Balmain Colliery
Balmain Colliery, Birthday Shaft, c. 1940s
Location
Balmain Colliery is located in Sydney
Balmain Colliery
Balmain Colliery
Location in greater Sydney
LocationBirchgrove, Inner western Sydney
StateNew South Wales
CountryAustralia
Coordinates33°51′09″S 151°10′40″E / 33.85250°S 151.17778°E / -33.85250; 151.17778
Production
Products
Greatest depth2,900 feet (880 m)
History
Opened1897 (1897)
Closed1945 (1945)
Owner
Company
  • Sydney Harbour Collieries (1895–96)
  • Harbour Collieries Co. (1896–1931)
  • Natural Gas & Oil Corporation Ltd (1932–55)

Balmain Colliery was a coal mine located in Birchgrove in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It produced coal from 1897 until 1931 and natural gas from 1937 to 1950.[1] At approximately 800 metres (2,600 ft) in depth, it remains the deepest coal mine ever to have been sunk in Australia.[2]

Location

The colliery was located on the northern side of the Balmain Peninsula, on the corner of Birchgrove Road and Water Street, next to Birchgrove Public School.

History

Balmain Colliery (date unknown; within period 1925–1957)

The presence of coal was confirmed in 1891 with bores at Birchgrove and Cremorne Point.[3] Permission to mine from the Department of Mines was granted in 1894 with another parcel of land between Rose Bay and Vaucluse also applied for in 1895.[4] Sydney Harbour Collieries (Limited) started the mine, however the company was wound up in 1896;[5] and the mine was bought by the Harbour Collieries Co.

Two shafts, named Birthday and Jubilee, were sunk between 1897 and 1902.

The mine produced coal from 1897 to 1915 and from 1924 to 1931, and methane (natural gas) from 1937 to 1950.[6]

The site is now occupied by the Hopetoun Quays residential complex.

Mining accidents

Three fatal accidents occurred at the mine claiming ten lives:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Peter Reynolds, Balmain Places 2 – The Coal Mine Under The Harbour , Architectural History Research Unit, University of New South Wales, 1996, ISBN 0-908502-54-0
  2. ^ "Primefact 556 – Balmain's Own Coal Mine" (PDF). NSW Department of Primary Industries. February 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  3. ^ "[BY TELEGRAPH] NEW COAL DISCOVERIES". The Barrier Miner. Vol. 4, no. 1107. New South Wales, Australia. 10 October 1891. p. 3 – via National Library of Australia.
    "COAL UNDER SYDNEY HARBOUR". The Argus. No. 14, 200. Victoria, Australia. 30 December 1891. p. 7 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Coal Discovery at Cremorne". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. LVI, no. 1741. New South Wales, Australia. 18 November 1893. p. 1063 – via National Library of Australia.
    "Government Gazette Notices". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 636. New South Wales, Australia. 24 September 1895. p. 6156 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "SYDNEY HARBOUR COLLIERIES (LIMITED)". New South Wales Government Gazette. No. 158. New South Wales, Australia. 28 February 1896. p. 1512 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Radford, Neil (2016). "Balmain Colliery". The Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Balmain Disaster". Clarence and Richmond Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 20 March 1900. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Explosion in mine". Daily Advertiser. Wagga Wagga, NSW. 9 February 1933. p. 3. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Deep Down – Explosion in Balmain Mine". Warwick Daily News. No. 4226. 24 January 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  10. ^ "MINE GAS EXPLOSION KILLS 3 MEN". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 487. 21 April 1945. p. 3.

Sources

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