Hetton-Bellbird Colliery

B. The Hetton Coal Company Secretary, Mr James S. Hutchinson on 27th October 1911 advised the Mines Department that the colliery's name had been changed to Hetton-Bellbird Colliery.

1. ORIGINAL	Hetton Coal Company 56 Pitt Street, Sydney.
2. From 27th November 1911	Hetton-Bellbird Company 243 George Street, Sydney.
3. From 16th January 1958	Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty. Ltd. 17 Bridge Street, Sydney.
4. From mid 1974	Southland Coal Mining Company 44 Market Street, Sydney. (Note: Southland Coal Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Devex Limited.)

(A) Record Tracing Number.:	595.
(B) Northern Collieries Lease Books:	Book 2 Number 23.
(C) Papers:	M 12187; M 12188; M 13261; M 13262; M 14106; M 15359; M 15360; M 16876.

(B) Bellbird Colliery is located on a large area adjoining Portion No. 2 and on map is un-numbered portion, Parish of Cessnock, County of Northumberland.

(D) Bellbird Colliery is some 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Cessnock. Bellbird Colliery is quite close to the Cessnock to Wollombi Road (Highway No. 218).

Bellbird township was formed because of the mine. It was notified as a village on 12th January 1910.

(A) Bellbird Colliery was 3 miles 45 chains (5.7 km) distant by road from Cessnock Post Office via the Cessnock to Wollombi Main Road (Highway 218).

(B) Bellbird Colliery was 17 miles 34 chains (27.88 km) distant by rail from the junction with the NSW Government Railways at East Greta Junction.

(D) Bellbird No. 2 Tunnel was 0 miles 64 chains (1.38 km) from the No. 1 Tunnel, pit-top and screens. This was connected by surface skip tracks.

The Greta Coal measures outcrop at the north-westerly corner of the Bellbird Colliery holding. The strike is South 40º East, and dips south-easterly 1 foot in 8 feet.

A large fault crosses the lease in a south-easterly run about 1 mile from the No. 1 entry tunnel. This fault has an up-throw of some 155 feet. This up-throw lessens to some 40 feet as the fault approaches the eastern boundary. A branch fault runs towards the south-west and has an up-throw displacement of 65 feet. Some Bellbird Colliery miners state that there were many coal faults as well as stone faults, inferring that winning coal here was not easy.

In early 1907 Mr E. (Ned) Pepper and his son were engaged by Hetton Coal Company to prove the coal seam on their newly acquired coal leases. Their first bore was sunk about 44 yards south-east of where the No. 1 travelling tunnel was later driven. Pepper and Son recorded as their "preliminary No. 0 bore", and had reached coal at a depth of 36 feet. Pepper and Son sunk 3 further bores, all in a straight line that was roughly about the centre of the No. 1 haulage and travelling tunnels. Bore No. 1 was at 110 yards from the travelling tunnel entry and found coal at a depth of 63 feet. For comparison purposes, the Bellbird Main No. 1 air shaft is some 198 yards from the travelling tunnel mouth and had a depth of 91 feet to the coal seam. Bore No. 2 at a distance of 330 yards from the tunnel mouth met the coal at a depth of 138 feet. Bore No. 3 at a distance of 770 yards from the tunnel entry reached the coal seam at a depth of 184 feet.

The Greta Top Seam was the coal worked on the Bellbird land. This seam here varied in thickness from 13 feet to 35 feet. Due to the faults, the four main workings, Bellbird Nos. 1, 2 , 3 and 4, all were driven into different levels of the same seam. The colliery generally had a conglomerate roof and a clay floor.

The Mines Department on 21st May 1915 forwarded their analysis of Bellbird coals to the Hetton Coal Company secretary, Mr J.S. Hutchinson. This is a copy:

Hygroscopic moisture	=	1.65%
Volatile hydrocarbons	=	42.08%
Fixed Carbons	=	52.55%
Ash	=	3.72%
		100.00%.

Coal is usually calculated at 130 cubic feet to the ton. With Bellbird coal calculated at 125 tons per acre for each 1 inch of thickness, the later formed Bellbird Pillars measuring 44 yards by 44 yards were estimated to contain 19,166 tons of coal each. Generally at Bellbird Colliery in the coal seam worked, only 30% was actually won.

There was no evidence of the "Homeville" seam on the Bellbird Colliery lease. The main fault, was known as "Bellbird Fault", and had an up-throw of 180 feet, and ran towards the north-east. A subsidiary fault was known as the "Bellbird Branch", it too had an up-throw of 67 feet.

It would appear that the first initiative towards a coal mine in the area that became Bellbird Colliery was that by the acquisition of mining land there in 1904 by Mr Reg Harris (Mines Department - M/12187). In early 1904, Mr Reg Harris on behalf of Mr A. Mathieson, of Hetton Coal Company made application (No. 110) to the Mining Warden at East Maitland Court House for an area of coal leases, that is now Bellbird Colliery. The Mining Warden granted the leases on 18th April 1904. Plan No. 13261 covered "M.L. 15", and plan No. 16876 "M.L. 63". Certainly in early 1906, Hetton Coal Company engaged Mr Archibald Gardiner, a Newcastle surveyor, to plot a route from this land to the new Aberdare Railway near Cessnock Railway Station.

The "Kurri Times" newspaper in its issue dated 19th October 1906 reports that the Hetton Coal Company had made 4 applications (see court records 1906/09) to the Mines Warden at East Maitland Courthouse, for a total of 1056 acres near Bellbird Creek. Research has failed to reveal the reported success of these particular applications. However Hetton Extended Colliery did come into existence.

An application (No. 108) dated 6th November 1906 was made to the Mines Department by Mr Reg Harris as agent for Mr J. Mathieson for a mining lease for the purpose of constructing a railway along the route surveyed. This lease "M.L. 16" was approved on 24th July 1907 and was officially granted on 4th April 1908.

Hetton Coal Company on 21st August 1907 had announced to a company's shareholders' meeting, that it was about to commence coal mining at Bellbird Creek, Cessnock. On the 20th September the company engaged land clearing contractors, Hartcher Brothers, to prepare for the proposed railway track. In the same month the colliery dam was commenced. Mr Edwin Pepper and Son on behalf of the Hetton Coal Company sunk bores to prove the location and quality of the coal seam.

