TIMELINE

1942 – A plan, (REF No. 1106 xR5 by E.O.R and dated 18-03-1942), drawn to accompany a report by F. N. Hanlon and E. O. Rayner re the zones of instability affecting railway and road in the Stanwell Park – Coledale Area, shows a tunnel with the title “Bulli Main Colliery”. (DIGS library)

1944 – Notes from a Council meeting; Mrs M.M. Glover of Coledale Hts. requesting electricity be supplied to her property: - “the nearest supply was at Bulli Main Colliery, the engineer suggested making arrangement to tap into these mains.” (Sth Coast Times 18/08/1944, p2)

1945 – Fatality – Thomas Gifford, 55, part mine owner, by electrocution u/ground. (Ill. Mer. 23/01/1945, p1)

1945 – Evidence at the inquest of Tom Gifford, 55, mine surveyor, revealed his death was due to electrocution by a charged neutral wire, some 200 yards underground at the Bulli Main Colliery on Jan. 21^st. Initial reports indicate that Gifford was part mine owner? (Ill Mer. 23/02/1945, p2)

1946 – Reported as working from Jan to Dec. (DoMAR 1946)

1946 – Bulli Main Colliery and Gordon Haberley to attend a hearing at Wollongong Court House, Bankruptcy Court. (SMH 24/05/1946, p6)

1947 – Reported as having 28 electric safety lamps in use. (DoMAR 1947)

1947 – Bulli Main Colliery and Louisa Barton to attend a Workers Compensation hearing. (SMH 16/08/1947, p6)

1947 – Louisa Barton awarded £600 by Judge Perdriau, workers compensation for her husband, Percy Barton, 64, former employee of Bulli Main Colliery, who died on 4/03/1946 suffering from pneumoconiosis caused by the inhalation of dust. (SMH 19/08/1947, p15)

1948 – The miners at Bulli Main Colliery protest that the pit horses are receiving insufficient feed and decide to strike one day per fortnight until rectified. (Canberra Times, 09/07/1948, p4)

1948 – Advertisement for “Colliery Manager at Bulli Main Colliery, Coledale”. (SMH 24/07/1948, p22)

1948 - Reported as working from Jan to Dec. (DoMAR 1948)

1948 – Bulli Main Colliery and D. Stevenson to attend a Workers Compensation hearing. (SMH 16/12/1948, p9)

1950 – Advertisement calling for “Tenders to purchase and remove a wooden framed building at the colliery. Approx. 400 sq. ft., four rooms (two fibro lined). (Ill Mer. 26/05/1950, p6)

1950 – Some 25 miners are involved in Bulli Main Colliery being idle since 27/07/1950 over a dispute involving wheelers working in a swilly. (Ill Mer. 01/08/1950, p1)

1950 – A Building Application is lodged with the Wollongong Council for the erection of new concrete stables by Bulli Main Pty Ltd estimated at £250. (Sth Coast Times & Wollongong Argus, 31/08/1950, p2)

1950 – A bushfire threatened the Bulli Main Colliery’s powder magazine on 2/9/1950 at Coledale Hts. The powder was removed and the fire allowed to burn out. (Sth Coast Times & Wollongong Argus, 7/9/1950)

1951 – Advertisement placed by A.I & S. – Welders wanted for Bulli Colliery. Apply Manager, Bulli Main Colliery. (Ill Mer. 01/10/1951, p6)

1952 – A Building Application is lodged for additions to the bath house off Denmark St, Wombarra, estimated at £900, by Bulli Main Colliery Ltd. (Sth Coast Times & Wollongong Argus, 21/01/1952)

1952 – Advertisement for “Deputy at Bulli Main Colliery, Coledale”. (Ill Mer. 06/02/1952, p12)

1952 – Bulli Main Colliery Pty Ltd and Albert George Lenham to attend a Workers Compensation conciliation hearing. (SMH 10/09/1952, p7)

1952 – Advertisement for “Competent Shotfirer, preferably with a Deputy’s ticket at Bulli Main Colliery.” (Ill Mer. 12/09/1952, p10)

1952 – A Workers Compensation determination hearing is set down between Bulli Main Colliery Pty Ltd and J. W. Harrison. (SMH 25/09/1952, p5)

1953 – The Joint Coal Board requested that an all-weather pavement be supplied for Denmark St for traffic accessing Bulli Main Colliery. A 9d/ton levy on coal produced would recompense the Council and pay the estimated £1490 costs. (Ill Mer. 10/04/1953, p3)

1953 – The City of Greater Wollongong Council decides to reconstruct Denmark St, Wombarra, to provide an all-weather coal haulage route for Bulli Main Colliery. (Ill Mer. 30/04/1953, p4)

1958 - Bulli Main Colliery is operating in the thin coal area of the Bulli seam along with Nth Bulli #2 and Austinmer Central collieries. . Entry via adits in the outcrop with daily production at 110 tons/day

Report – “The Southern Coalfield of NSW and its Potential Development”, Ainge, Brown & Wright, AusIMM Proceedings #188, 1958.

1958 – Arthur George Fuller commences work at Bulli Main after being in charge of some 40 pit ponies at Excelsior for several years. Seam ht. reported as 3’6” from which Arthur brushed to 5’0” for the Bulli Main pit ponies.

1962/63 – Goodman Loader, 2 x Goodman S/Cars and a small coal cutter arrived.

1967/68 – 28E LN CM arrives.

1970 – Mine floods, men leave, reopened <1972, Arthur returning to retire in May 1972.

Arthur Fuller retired at 60 yrs., dusted from the years spent u/g, passing away in 1989.

Extracted from an article written in memorial by Arthur’s grand-daughter, Annette Finlay, for the publication, “The Guardian”, 21/04/1999.

1969 – The NSW Minister for Mines, Mr. Fife, announced the releasing of some 400 million tons of coal reserves to six companies in the Wollongong area, including the Bulli Main Colliery Ltd. (Canberra Times, 4/4/1969, p8)

1971 – Mystery flooding puts the colliery out of production forcing the stand-down of 29 mine-workers. (Ill Mer. 04/05/1971, p2)

1974 – The announcement of the closure of Bulli Main Colliery “which opened soon after the start of WWII.” (Ill Mer. 01/04/1974, p11)

1974 – 5^th April, DoM receives a notice of discontinuance from Bulli Main. (DoMAR 1974)

Bulli Main Colliery relative to adjacent coal mines

Bulli Main Colliery workings (part) with reference to Denmark St. Wombarra. [Date unknown]