Lithgow State Mine

City of Greater Lithgow Mining Museum

Useful Information

Location:	2.5 km north of Lithgow, 155 km west of Sydney.
Open:	All year Fri-Sun, Hol 10-16. [2006]
Fee:	Adults AUD 5, Children AUD 2, Concession AUD 3, Families AUD 12. [2006]
Classification:	Coal Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Lithgow State Mine & Rail Heritage Park, State Mine Gully Road, Lithgow NSW 2790, Tel: +61-2-6353-1513, Fax: +61-2-6353-1185. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

SEP-1916	State Coal Mine opened first.
JUL-1917	mine closed.
1919	acquired by the Government.
1921	taken over by the Railway Commissioners.
1922	coal production started.
01-OCT-1932	transferred to the jurisdiction of the Minister for Mines.
1976	purchased by Austen & Butta Collieries.
1979	establishing of a mining museum planned.
OCT-1990	City of Greater Lithgow Mining Museum Inc incorporated.

Geology

The coal is called the No. 7 or Lithgow seam, a banded layer of coal which is in average 3.35 m thick. It is of Permian age and the whole packet of various coal seams, sandstones and shales is locally called Upper Coal Measures. The bottom of the Lithgow seam is the holing band, 25 cm of very good coal (12,590 BTU), followed by 1.65 m of good coal (10,704 BTU). This is 1.90 m of coal which is mined. In the upper section, the coal is not mined, because of its ash content of 25%.

Description

The Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park is a sort of open air museum showing numerous building connected with the closed colliery. This park includes the mine itself, the blast furnace, Lake Pillans, Eskbank House and goods yard, and Eskbank Station with the remains of the locomotive depot.

The coal was mined in the bord and pillar method. The bords are between 5 m and 8 m wide and 2.30 m high, the pillars 44 m by 44 m.

Early in the 20th century the blast furnace at Lithgow was the only producer of iron in Australia. At this time the iron was brought to the coal. Later the mine was owned by the state, who mined tho coal primarily for the railroad.