Mr James S. Hutchinson, secretary of Hetton Coal Company, on 12th February 1908 notified the Mines Department that his company had engaged contractors to drive two tunnels to the coal seam at Bellbird Creek. Further that Mr Herbert Miller had been appointed manager of the new workings. On 3rd June 1908, the Hetton Coal Company appointed Mr Alexander Mathieson as the "Legal Manager" of its Hetton Extended mine, and Mr Herbert Miller continued as the colliery under-manager.

Towards the end of 1909, coal produced was conveyed by road by motor lorries, four-wheeled horse-drawn carts, and in tip-drays to the Cessnock Goods rail sidings to be loaded into Hetton Coal Company rail wagons. The single rail track of the Bellbird Branch Railway was completed to the Bellbird tunnel entry on 1st October 1910, and the cutting and colliery sidings a little later. An early interested historian, the late Mr Ern Lambert of 80 Seaham Street, Eastville, records in his papers that the first train of Bellbird Colliery coal production was despatched on 4th March 1911. Mines Department 1911 Annual Report discloses that 13,442 tons of coal production left Hetton Bellbird Colliery during that year.

Hetton Coal Company on 27th October 1911 notified the Mines Department, that its Hetton Extended mine at Bellbird Creek had been renamed Hetton Bellbird Colliery.

Bellbird Colliery had quite a number of tunnel entry openings into its coal lease. Generally it is recognised that there were four main underground workings. All these four workings were driven into the same Greta Top Seam at different levels, due to the disturbances of the strata by major faultings on the lease.

"No. 1 Workings" were commenced on 12th February 1908. It had two tunnel entry headings, which were some 60 yards apart. Both tunnels had an opening 12 feet wide by 8 feet high, and both ran in at a south of south-east direction at an incline of 1 foot in 8 feet. The tunnel heading on the left-hand side as one looked down the mine was the Haulage Tunnel. The tunnel heading on the right-hand side was the Travelling Tunnel. In the haulage tunnel, again as one looked down the mine, loaded skips rose on the left-hand side skip track, and empty skips returned down on right-hand side.

Both these tunnel headings had been supported by heavy timbers for the first 150 yards of their length. These had been erected with the finest tradesmanship. The support consisted of a four piece set, a head piece (top bar), a sill (floor timber) and side legs. All pieces had been constructed from 12 inches by 12 inches solid ironbark timber, sawn to the lengths required. Both side legs were mortised top and bottom into the head and sill pieces respectively. All these set timbers had been "stop-chamfered". This is a carpentry term that indicates that the sharp corner edges had been removed for almost the full length of the timber. These sets were placed 4 feet 6 inches apart. Some "Dunnage" timber (second class boards) were inserted between the sets and the heading's roof and walls. These dunnage timbers were spiked into position. In addition to the bush timber rail support sleepers, the two skip rail tracks were bolted to the floor sill in the Haulage heading.

In keeping with their fine tradesmanship, these early carpenters had made a centre line 1-32 inch deep along their timbers. Some 40 years after these main haulage sets had been erected, sagging stone and conglomerate put enormous pressure on the heading's support sets. It was along this old earlier centre line marking, that the head-sill frequently cracked and sometimes shattered. When this happened, if the head sill did not fall under the stress and strain, a continuing hazard was created.

The air shaft for the No. 1 Workings was commenced on 11th September 1909. This shaft was 16 feet in diameter, and 91 feet deep. It was completed early in 1911 and was connected to the two No. 1 Workings tunnels. During 1911 the mine ventilation was by natural means. Because it was found that there was some difficulty with the mine's ventilation a shallow furnace was placed below the air shaft during 1912. Also during this year (1912) a small 100 kW Curtis direct current electricity generator turbine was installed at Bellbird Colliery. The main purpose of this plant was to generate electricity to operate the coal cutting machines. In mid 1913 a Bellis and Morcom 912 kW generator producing alternating current electricity at 2200 volts was installed. Almost immediately a Sirocco fan was placed atop on the air shaft.

The Bellbird No. 2 Workings was commenced in November 1918, and was driven in by one pair of the colliery's contract miners. This working was 1400 yards distant in a south of south-east direction from the No. 1 Workings. It too had two tunnel entry headings, which were just over 30 yards apart. Both these headings were 12 feet wide by 8 feet high, and ran in at a south of south-east direction on an incline of one foot in seven feet. These headings were parallel to the headings of the No. 1 Workings. Again the heading on the left-hand side as one looked down into the mine was the Haulage heading; and the heading on the right-hand side was the Travelling tunnel. When completed the haulage tunnel had a pair of skip rail tracks. Again as one looked down into the mine the left-hand side track was utilised to bring out the loaded skips. The right-hand side track returned the empty skips back down the mine.

At first, as the pair of contract miners drove through the stone overburden, a pit-horse pulled the laden skip to the surface to be unloaded. When the coal seam was reached, a sidler and his pit-horse had hauled the loaded skip of coal on a single surface skip track to the No. 1 pit-top and screens. The emptied skip was returned by the sidler. In August 1919 a small 30 H.P. electric motorised winch was utilised to haul the loaded skip to the surface. The 30 H.P. motor stood in the open without weather protection. After a few bad electrical storms a rough shed, formed by a few pit props and a few sheets of corrugated galvanised iron, provided meagre weather protection for both the engine driver and the equipment.

In December 1919 the 30 H.P. motor was replaced by a larger 55 H.P. electric motor and an endless rope, which ran down the haulage heading at the No. 2 Workings. At about the same date, the skip rail track connecting No. 1 and No. 2 Workings was duplicated. The same endless rope, which ran down into the No. 2 Workings, by a system of wheels at the No. 2 end, was utilised as an endless rope to haul the skips between No. 2 and No. 1 Workings. In July 1920 the Australian General Electric Company installed a 400 H.P. British Thompson electric haulage engine to operate the endless rope into the No. 2 Workings. A new poured concrete engine house was constructed to house the new British Thompson engine at a site some 45 yards from the No. 2 entry. The 55 H.P. electric motor was also transferred into the concrete engine house, and was utilised solely to operate an endless haulage rope, transporting the skips over the surface skip rail tracks. The first haulage driver, Mr Hammond Archer handled both engines.

