Victorian Colliery

(Mt Kembla)

(Rev 0.0)

1884 – “……application is intended to be made to the Parliament of NSW to bring in a Bill to authorise and empower Thomas Saywell, merchant of Sydney, trading as the “Victorian Coal Mining Company” to lay down a rail line from Mt Kembla through the various properties of Mathew Reen, Michael McLoy, John Blackman, Daniel O’Brien, James Farraher, George Waples, Eugene D. Nicolle, Susan Cummins, William Warren Jenkins and Darcy Wentworth to the sea at Port Kembla, crossing the line of railway of the Mt Kembla Coal and Oil Company about 352 chains (7.08 km) from the jetty. (Illawarra Mercury, 17/04/1884 p3)

1884 – “The Victorian Coal Company, locally known as the new Mt Kembla Coal Company, is ready to start operations.

Mr Thomas Bertram, Mining Engineer, is to lay out the works and has arrived and taken up quarters in Keira Cottage at the Cross Roads.

The mouth of the colliery will be on Mr Waples farm on the east slope of mount Kembla.

The company consists solely of Mr. Saywell of Sydney (who mainly owns the Bundanoon Colliery recently opened near Moss Vale).

The Bundanoon Colliery works were designed by Mr. Bertram.

The mouth of the mine is 300’ below the top of a cliff, the works designed to hoist the coal up the face of the cliff.

All the lowering and hoisting in connection with the mine is done up and down the cliff.

Mr Bertram will have no trouble in opening the Victorian Colliery at Mt Kembla.” (“The Roundabout” Illawarra Mercury, 9/10/1884)