HIGHLIGHTS
- Opened: 1849
- Location: Mt Keira
- Original Owner: James Shoobert
- Closed: 1855/56
- Purchased: Henry Osborne (1856)
DETAILED TIMELINE
1842 – “In 1842, I bought Mount Keira House and about 1000 acres of land upon which the previous owners (Mr Speerin and Colonel Scaby) had had large quantities of fencing erected.”(Letter to the editor by J Shoobert, July 1st - SMH 2/07/1870 p8)
1840?James Shoobert acquires land on the west side of Mt Keira from a Mr. Edwards where an out crop of coal was found in a gully some 150 yds west of Mt Keira Rd, within Portion 32, apparently the #3 (Wongawilli) seam. (J. L. N. Southern 12/03/1984)
1843 – James Shoobert, as proprietor in 1843, notices that the “mountain road” under construction runs across a seam of coal. Sinks a shaft in his paddock and locates a 4 ft. seam. Water becomes a problem and determined to try higher, opens “present” [1874] workings. (SMH 12/09/1874 p7 “letter to Editor”)
1849 – April, Shoobert in process of opening up the #3 coal seam is shown the out crop of #2 (Balgownie or 4ft) seam by William Gaskin on the east side of Mt Keira Rd, also within Portion 32. Shoobert purchases the remaining portion of Mt Keira Estate, abandons the original drive and opens a tunnel in the #2 seam, calling it the Albert Coal Mine. (J. L. N. Southern 12/03/1984)
1849 – Aug. 27th, the first load of coal is delivered to Wollongong. (J. L. N. Southern 12/03/1984)
1849 – The first coal from the Albert Coal Mine is delivered to Wollongong for loading onto the “William the Fourth”
1850 – Shoobert opens a 2nd tunnel in the #2 seam. (J. L. N. Southern 12/03/1984)
1851 – James Shoobert J. P. auctions off some 500 acres of his non-coal bearing lands. (SMH 4/04/1851 p6)
1852 – The Mt Keira Coal Mine advertises coal for sale from its Mt Keira Coal Depot, Erskine St, opp the Phoenix Wharf. (SMH 30/10/1852)
1852- Production is reported as 900 tons.
1853 - Production is reported as 431 tons.
1854 - Production is reported as 700 tons.
1855 - Production is reported as 74 tons.
1856 – James Shoobert’s remaining property, including the Albert Mine (in the Balgownie seam), is auctioned off and purchased by Henry Osborne.
1857 – Osborne reopens the mine naming it the Wallsend Colliery. (J. L. N. Southern 12/03/1984)
1857 – William Robson opens the Wallsend Colliery for Henry Osborne in the Bulli Seam higher up the slope from the Albert Mine. The Albert Mine in the Balgownie Seam is abandoned.
1857 – 16th Apr, 3.5 tons of coal from Osborne’s Wallsend Colliery is delivered to Wollongong by bullock dray and loaded on the steamer “S.S. Illawarra” for trial purposes.