Up till the date of the Bellbird Explosion Disaster on 1st September 1923, ventilation at the No. 2 Workings had been maintained by the Sirocco fan at the No. 1 Workings. Within a short period following the explosion, in only a matter of a few weeks, and after it was determined that the No. 2 Workings was undamaged by either the fire or explosion, steps were taken to re-open this area and to provide employment for all the Bellbird miners. A stone drive or drift, which had linked the No. 1 and No. 2 Workings, was quite close to the No. 2 Workings entry, was brick sealed off. In addition 5 boreholes each 5 inches in diameter and 35 feet deep, were sunk at strategic points. 50 cubic yards of concrete were poured down each borehole to seal off No. 2 from No. 1 Workings. A new up-cast air shaft, 15 feet in diameter and 45 feet deep, was sunk 132 yards distant in an east of south-east direction from the No. 2 tunnel entry, and about 10 yards distant from the rib wall of the heading. A second-hand Sirocco fan was placed on the top of the new up-cast air shaft. The preparation of the Bellbird (South) No. 2 Working for re-opening was completed within 3 weeks. Work was resumed at this section of the Bellbird lease on Monday 1st October, 1923.

In 1966 an additional air shaft was sunk because of the need for increased ventilation in the No. 2 Workings. A keystone percussion drill was brought to the Bellbird Colliery by the owners Eric Newham Pty. Ltd. from their Wallerawang Works. This huge machine with a 6 inches diameter bit, noisily pounded and 8 inches diameter borehole down some 54 feet into the earlier workings. After removing the top soil and alluvials, miners with jack hammers kept widening around the borehole, dropping the spoil down the bore to be removed below. A "four-in-one" dwarf Case tractor removed the debris underground. In this widening activity, two 6 feet diameter adjoining shafts were made, to shape like the figure "8". These shafts were lined with mesh for the first 12 feet. A small timber building with a galvanised corrugated iron roof was erected over the shaft. A 48 inches diameter double-ended Richardson fan, powered by a small electric motor was housed in this building.

The location of this air shaft was some 400 yards south of the No. 2 tunnel entry. The actual site had been selected and surveyed by Mr Alec Rutherford, the colliery under-manager. The shaft dropped into a very narrow cut-through in the No. 2 earlier workings. The whole sinking operation was done on the "cheap", and by very primitive methods. To ensure the shaft-line was upright, a 3/4 inch diameter conduit ring swung by piano wire on a tripod was lowered as a gauge up and down the shaft hole.

Bellbird No. 3 Workings entry tunnel was a single heading, some 10 feet wide by 7 feet high, and driven in at an east of south-east direction. The incline was fairly steep, about 1 foot in 5 feet. The No. 3 opening was about 220 yards distant in a north of north-east direction from the No. 2 haulage heading. The No. 3 entry was made by Bellbird Colliery contract miners under the supervision of Mr Paul Cook, Hetton-Bellbird Colliery mechanical and electrical engineer. The work had commenced on 3rd August 1937 and the project was producing coal by 13th December 1937.

The No. 3 tunnel entrance had a ventilation regulator frame (wooden door) about 40 yards down the heading to ensure that the return air made its way back via the No. 1 up-cast fan. No. 3 Workings heading broke into the No. 2 Workings adjacent to the top of the jig connecting the No. 1 and No. 2 Workings.

Bellbird No. 4 Workings was really a section of the No. 2 Workings, but had been sealed off from this area to make for easier and better mining operations. The fault in this particular area had made an up-throw of 100 feet in the seam. A new tunnel entry (No. 4) had been made in the late 1960's under the supervision of the Bellbird Colliery manager, Mr Athol Lightfoot, to lessen the underground haulage. The No. 4 opening was also a single heading some 15 feet wide by 8 feet high, and was driven in at a direction just east of Direct South. This entry was 220 yards distant from the No. 2 Workings entry in a west of south-west direction. No. 4 Workings did not have skip haulage. An "alligator" hauled up by an electric winch tipped the coal production direct into a motor lorry for transport to the screens at No. 1 pit-top. The return airway from the No. 4 Workings made its way back into the No. 2 Workings system via an overcast through the coal seam itself. Fresh air was brought into the No. 4 Workings by a two stage axial flow fan installed in the tunnel mouth.

In the late 1940's Bellbird Coal Company had considered the operation of an open-cut mining system. Mr Andrew Colvin, the colliery surveyor, had prepared a plan, dated 12th May 1948, for submission to the Joint Coal Board. This first open-cut was to be sited in the no longer used colliery dam, an area of some 5½ acres. Whilst the Joint Coal Board approved the scheme, opposition by the Bellbird Miners Lodge, which was concerned that the open-cut might flood and endanger the miners' lives, had held up the proposal. Some preliminary work was carried out, such as setting up elevated fuel tanks, erecting plant repair workshops, etc., etc. In June 1949 the debacle at Aberdare Extended Colliery following its underground flooding, plus the huge damage sustained, blocked any possible agreement by Bellbird Miners Lodge to such methods of mining. However the purchase of the Bellbird Colliery in January 1958 by Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Ltd, and that firm's need to find good quick profitable workings saw this Western District open-cut operator decide on 28th February 1959 to win coal by open-cut mining. By the end of that year (1959), the earlier 1948 designed dam site area had been worked out as an open-cut.

With a new under-manager, Mr Alec Rutherford, appointed in 1966, the firm Eric Newham Limited sought to win coal by mechanisation methods following along the edging of the outcrop in the No. 1 Workings. To exploit the previously formed pillars in this area, 8 separate entry tunnels were made progressively and successively through the open-cut wall to reach the underground workings. Two Le Norce mining machines, a "48Y" and a "48H", loaded into two Noyes 100 H.P. electric "Hydro" shuttle cars. These shuttle cars were each limited to a range of 180 yards, the length of the machine's cable. The distance worked was extended by the first shuttle car surging its load into a second shuttle car to be conveyed to the tunnel entry. At the entry, the second shuttle car emptied into a "Euclid" truck to be conveyed to the No. 1 pit-top and screens.

