 6 inches thick.

The mountain was said to contain haematite, fireclay and cement. All the leading coal mine and coke works managers had visited the locality and the coal was being used by the Tongarra creamery.

The mine was stated to be 11 miles from Fullers Bay at Shellharbour.

Percy Owen followed on in conjunction with Brownlee's work in 1903 when he requested the council to carry out road work from Brownlee's gate to the mine.

In 1904 the tunnel was in 300 feet and deposits paid on land for a railway line from the mine to the seaboard. Within a year the survey had been made as transport costs were militating against the success of the mine.

Murray Brownlee managed the mine for Yuill and Co. of Corrimal.

The coal was proved equal to Newcastle coal leaving only a clean white ash.

By 1906 the proprietors hoped to interest the Australian Smelting Corporation in erecting it's proposed new works at Shellharbour as vessels drawing 19 feet could berth alongside and Tongarra coal could be run down on the proposed tramway or railway. The corporation owned the Dapto smelting works but there was some doubt whether they would continue to operate and it was felt that the works would be erected at Pt. Pirie. However nothing came of the proposal.

In 1908 Owens developed the mine further but little seems to have been done during the next decade until in 1914 a six ton sample was sent to Sydney for test with a view to supplying the railway from Goulburn to the south in conjunction with the building of a railway to Moss Vale. William Brownlee expected to sell but little was done.

In 1918 people looked forward to the time "when the mineral wealth which abounded was tapped and the coal mines were in full swing they would hear the echo of children's voices in Tongarra's hills". But that was for the future.

The coal mines at Tongarra and along the Illawarra coast drew from the resources of the mountain sides for timber supplies in the form of pit props and sawn hardwood. Cedar logs were also secured in the new century." (pp109/110)

Photograph - Tongarra Coal Mine in 1959 (pp 118)

"Meanwhile in the mountains west of Albion Park at Tongarra, the coal mine developed in the early days of the century by Brownlee was progressively further developed by Dawson, Gillard and Latorre, until eventually it was taken over in 1943 by Excelsior Collieries of Thirroul. R. Fullager was manager, then A. Smith and from 1947 G. Roberts. All coal produced was taken by road trucks to Tallawarra electric power station, the earlier railway proposals having never materialised.

Annual production grew from 26,000 tons in 1945 to 40,000 tons in the opening fifties. Mechanisation was then introduced and the production raised to 70,000 tons. The mine works one shift daily and holds a record for continuity of production." (pp155/156)

Green Meadows - Centenary History of Shellharbour Municipality By William A. Bayley Published 1959