North Illawarra Colliery

(Rev 2.0)

                Opened: 1884 (R/way History)

                Location: Nth Bulli (Coledale) (Between Coalcliff Clly. to the north and Bulli Clly. to the south).

                Owner: Nth. Illawarra Colliery Co.

                Manager: Mr Garlick -> Mr J. C. Jones

                Closed:

                Reopened:

1 mile of rail from mine to jetty, passing under the Illawarra Railway just north of Austinmer Stn., completed in Dec 1886. Production rises with 300 men employed for 10 years. (Bayley, 1956)

1885 – Fatality, 19^th Jan., John Donohoe, miner, fall of stone (DoMAR 1885)

1885 – North Illawarra Coal-mining Company; about 20 men employed, exploration tunnel driven some 500 yards, intersecting several dykes up to 40 ft thick. (“The Coalfields of NSW”, Brisbane Courier, 10/09/1885 p2 ex Trove).

1885 – A large quantity of plant continues to arrive at Wollongong for the North Illawarra Colliery. The Havilah landed some 90 skips a few days ago and is due in with a locomotive similar in size to the Mt Keira ones. Tenders are about to be let for the construction of a jetty at Hick’s Point. (Ill. Merc. 31/10/1885 p2 ex Trove)

1885 – Mr Garlick resigns as manager of the North Illawarra Colliery, succeeded by Mr Jacob C. Jones from Lambton Clly. (Ill. Merc. 28/11/1885 p2 ex Trove)

1886 – Buildings comprising the fitter’s, carpenters and blacksmith’s workshops, store rooms and offices are almost complete. Additional lands (57 acres) were purchased from Mr Henry Hicks on the north side of the property for £65/acre. (Ill Merc. 9/01/1886p2 ex Trove)

1886 – North Illawarra Coal Mining Company (Ltd) calls an extraordinary General Meeting for the 11^th March, to discuss amendments to the Articles of Association. (SMH 20/02/1886 p3 ex Trove)

1886 – 30 men employed at the surface, 15 u/g producing no coal for 1886. A new jetty, 850 feet long with 25 feet of water at high tide has been built. (DoMAR 1886)

1887 – January, coal loading commences with “Waratah” the first ship. (Bayley, 1956)

1887 – 13^th May; Fatality – William Moon, Labourer. (DoMAR 1887)

1888 - …Mr Jacob C. Jones, manager of the North Illawarra Colliery…. (Ill. Merc. 19/01/1888 p2 ex Trove)

1888 – Possible trouble was averted at the North Illawarra Colliery when the manager agreed to terminate the recent employment of 4 or 5 Italians after a delegation of miners had approached him indicating the possibility of a strike. (Ill Merc. 28/06/1888 p3 ex Trove)

1888 – Production 123,000 tons. (Bayley, 1956)

1888 – The company owns over 8000 acres with the intention of opening several more collieries. Situated at Austinmer, midway between Clifton and Bulli. Seam thickness varies from 3 to 5 ft and makes both excellent steam and coking coal. The entrance to the mine is at 800ft asl. The coal is worked by the “double-road stalls” system, the coal skips brought out by engine power ant tipped into 7 ton wagons near the entrance to run down a self-acting incline where they are taken by locomotive to a jetty.

1889 – The North Illawarra Colliery announces its intentions to reduce its workforce by 100 due to district wide slackness in the coal trade. (Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners Advocate 17/12/1889 p3 ex Trove)

1889 – Some 300 men will be out of employment at the North Illawarra Colliery with no work anticipated for at least 2 months. (Ill Merc. 31/12/1889 p3 ex Trove)

1889 – Another mine 1 mile to the north opens. (Bayley, 1956)

1890 – Although some 20 men are required to produce coal and the management suggested that they be married, this arrangement was not agreed to by the miners who remained in dispute. (Ill Merc. 9/01/1890 p2 ex Trove)

1890 – The North Illawarra Colliery is now employing about 40 hands. (Ill Merc. 15/02/1890 p4 ex Trove)

1890 – Information from the Manager, Mr J. C. Jones, of the North Illawarra Colliery indicates that the mine will make a fresh start with output to exceed that of previous years. (Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners Advocate, 17/04/1890 p5 ex Trove)

1890 – An accident involving a Government engine drawing 17 iron hopper wagons uphill when the coupling between the first and second broke releasing the 16 wagons to smash into some loaded wagons. (SMH 18/09/1890 p5 ex Trove)

1890 - … Mr J. C. Jones, the late manager of the North Illawarra Colliery… (Ill Merc 4/10/1890 p1 ex Trove)

1890 – A steamer lands over 50 men on the beach at Austinmer, being engaged to work in the North Illawarra Company’s colliery. Union members were waiting with clubs, sticks and stones forcing the free labourers back to Sydney by train or by foot. (SMH 9/10/1890 p6 ex Trove)

1890 – A special train containing non-unionists accompanied by a number of troopers and a battery of artillery, arrived at Austinmer (17^th Oct) to start work at the North Illawarra Company’s colliery. (SMH 18/10/1890 p10 ex Trove)

1891 – The North Illawarra Colliery has worked rather irregularly of late, the manager not expecting any regular work until 1892. (Australian Town & Country Journal 6/6/1891 p17 ex Trove)

1891 – “Nine shifts in seven weeks is the time worked at the North Illawarra Colliery”. (Ill Merc 20/10/1891 p2 ex Trove)

1893 – DoMAR reports that North Illawarra and Coal Cliff have only a few men keeping roads and airways in repair. (Ill Merc 15/06/1893 p3 ex Trove)

1893 – A deputation of miners approached the manager and then the proprietor, Mr Joseph Mitchell, to ask for an increase in hewing rates. However Mr. Mitchell explained how this was not possible due to overhead costs. (Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners Advocate 22/06/1893 p6 ex Trove)

1894 – Notice has been posted at the North Illawarra Colliery to the effect that work will be discontinued in a fortnight, throwing some 60 men out of work. (Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal 18/06/1894 p2 ex Trove)

1895 – Austinmer Mine closes. (Bayley, 1956)

1898 – Nth Bulli Mine closes. (Bayley, 1956)

1902 – Extract from “Arbitration Court” re hewing rates in the southern collieries: - “when the hewing rates fell to 2s, North Illawarra Colliery closed down.” (SMH 12/06/1902 p4 ex Trove)

1915 – Jetty destroyed by fire. (Bayley, 1956)