Following the success of the tunnel entry working via the open-cut, a further small open-cut was made about 1970, near the No. 2 haulage engine house. As well as winning the production from the open-cut itself, this new open-cut provided access to drive a heading through the open-cut wall under the Pelton Branch Railway. This heading was for the purpose of underground mining a small area under the last

Bellbird township houses adjacent to the Wollombi Road. Later on a second tunnel heading was driven through the open-cut face to break through the barrier of the earlier Hilldale Colliery, a very small lease adjoining. The pillars and solid coal, that had been left on this lease was recovered by Bellbird Colliery.

In 1973 when Bellbird Colliery found problems locating working areas, a sloped box-cut was made into the step of the seam in an area between the No. 1 pit-top and the tunnel entry in the open-cut. From this sloped box-cut a heading was driven into a sealed off area adjacent to the 1923 fire and explosion region. Despite additional seals to strengthen the block, the area soon had a heating, and the Bellbird Colliery Company had to quickly retire its men and equipment.

From early 1976, Bellbird Colliery Company through permission from its then coal sales agent, R.W. Miller and Company, worked the Millfield Colliery lease. Coal was transferred by road to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery for treatment and rail loading.

Bellbird Colliery, a tunnel entry mine, was worked in its early days, under the bord and pillar system by its contract miners. Mr William Humble, a Mines Department chief inspector, in an article submitted to the Chemical, Mining and Engineering Review Journal published 5th September 1921, informed that in those days, whilst the seam at Bellbird was generally 30 feet thick, it was only the bottom 18 feet, that was worked. Up to the 10 feet height as "first workings", then the next 8 feet as "tops coal". Mr Humble states that both the bords and cut-throughs were 8 yards wide. Further that the pillars varied from 10, 12 or 16 yards in width by 44 yards long.

The Mines Subsidence Office in Newcastle has an overall plan of the various mine-workings of the South Maitland field. In the Bellbird Colliery section, this plan shows in the early mining, that pillar sizes were mostly 16 yards wide by 44 yards long. Later the pillar sizes were up to 44 yards square.

Mr Leo J. Jones, a Government Geologist in his work, "Mineral Resources No. 37 Maitland - Cessnock - Greta Coal District", advises that in the Bellbird Colliery lease, that under the pillar system, the mine had been divided into panel areas. These were separated from one and other by a barrier of coal. The panel areas were up to 40 acres in extent, and contained up to 20 to 30 pillars each.

With the formation of all the pillars, the panel was frequently sealed off for future pillar extraction. The continuing development of other sections or panels, and the driving of the headings towards the mine's boundaries was the original Bellbird Colliery plan formulated, and in the main this was followed.

Side headings and bords generally were driven off on a slightly rising incline. This was firstly for good drainage, and secondly to assist the pit-horse wheeling of the coal production.

Almost as soon as the real developmental work of Bellbird Colliery had begun, the parent company, Hetton Coal Company during 1912 had installed a small "Curtis" electricity generation plant. The main purpose of this unit was to generate direct current electricity to drive the Sullivan mine coal cutter machines. Whilst the mine was worked under the contract miner practices, with hand boring, firing their own explosives and hand shovelling, assistance was given by these large cutting machines. NSW Mines Department's records show that 11 such machines were in operation in the Bellbird Colliery during 1913.

A special mining award, known as the "Hibble Award" was set up for the miners working at Bellbird Colliery on 3rd August 1912. This award set up a combined rate of 2 shillings 7½ pence ($0.275) per ton of coal won, and an amount of 5 shillings ($0.50) per yard advanced. This combined rate included payment for:

The colliery is more or less divided into three distinct working areas by the geological upheavals, the Bellbird fault and the Bellbird Branch Fault. When the main tunnel headings reached the major fault, and it was proved there, that the seam had an up-throw of 180 feet, the Bellbird Colliery Company made three stone drives or drifts to continue the operation of the mine. These drives were about 80 yards in length and were fairly steep, rising about one foot in five feet. When the driving of the main heading was continued towards the south-west lease barrier, the stone drive became known as the "jig". Here the Bellbird Colliery installed a "jig-working" in which the loaded skips raised the empty skips to continue on a second haulage rope to be transported to the working places. The Bellbird Colliery considered that it was more advantageous to develop this part of the mine by driving in new entry headings. A decision that proved most valuable as a result of the later tragic disaster. This new entry became known as the No. 2 Workings. This operation commenced during November 1918. As well as joining up underground with the No. 1 Workings, the No. 2 Workings was also linked on the surface by duplicate skip rail tracks.

On 1st September 1923, a fire and explosion occurred in the No. 1 Workings of Bellbird Colliery, that resulted in the loss of some 21 lives. (Author's note: See History Section at page 829 for details). In order to subdue the fire, the tunnel headings at both Nos. 1 and 2 Workings and the air shaft were all sealed off by the dumping of sand in all four tunnel headings. After a very short period, it was decided by the Bellbird Company, that it was fairly certain that the new workings and headings at No. 2 Workings were undamaged by either the fire or the explosion, steps were taken to re-open this part of the Bellbird lease holding. A brick stopping seal was erected in the short heading that connected to the stone drift linking the Nos. 1 and 2 Workings. This stone drift was quite close to the No. 2 entry. Further, 5 bores each 5 inches in diameter, and 35 feet deep, were sunk at strategic points into the short heading, and some 50 cubic yards of concrete poured down each bore. This was to cut off completely this connection of No. 2 to No. 1 Workings. An air shaft, 15 feet in diameter and 45 feet deep, was sunk 132 yards distant in an east of south-east direction from the No. 2 tunnel entry, and about 10 yards distant from the rib of the heading. A second-hand Sirocco fan was placed atop of this shaft. A drive was made to connect the new air shaft with the heading. Within just 3 weeks from the explosion, Bellbird No. 2 Workings was again ready for operation, and all the Bellbird Colliery miners were able to be retained. These miners were employed in the extension and development of the No. 2 Workings and its main headings. These headings ran in at a south of south-east direction, almost in parallel lines with the main headings in the No. 1 Workings.

