Coal Mining History

Lithgow is situated in the Western Coalfield which is located between Katoomba in the south-east and runs north-westerly through Hartley, Lithgow, Wallerawang & Cullen Bullen to Kandos and Ulan. There are 6 coal seams in the district, with the 'Lithgow' seam the most significant and productive.

The coal produced in the 'Lithgow' seam is mainly high energy thermal coal, which yields medium ash and has low to moderate sulphur and phosphorous content. This is suitable for the production of steam, was originally useful for railway steam engines and today, electrical power production. It is also suitable for the production of coke.

The first recorded coal mining is with Andrew Brown, who had established a flour mill on his property at "Cooerwull" in the western end of the valley. Brown mined coal for domestic use and later in 1857 used coal for his steam powered woollen mill. The other early settlers who had taken up land in the valley were fully aware of the presence of coal and it was well documented by that Rev. Colin Stewart at "The Hermitage" and Thomas brown at "Eskbank" were burning coal for domestic use.

The completion of the railway between Sydney and Lithgow resulted in an increase in the industrial activity in Lithgow and the district. In 1869, the first commercial coal was mined and supplied to the railways from a coal mine situated on the hermitage Estate. Mining on a larger scale then began in earnest with the development of new mines who gained contracts to supply to the railways for the steam engines and also for the export of coal to the Sydney market and overseas. These new mines included Hermitage Colliery, Eskbank Colliery, Lithgow Valley Colliery and the Vale of Clwydd Colliery. Further expansion also occurred in the north eastern end of the Lithgow Valley at the Zig Zag, New Vale and Oakey Park Collieries. Coal mining was also important for the development of the towns and villages along the Western rail line. Collieries mining this seam are still linked to the Wallerawang to Mudgee rail line.

Following the First World War, new mines were established including the State Mine and the Steelworks Colliery. However, the depression had resulted in a number of closures by 1937. Also, in 1928 flooding caused the temporary closure of the Cobar Colliery. During the next twenty years, further development continued throughout the district ensuring a stable industry until the 1960's. Since this time all the collieries in the Lithgow Valley have closed. The closure of two of the founding coal mines, Lithgow Valley Colliery (1979) and Hermitage Colliery (1986) drew to a close the rich history of the industry in the valley. Major mining continues east of Lithgow at Clarence Colliery and along the Mudgee line at Baal Bone, Springvale, Ivanhoe and Angus Place Collieries. These collieries supply coal to the Wallerawang and Mt. Piper Power - supply of coal to power stations and also for export.

The conditions for the mine workers have also changed dramatically since the pioneering early days. The winning of coal has changed from picks, hammers and specially sharpened gads, pit ponies and wooden skips, "greasy or coffeepot" lamps, black powder explosives, little ventilation and the contract system where each man was paid for the coal that he cut, to the mechanized world of long wall mining. The intrinsic danger still exists but the wages are immeasurably better, the employment is more secure and many of the dangerous conditions have been removed or lessened.

The history of the coal industry in Lithgow is also a history of Lithgow, a story of struggle, growth and change which has moulded and influenced the development of the city of Lithgow and the surrounding district.