The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-25
AUSTRALIAN COAL MINES
CarbOnifer0us Formations Cover
Large Area.
Nearly Three Million Tons Exported
in 1So9-The output for 1900 May
of the Industry Since the Discoy-
cry of the Black Fuel in 1877.

TIC oa - III
of the Industry Since the Discoy-
cry of the Black Fuel in 1877.
At the present moment, when the de-
mand for coal is larger than at any previ-
Gus period OF the worlds history the i'm
portance of the Australian supply has be-
come generally recognized. Coal deposits
exist in all the Australian colonies, the
largest being in New South Wales, and the
smallest in South Australia. IN the former
colony, according 10 Mr.. Coghlan, the Gov
eminent statisticisn, the carboniferous
formations extend over considerable por-
ton of its area, and workable coal seams
have been discovered in many places. AT
present however, the coal mining industry
is confined to those centres which from
their close proximity to ports of shipment
or the railway lines, afford ready means
for the disposal of the commodity when
raised.
Coal was first discovered in the colony
in 1871 near Mount Keira, in the Illawarra
district, by a man named Clark. super
cargo of the Sydney Cove, while he was
endeavoring to reach Sydney by way of the
coast after the wreck of that vessel in Bass
Straits Later in the same year Lieuten-
ant Shorthand discovered the River Hun
ter, with coal beds situated near its
mouth, and mining operations in this dis
trict, begun in 1926 have reached large
dimensions The deposits which have been
found in the Blue Mountains. near the line
of railway which runs along their crest at
KafO0nha I-iFhpNv
where, now supply a portion of the re-
qulrements OF Sydney and other indus
trial centres in its neighborhood as well
as part of the western district of the col
ony. Coal IS also mined at BeTTima and
other places in that locality, whence a
large quantity Of the coal consumed in the
southern districts Of the colony is OBJ
tanned.
The area over which coal is distributed
Is very great, and has been computed al
1880 square miles; besides this it is
known 10 underlie the Hawkesbury sand
stone IN and around Sydney. Shafts are
being sunk on the shores OF Sydney Har-
Dor to work a seam of coal over ten
Feet in thickness, the existence of which
was ascerta1ned by a bore at a depth of
Z,52J feet. \ coal seam 8 feet IL inches
, thick has been found on the Moorbank
estate, near Liverpool at a depth of 2583
feet. Coal has also been found in the
O'SSA SAlSG SSti6Ss lnUuSn II mas not vet
been worked commercially Three seams
have been proved at Coraki on the Rich
mond River Several parties have exgloit
ed this district for coal and at the mine
at Aberdare $50 tons of good coal have
been obtained from a seam feet thick
The. quantity of coal in the area meas
ures down to depth of 4,000 feet, and
excluding seams less than 30 inches, is
estimated by the Government GeoIoeist
at iS,19S,OO0 tons. This estimate allows
for one-third loss in working.
In 1895 the Australian Agricultural So
ciety obtained q grant of LOCO, 0G0 acres
OF land. together with the sole right. con-
ferred by charter, of working the coal
seams which were known to exist in the
Newcastle district. Several mines were
opened up. and proftably worked for a
number Of years: but 1t was not until the
expiration, in 1S4T, of the monopoly en-
Joyed by the company that the coai-mining
Industry showed signs of extensive de-
Ve!opment- During the year named the
output of coal only reached the total of
0,132 tons Six years afterward the pro-
duction had become doubled and the cut
put OF the mineral has rapidly increased
year by year until coal-mining is now one
of the staple industries of the colony the
production for the year 1899 amounting 10
4,59102S tons. In 1888 the quantity was
4,706,2 51 tons. The total production to the
close of 1899 was 50, 969 136 tons
me quantity OF coal exported during
1899 was 2,79S,523 tons, the places outside
the Australian colonies to which shipments
were made being Ceylon, Fiji, Hongkong,
India, Mauritius. New Guinea, Sraits Set
Elements, Celebes. Chile, China, Cochin
China, Ecuador, Hawaii. Japan, Java. Mar
shall Islands. Mexico, Molucca Lalands.
Mozambique New Britain, New Caledonia,
Panama, Peru, the Philippines, South Sea
Islands, and America. few hundred tons
We're also shipped 10 Great Britain The
output for 1900 is expected to be the Iarg-
est on record. Newcastle, the centre of
the coal trade, is singularly well fitted by
situation TO become the port of supply for
all the countries of the southern seas. At
the present time it is crowded with YES
sells waiting to secure coal supplies, espe-
cially 70 the East
Every provision has been made by the
New South Wales Government for shipping
coal. and over two miles of Wharves. fur
nished with cranes and shoots capable of
loading over $4,000 tons per day. line It's
shores. The markets of the colonies are
likewise supplied with quantities of excel
lent coal from the seams worked in the
Illawarra district and the product of the
southern collieries is also exported in
large quantities, especially the srnokeIess
coal, which is much used by the war yes
sells on the Australastan station.