In early 1924 Bellbird Colliery made plans to recover its early No. 1 Workings so badly damaged by the fire and explosions on 1st September 1923. Miners were selected for training in a new method of working using a type of oxygen suit and mask to recover this pit filled with poisonous gases. On 5th May 1924 actual recovery operations commenced. By the construction of a series of air locks, and advancing these progressively until the main air shaft was reached, and it was recommenced to ventilate the areas won. The air lock methods continued. Double brick and concrete stoppings, with an inner filling of sand, were built in all side headings from the Main No. 1 heading tunnels, to retain the gases in the damaged and burnt sections. (See my "History" section at page No. 829 for further details). Finally in mid November 1924, when the recovery work had passed well beyond the seat of the original fire, the Bellbird Company management reached a conclusion that any further "proto work" was unnecessary, and that the remainder of the mine could be re-opened in the ordinary way by ventilation, following the air in, and working in fresh air. It was found that there was no sign of fire or heating discovered on the east side of the No. 1 Workings, and that it was practically normal. However, the west side required to be completely sealed off. Recovery work of the No. 1 Workings was finished on 18th January 1925.

The first haulage in the No. 1 Workings was said to have been made by steam. Research has failed to provide any details. This information came from tradition and word of mouth via the "Mathieson Family". First ventilation was by natural means, and in early 1912 this was assisted by a shallow furnace placed below the air shaft. As recorded earlier, an electricity generation plant, a Curtis unit, was installed in 1912 to power the Sullivan coal cutter machines. During 1913 a 912 kW Bellis and Morcom alternating current electricity generation plant was installed. As a direct result, a Sirocco electric fan was placed on the air shaft and ventilated the mine. The actual date of the introduction of the main haulage endless rope powered by electricity eludes me. The 1913 Mines Department Annual Report advises in its "Electrical Mining Appliances" section, that at Bellbird Colliery during that year, there was only one electric haulage. (Author's note: Possibly a winch on a side heading). By the 1917 Annual Report, this number had grown to three. Mr W. Humble's paper in the Chemical, Mining and Engineering Review Journal, in the issue dated 5th September 1921, informs that at that date, an endless rope haulage was in use at Bellbird Colliery, driven by a steam engine on the surface, and that the subsidiary haulages underground were electrically driven.

Wheelers and sidlers with their pit-horses were also much utilised in the Bellbird Colliery mining operations. A wheeler usually supplied 2 pairs of contract miners in adjoining bords, about 40 yards apart. A special clip made at the Bellbird Colliery workshops was used when skips were attached to the various haulage ropes. At the colliery's start, skips ran up the gantry from the No. 1 Workings haulage tunnel, firstly to the weighbridge on the work level of the pit-top, then into a tumbler, which side-tipped coal onto a shaker screen. Similarly in 1920 when the surface skip tracks brought the loaded skips from the No. 2 Workings and were raised by a creeper chain up the gantry to the work level to a second tumbler, which handled these particular skips. The loaded skips from the No. 2 Workings, and later the No. 3 Workings when it opened, were placed over weighbridges, quite close to these respective Workings entry tunnels. The weighman at No. 3 Workings also performed the clipper's duties. Defective skips or those skips requiring repairs, after having been unloaded, were placed into a special "skip shunt" to await to be "snigged" by a pit-horse to the skip repair workshops.

Coal from the tumbler tipped onto a shaker screen on the lower pit-top deck. In the pits' early days, the shaker screens are said to have been operated by steam. Later an electric motor utilising a cam system plus a slight incline on the screens worked the coal forward with a shuffling action movement to two 4 feet wide steel plate picking belts. In the 1940's some 8 pit-top hands were utilised as pickers. Large coal was loaded immediately via a chute at the end of the picking belt into the company's wooden hopper rail coal wagons. If small coal was required to meet sales, it too was loaded via a small bin, with a capacity of 80 tons, for later loading by bottom discharge into the rail wagons. In the pre-1920's, and in the years up to the "Depression", small coal sales fluctuated, and sometimes the demand lagged.

For such times, Bellbird Colliery in 1921 had erected a large elevated timber box as a holding bin. This box had a capacity of some 2000 tons, and it was situated over the colliery sidings rail tracks at the eastern end and adjoining the pit-top building. A steel belt conveyed the coal up to the top of the elevated bin. This steel belt is said to have been electrically driven. Over the years on a number of occasions, spontaneous combustion in this bin caused some problems to the Company. At such times the box contents had to be emptied quickly and disposed to best advantage. Another steel conveyor belt brought small coal, fines and burnable pit rubbish to the nearby stoking areas for the boilers. The stokers at Bellbird Colliery called the fines coal "black sand". Bellbird Colliery coal had such wonderful burning qualities, the "black sand" presented no problems.

A curious result of the 1923 Bellbird Colliery fire and explosion appears to have been the elimination of the electric Sullivan coal-cutting machine. Up to that date at least 12 machines were in use, and all appear to have been withdrawn following the 1923 fire. The Mines Department Annual Report in its "Electrical Mining Appliances" section in the years up to and after the fire, document this trend, but do not offer an explanation. Research in mining information journals and in newspapers has not revealed the reason for the withdrawal of the coal cutting machines.

Another effect of the 1923 explosion was that the overhead strata had been shaken and shattered, and this had required considerably more timbering than previously. Falls underground throughout the mine had become more frequent. In both the main and side headings as development continued, the early square sets were re-introduced as supports. Gradually the floor sill was dropped from the set erection. If a miner was engaged in erecting a set in his shift, the daily "darg" was reduced from 20 to 10 skips. (Author's note: Most South Maitland mines in practice had reached an agreement between the management and the local Miners Lodge on the number of skips required to be filled during the miner's shift. This was known as the "darg". The number varied from pit to pit, depending on the nature of the coal, the type and capacity of the skip, etc. etc. The Bellbird Colliery "darg" had been set in its early years to be 20 one ton skips).

The first pillar extraction made at the Bellbird Colliery was in the No. 4 Section in the No. 2 Workings during 1935. An old Bellbird Colliery miner, Mr Jim Rutherford, who lives at 45 Wollombi Road, West Cessnock, and who now as at 1st September 1990 is aged 87 years, actually worked in this first pillar extraction. He described his experience of pillar extraction thus:

Jim said the contract miners liked the pillar extraction, because there always appeared to be a loose end of coal, with plenty of coal to fill. Once the cut-through was completed, the "top coal" in the cut-through was dropped. Boring into the coal roof was a difficult feat, as one balanced on a heap of coal.

