Richmond Main Colliery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richmond Main Colliery |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Heritage boundaries
|
|
| Location | South Maitland Coalfields, Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1908–1913 |
| Built for | J & A Brown |
| Demolished | 1967 (partly) |
| Architect | J & A Brown's Engineering Workshops, Hexham |
| Owner | Cessnock City Council |
| Official name: Richmond Main Colliery; Richmond Vale Colliery; South Maitland Railway (SMR) | |
| Type | state heritage (complex / group) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 16 |
| Type | Other - Mining and Mineral Processing |
| Category | Mining and Mineral Processing |
| Builders | The J & A Brown Company |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Richmond Main Colliery is a historic former coal mine in New South Wales, Australia. It is located near Kurri Kurri in the South Maitland Coalfields. The mine was designed by the J & A Brown company and built between 1908 and 1913. Today, it is an open-air museum called Richmond Main Heritage Park. This park includes the Richmond Vale Railway Museum and the Richmond Main Mining Museum. The Cessnock City Council owns the site. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.
Contents
A Look Back: History of Richmond Main
The Richmond Main Colliery was a very large and important coal mine in the early 1900s. It was built in an area once known as Richmond Vale. This area was part of the bigger South Maitland coal field. The land used to be for farming and grazing.
Finding Coal: The Greta Seams
In the 1880s, a government geologist named Tannat William Edgeworth David discovered rich coal seams here. These coal seams became known as the Greta Coal Measures. His discovery led to a mining boom. Many business people quickly wanted to use this new coal source.
Starting the Richmond Vale Coal Company
In 1886, a group of investors from Melbourne formed the Richmond Vale Coal Company. This company bought the Richmond Vale Estate in 1887. They drilled into the ground and found a coal seam about 4.4 meters (14.5 feet) thick. It was located 212 meters (696 feet) deep.
They started digging a shaft in October 1888. This shaft was 3.6 meters (12 feet) wide and finished in August 1890. The company tried to get money to build the mine and a railway line. But they couldn't get enough money. So, a new company was formed in 1895, but it also failed. The property was then sold at an auction in July 1897. J & A Brown bought it for £39,500.
Expanding the Mines: Pelaw Main and Richmond Vale Railway
In 1900, J & A Brown needed a railway to develop the Richmond Vale Colliery. They got permission from the New South Wales Legislative Assembly to build a railway line. This line would connect to their existing railway. It became known as the Richmond Vale Railway.
Before building the railway, the Browns bought another mine nearby called Stanford Greta Colliery. This mine was easier and cheaper to develop. Its coal seam was closer to the surface. In 1901, Stanford Greta Colliery was renamed Pelaw Main Colliery. It started producing coal in November 1901. The coal was transported using another company's railway line.
Construction of J & A Brown's own Richmond Vale Railway began in 1904. The line to Pelaw Main was finished in June 1905. The branch line to Richmond Vale Colliery was completed in August 1905.
Building the Mine: Development and Construction
After the railway was built in 1905, the mine was drained of water. Some underground work was done. Major development started in 1910. This included digging the main No.2 shaft and ordering big equipment. They bought the head frame, boilers, and power station equipment. John Brown, the owner, spent a lot of money. He wanted his mines, railways, ships, and engineering works to be strong and use the newest technology.
In August 1911, the mine's name changed from Richmond Vale Colliery to Richmond Main Colliery. Digging of the No.2 shaft stopped for a while in 1912. This was so the permanent headframe could be built over it. Also in 1912, the power station and boiler house were built. The colliery office was built in 1913.
To make bricks for the buildings, a brickworks was built next to the railway line. This brickworks made the special "Richmond Main red" bricks. These bricks were used at Richmond Main and other J & A Brown sites.
In July 1914, the No.2 shaft was finished. It was 6.7 meters (22 feet) wide and lined with bricks. It was considered one of the best shafts in the country.
In 1914, the mine produced 9,825 tonnes (9,670 long tons) of coal. The mine was ready for seven Ingersoll Rand compressed air coal cutters. From 1915 to 1917, the elevated walkway from the main shaft to the screening buildings was built. The screening buildings and railway sidings were also under construction.
The mine faced worker strikes, which slowed production. In 1916, only 1,524 tonnes (1,500 long tons) of coal were produced. The locomotive shed and a large coal bin were also built in 1916. The main pit top and screening plant were finished by June 1917. After strikes ended, the mine produced 70,000 tonnes (69,00 long tons) of coal by August 1917. In 1918, the mine was in full production and produced 170,000 tonnes (167,000 long tons) of coal.
Peak Production and Later Years
The colliery reached its highest production in 1928. It produced 507,000 tons of coal that year.
However, tough times followed. These included worker lockouts, the Great Depression, and other strikes. The coal industry also faced a downturn. New machines in the 1950s and 1960s changed how coal was mined. These challenges caused the mine to decline.