Other early miners also speak of the heavy work involved in "grunching" in the early pillar extractions.

During early 1937, Bellbird Colliery management decided to make another opening into an area of the No. 1 Workings, which due to the faults, some difficulty had been found in developing from the original tunnels. This difficulty had been aggravated by the sealing off the west side subsidiary headings from the No. 1 main haulage during the 1924 colliery recovery. Mr Paul Cook, the colliery mechanical and electrical engineer supervised a group of contract miners, who drove in this new No. 3 tunnel heading. Two brothers, Reg and Ces Goodwin led the group, who had "hand-picked" this entry into the Bellbird Colliery lease. The single heading was completed and ready for operations on 3rd August 1937. This section of the Bellbird mine was very steep, and the coal in the seam was particularly hard. Only some 8 to 10 pairs of miners ever worked in the No. 3 Workings. These miners were found to be very weary at the end of their shift. Frequently they could be seen hanging onto the pit-horse's limbers, as the horse too returned to the surface for its own well earned rest. It was not surprising then that in the early 1940's, the Bellbird Colliery Company introduced a crude and primitive form of a "mans transport" in the No. 3 Workings. This first transport unit was a set of 4 trolleys previously used to haul in long pit props. These trolleys were provided with wooden seats, on which the miners sat back to back. By the date of this introduction of the "mans transport", because of the steepness of the No. 3 haulage heading, an emergency shunt had been laid, sited well down the heading. At the shunt's end, a barrier of heavy posts had been erected to handle possible run-aways. After conveying the miners down underground, these transport cars were stored in the run-away shunt to await the return trip. The winch rope was detached to perform the normal skip haulage. The Bellbird No. 3 Workings eventually broke into the No. 2 Workings adjacent to the top of the "jig" headings connecting the No. 1 and No. 2 Workings.

Late in the year 1940, the miners' work was greatly assisted by the introduction of electric power boring.

When Mr Jim Mathieson, an early Bellbird Colliery manager with many years service retired in 1940, Mr W. "Bill" Colvin, who had much experience in coal mining by mechanisation methods, was engaged to replace him. One of Mr Colvin's first progressive steps was to introduce a scrapper loader into the Bellbird Workings. this type of operation was intended to speed up the filling out of large falls of coal. A continuing legacy of the 1923 explosion, particularly in the No. 1 Workings. The scrapper loader had a large bucket or scoop, and was utilised something like a dragline. It was equipped with two drums and two clutch handles. A strong chain was strung across the bord or heading from rib wall to rib wall. The loader winch itself was positioned just prior to a cut-through or heading. The bucket rope was attached and anchored to the chain, and then the bucket winched back towards the loader. A gantry was constructed passing over the skip rail track running across the cut-through or heading. A hole in the gantry allowed the loading of a set of 8 to 10 skips. A small winch in the side crossing moved the skips to the required loading position. The anchor chain was moved further back along the fall as the heap was cleared. With just a little experience, the scrapper loader were filling 180 to 200 one ton skips in the one shift.

The method of extraction appears to have varied with the size of the pillar, its location, the nature of the seam at the pillar area, and even the deputy in charge of that particular section own personal choice and experience. Perhaps more importantly the method of extraction changed with the introduction of mechanisation. Some pillars were split in two parts by longitudinal tunnelling. Some were divided laterally by three or four cuts. Other pillars were "quartered" by driving first workings style headings.

With the continuing progress of the pit development, by the mid-1940's, the drives made in the "Slants" or "Dip" areas of 10 East, 11 East, and 12 East just prior to the major fault, and heading towards the Aberdare Extended lease holding, had reached the one chain solid coal barrier boundary. The work of extracting the pillar coal on the retreat commenced immediately. The mine roof in the above named sections was quite strong. Normally the "goaf" (or the area where the pillar coal had stood), soon filled with rock and strata fall. However in this region, particularly between 11 East and 12 East, a huge area estimated to be some 3 acres, remained standing, denuded of its coal. This was nicknamed "the ballroom". With its very high seam up to 36 feet thickness, it was said that one could stand on the area's edge, shine a light up and around, and nothing could be seen or reflected. "A bland nothingness". It is reported that the area fell in over a weekend in the 1950's, whilst the pit was quiet and idle.

Falls were always hazardous and sometimes spectacular. One such fall occurred in the No. 2 Workings some 2 miles from the surface in a side heading quite close to the main haulage. This was a very bad fall and endangered the working operations.

A series of heavy steel railway rails were sunk into the coal in holes about 4 feet deep. The holes had been made by the use of a jumper pincher bar on each side of the heading. Within these rails a number of baulks were threaded to make the framework self-supporting. Using the rails and baulks as a foundation, three timber "stys" were built one above and on the other to reach the heading roof. Here baulks and slabs were roof-bolted two feet apart. The bolts were 6 to 8 feet long and of the rawl-plug type. In addition the baulks and slabs were wire roped together to give extra protection. When the roof was so secured, a mechanical loader cleared away the huge falls of stone to make this important haulage heading again workable.

Sounds of roof and strata movements warned miners of approaching dangers. About mid 1953 whilst a group of miners were working in an area in 11 East No. 1 Workings in an important side heading, the roof was heard "creaking and groaning" with pressure weight. The group beat a hasty retreat for safety, leaving the deputy, Mr Roy Vernon, remaining alone. (Author's note: Mr Roy Vernon now (Feb. 1991) is aged 83 years, lives at 96 Wollombi Road, Cessnock). Mr Vernon carried from the main heading a 12 feet long pit prop of 10 inches diameter at its small end. He placed a baulk on the top of the prop, and waited till the roof settled down on the baulk and firmly held the prop. Then he repeated this operation several more times. Mr Roy Vernon on his own had "centre-legged" this side heading to save the area. It is such activities and feats, that creates the reputation of great mining personalities and "characters". A special breed of the mining fraternity, to whom Mr Roy Vernon is well entitled to belong.

Despite the 1923 explosion, Bellbird Colliery remained a "naked light" pit. It was not until pockets of gas were found in the No. 2 Workings in the mid 1940's that a change was made. As from 1st October 1946 all underground workers were supplied with battery safety lamps. Another big change was made as the result of finding this "free gas". All shot-firing became a specialist occupation, and was to be carried out by a member of the Deputies and Short-firers Association.

Another change that became effective in the mid 1940's was an attempt to reduce the problem of coal dust, especially as a health hazard. Bellbird Colliery Company tackled this question in two ways. Trolleys were fitted out to carry the stone dust along the skip rail tracks. The Mines Department Inspectors' cards held in Sydney record that on 16th September 1947, a visit was made to Bellbird mine to investigate a new stone dust trolley for use in the Nos. 1 and No. 3 workings. The second method adopted by the Bellbird Colliery was the progressive withdrawal of the old wooden skip and the replacement by slightly larger capacity steel skips. Bellbird Colliery considered that the body cracks in the wooden skips assisted the spread of coal dust. When mechanisation was introduced later, and conveyor rubber belting was installed, quite a number of the remaining wooden skips were destroyed or demolished by burning. The metal straps, bolts, wheels, couplings, etc. were sold as scrap.

On 30th April 1945 a mans transport system was introduced into the Bellbird No. 1 Workings. The earlier intermediate tunnel was extended to reach the surface, and it was in this heading entry, that was utilised to operate the mans transport. A platform was provided near the bath-house. It had some 12 to 14 trolley cars on which the seats allowed the miners to sit back to back. This unit had a single drum driven by a 150 H.P. electric motor, operated by a pantagraph wire with a connecting arm from the transport. The transport unit ran in about one mile, to terminate close to the jig. Here the miners walked up over the fault to join a second mans transport to continue the balance of their travel in the No. 1 Workings. A mans transport unit was installed in the No. 2 Workings during 1953. This transport was automatic and was radio operated. In its early days because of its sophisticated computer system, some aeroplanes flying overhead could sometimes cause the transport to run incorrectly. The problem was located and corrected.

As has been mentioned earlier in this section "Method of Working" at page 755, when the headings and pillars had been formed into panels during the development work of Bellbird Colliery, the panel sections were sealed for later mining under the pillar extraction system. First pillar extraction began during 1935 in No. 4 Section in No. 2 Workings. A description was given on page 761 of the huge vacant goaf that resulted under this pillar extraction system in 11 East section No. 1 Workings in the "Dips" region. Perhaps because of the 1923 explosion and fire, some early reluctance was shown towards tackling the sections, that had been sealed during the 1924 recovery work. On 27th July 1945, 3 East No. 1 Workings was opened for some pillar extraction.

8 East was a section that had been much closer to the estimated seat of the fire. This section also had been sealed off at the side heading entry from the main No. 1 haulage. The "Gannon" heading into the section had been driven in with the usual slight up-hill grade. Drainage water from within 8 East had been allowed to pass out through an "air-block-board" constructed in the seal. It had been noted by all, that this drainage water always carried oil on top. In mid 1947 the original seal erected by the 1924 proto recovery team was broken down. The outer brick wall faced the No. 1 main haulage. Behind this brick wall, sand had been placed to a thickness of 5 feet and for the full height of the heading opening. A further brick seal wall was inside holding this sand. To commence work in the panel, it was necessary to clean up the many falls and make way into the section. It was just as necessary to remove the gases and foul air. Fresh air was forced in, but the gas was hard to move. It took from 7 to 10 days before the area could be worked. Even then it was found that there was still only a minimum oxygen supply. Next step was a need to reduce the temperature. It was found that fresh air was not very effective in temperature control.

When 8 East section was re-opened, it was found that the coal roof generally had become coke. There was quite a number of skips still standing that had been filled prior to the 1923 explosion. Ash was up to 4 feet deep in many places. The usual "tops coal", now coke looking coal, showed all the colours of the rainbow. Much coal had become quite "tarry". At first only 3 pairs of contract miners worked in the panel. Within one month, 8 pairs were engaged. All miners found great difficulty in obtaining more weight than 8 hundred-weight (8 cwt) in the wooden one ton capacity skip. Agreement was reached with the Bellbird Miners Lodge, that all such light weighted coal should be subject to "make-up" payments. The coal was sold to the Australian Gas Light Company, who made their gas and resold the coke.

8 East section was finally worked in 3 panels. Each panel was surrounded by a solid coal barrier pillar, and contained 80 to 100 pillars. The last panel adjoining the Aberdare Extended Colliery boundary was slightly smaller. When this working operation commenced in 8 East, sidlers were utilised to haul in sets of 10 to 12 skips. As the pillar extraction operation progressed, conveyor rubber belting was installed in mid 1949. This coal was re-loaded back from the conveyor belting into skips just prior to the heading entry to the main haulage rope.

A few years later an attempt was made to work 10 East section in the same manner and method, as had been done in the 8 East section. 10 East was also to be divided into 3 panels. After some 12 months and a number of self-heatings requiring some bords to be sealed off, Bellbird Colliery management decided that 10 East should again be closed.

During 1947 4 West and 6 West sections in No. 1 Workings were re-opened for pillar extraction. In early 1948 a very serious self-heating forced the whole of these sections to be re-sealed. A loss of many pillars. A new innovation in pillar extraction in these sections had been the use of the scraper loader in the winning of the "tops coal".

Coal mining by open-cut methods had become the centre of thought and direction by many coal companies as the result of the success in 1945 of the Caledon Open-cut on the Aberdare Extended Colliery lease. In early 1948 the Bellbird Colliery Company made preparations to operate such a project. Mr Andrew Colvin, the colliery mine surveyor, drew up a design plan dated 12th May 1948. That was to cover the "dam site", which at that period had become redundant. This was an area of some 5 acres. The newly constituted Joint Coal Board certainly supported the proposal. The Bellbird Miners Lodge strenuously opposed this mining method, stating that an open-cut could endanger the lives and livelihood of their underground miners. Strikes, stoppages, conferences and court hearings slowed the proposal. Some preliminary work in setting up large fuel storage tanks, erecting plant repair workshops, etc., was carried out. Still the delays continued. In June 1949 the debacle and damage at Aberdare Extended Colliery following the underground flooding via the Caledon Open-Cut supported the Bellbird Miners' Lodge fears. It certainly blocked any possible agreement by the Company with the Lodge. The Bellbird Open-Cut proposal was abandoned.