On July 7, 1967, Richmond Main Colliery stopped operating. Eighty mine workers lost their jobs. This was a much smaller number than the 1,200 workers in the late 1920s. The colliery continued to supply power until 1976. Due to maintenance issues and the value of its parts, much of the machinery was removed. The main head frames were also torn down.
Saving the Site: Preservation Efforts
The Greater Cessnock City Council bought the site to turn it into a mining park. In 1979, the Richmond Vale Preservation Co-op Society Ltd was formed. This group has worked hard to restore some buildings and structures. They also repair and maintain old steam trains and railway carriages. The railway line has been rebuilt. The society now runs the Richmond Vale Railway Museum at the old colliery site.
Key Dates for Changes
- 1908-1913: First buildings constructed, including the Power House and main shaft.
- 1914-1921: More buildings added, like the main ventilation machinery.
- 1921-1925: Some buildings expanded, and a passenger rail platform was built.
- 1926-1928: Boilers replaced, and a third shaft with its buildings was dug.
- 1980s: The railway line was relaid.
Exploring the Buildings: What's Still There
Many buildings and structures from the colliery's past can still be seen.
- Administration building: Built in 1913, this two-story brick building was where mine officials worked. It also had a laboratory and living spaces upstairs. It has a strong room for records.
- Passenger rail platform: A simple concrete platform for trains.
- Cooling tower dam: A large dam built into the ground with brick walls. It held about 11.8 million liters (2.6 million imperial gallons) of water for cooling.
- Cooling towers: Large steel-framed structures with timber walls. They helped cool water used in the power station.
- Under manager's office: A small brick building where the mine's under manager worked.
- Main shaft building: This concrete building was built over the main No.2 shaft. It had arched openings and windows. The headframe, which lifted coal, passed through its roof. The headframe and cages were removed in 1967.
- Power Station: This large brick building housed the electric winding machine and generators. It has a unique design with arched windows and gables. It still contains some large turbines.
- Fraser & Chalmers 3000kW Turbine (No.3 turbine): This large turbine was installed in 1922. It stayed in use until the power station closed in 1976 and is still there today.
- Fraser & Chalmers 6000kW Turbine (2nd No.1 turbine): This even larger turbine arrived in 1927. It also stayed in use until 1976 and is still in place.
- Water Tube Boiler House: This building housed three large boilers. These boilers created steam for the turbines. Coal was brought in by train to fuel them.
- Loco shed and store: This brick building was used to house locomotives (trains) and later became a store. It now serves as the main maintenance area for the Richmond Vale Railway Museum.
- Workshops: A long brick building where repairs and maintenance work were done.
- Transformer building: A two-story brick building that housed electrical transformers. It was important for distributing power from the colliery.
- Fan and Compressor Building: This building housed machinery for ventilation and air compression.
- No.1 Shaft Winding Engine House: A brick building that held the winding engine for the No.1 shaft.
- No.3 Shaft Winding Engine & Ventilation Fan Building and shaft: A tall concrete and brick building. It was built to house a ventilation fan and an electric winding engine for the new No.3 shaft.
- Grain silos: Five large, round concrete structures. They were meant to store grain for the mine's horses but were never fully finished.
The site was in fair condition when it was listed as a heritage site. It also has potential for finding old artifacts underground.
Why Richmond Main Colliery is Important
The Richmond Main Colliery is important because it shows a special time in the history of the South Maitland coalfields. It represents the quick growth of mining and the communities that grew around it in the early 1900s.
Richmond Main Colliery was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, for several reasons:
Historical Importance
Richmond Main is historically important because of its strong connections to John Brown, a key figure in the mining industry. It was also a vital part of the South Maitland collieries. The mine's development led to the growth of large communities in the coalfields area. Many of the remaining buildings show how things were in the early 1900s. This helps us understand the past.
Design and Technical Achievements
Richmond Main has some aesthetic value because of the size of its buildings. The buildings also use similar materials and architectural styles. John Brown wanted Richmond Main to be his best mine and a showcase of the industry. Even though it's partly in ruins, it still represents other collieries of that time.
Community Connections
The growth of the South Maitland coalfields led to the creation of entire communities, like Cessnock and Kurri Kurri. In just ten years, the area changed from a rural place to a key source of coal for the state. The collieries in this area are now a focus for the community. They help people understand where their community came from. Richmond Main helps keep this connection to the past alive.
Learning from the Past
John Brown built Richmond Main to be a modern mine with the latest coal mining technology and electric power generation. Over time, new technology replaced old. Even with these changes, there is enough physical evidence left to help us understand the mine's history. This makes Richmond Main a valuable place for learning about regional and industrial history.
Images for kids
-
Elevation of the No.2 shaft pit top building at Richmond main Colliery
-
Arrangement of the John Thompson water tube boilers installed at Richmond Main Colliery
-
Arrangement of the concrete grain silos for feed for the mine pit horses at Richmond Main Colliery