The continued influence of the Joint Coal Board in the Bellbird Colliery working was demonstrated by the Chairman, Mr C.N. Barratt, when he announced in the Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in an article in the issue of 13th September 1949, that the Bellbird Colliery was to utilise full mechanisation, including that used in pillar extraction. The Joint Coal Board appears to have assisted with the acquisition of Joy 11BU battery powered shuttle cars; an Anderson Boyce coal cutter; and rubber belting conveyor. This equipment, in late 1949, was placed in the 11 East Slants section No. 1 Workings. Here having under-cut the coal and it being shot down, the Joy shuttle cars loaded the production onto the Mavor and Coulson conveyor. This coal was then transported by the conveyor some 120 yards past 2 or 3 cut-throughs to be reloaded direct into skips.

Later when using this mechanisation to drive headings and bords to form pillars, similar to the early contract mining, these first workings were also limited to a height of 10 feet. The bords and headings due to roof pressure were restricted to a width of 15 feet. With such narrowed bords and headings, some difficulty was found at the intersections to manoeuvre the equipment around the corners, particularly so with the Anderson Boyce coal cutter mounted on caterpillar tracks. to protect the roof at these intersections, large baulks were roof-bolted diagonally across. Lid timbers and wedges above the baulks added strength. Electric rotary boring machines simplified this task.

Pillar coal extraction by the contract miners appears to have been carried out simultaneously with the mechanisation working. As the contract miners drove their splits into the pillar, and then commenced to remove the "tops" coal, support timber props were erected. The contract miners were expert and skilled in timbering. A wedge was placed on the seam floor. Then a prop cut to the required length, with just sufficient room to drive a wedge on top, was raised on the floor wedge. As one miner placed his foot against the prop, the other miner raised the prop to his shoulder. Then with a toss upwards, this miner ran the prop upright, until it was in the vertical position. Quite a feat, but a skill which was displayed almost every day, as the miners ensured their own safety. As added support, short "Tom" props were placed on the top of the heap. These "Tom" props fell out as the coal in the toe and more of the heap was removed. After some 6 feet or so advancing into the heap, saw the timbering operation repeated. The props were positioned and stood to allow the miners to lay their own skip rail track. Firstly a pair of 6 feet long rails were laid to connect to the existing track. Then a second pair of 6 feet long rails were added. When the third pair of 6 feet long rails were laid, the first two pairs were removed and a pair of 18 feet length, 30 pounds to the yard, were laid at a gauge of 2 feet 2 inches, to make a more permanent track.In later mechanisation, shiftmen on the afternoon shift raised the pit props, particularly in the very high places, where the seam was up to 36 feet thick. The shiftmen usually worked in groups of 5 or 6 men, and stood 10 to 12 props in their shift. The shiftmen were generally miners, who had had long experience, and had the "knack" of standing props. Firstly a lid, (a small flat timber piece), was nailed to the top of the prop. Whilst one shiftman placed his foot on the bottom of the prop, the others in the group lifted and "walked" the prop upwards. When the prop was upright, wedges were driven underneath on the floor level to tighten and make firm. Two measuring sticks found the length required. The surplus was cut off by the use of a "one-man" long cross-saw. Pit props were taken below on the day shift. Usually about 20 props were loaded onto a skip rail trolley; longer length props being placed on two trolleys. "Lid" timbers being driven into appropriate sockets on the trolley sides secured the props for the journey underground. The props were unloaded on the main haulage "flats", and snigged into the section 4 or 5 at a time.

Underground water does not appear to have been a major problem in the Bellbird Colliery's early days. The 1914 Mines Department Annual Report records that there were 3 pumps in operation underground that year. This number had increased to 12 pumps in 1922. Some later miners inform that some pit water seems to have drained away naturally through the coal and strata. By early 1940's, all pumps were driven electrically. Pit water was raised from lower levels to sumps or underground dams, which had been formed in a small goaf area. Eventually this water was piped to the surface via the Nos. 1 and 2 Workings haulage tunnels.

Due to the heavy district rains in 1949, some underground workings at Bellbird Colliery suffered from flooding. With mechanisation mining planned for some of these particular areas, steps were taken to correct this problem. By this period, Bellbird underground pit water had become very acidic. Six centrifugal pumps were installed in line to raise the water in stages through a 2½ inches internal diameter pipe to intermediate sumps. Each stage sump was equipped with an "automatic flow" switch which regulated the circulation, and was reactivated to pump from the lower level, when its water level had dropped. At the surface, water from the No. 1 Workings ran into the pit dam. Water from the No. 2 Workings was allowed to run free to find its way into the nearby creek. Some old miners, who were also local Bellbird residents, noted that the acid killed fish and eels.

This acidity became still higher and ate out the original pipes. These were replaced with rubber pipes. Acid water continued to be a hazard as it ate out the pumps, their impellers and even the rubber hoses. All pumps were replaced by "Mono-Ajax" stainless steel units. Dunlop Rubber Limited designed a special type rubber pipe to meet the situation. All pumps were set at a "250 feet" head pressure. After the changes and alterations, pumping operated efficiently.

9 West section No. 1 Workings had been formed in 1930, and was sealed at that time for future pillar extraction. Early in 1950 9 West was re-opened. When a spontaneous heating was detected, 9 West had to be resealed on 17th April 1950.

Fires and heatings were not always restricted to underground. The No. 2 Workings engine house was destroyed by fire in early 1951. Quick thinking by the then electrical engineer, Mr Joe Davidson, who covered and smothered the huge gear cog wheels with stone dust to allow them to cool slowly and not distort. Not so fortunate was the 400 H.P. electric haulage engine, which like its poured concrete engine house was no longer usable. Two 150 H.P. electric motors were connected to each end of the haulage shaft. One 150 H.P. motor was new; the other 150 H.P. unit had been operating the nearby No. 3 Workings winch haulage. A new 120 H.P. electric motor was obtained to replace the No. 3 winch motor. At first the restored haulage operated in the open. Within a short time the damaged poured concrete No. 2 Workings first engine house was demolished, and a new common brick structure was erected. This was 30 feet long by 15 feet wide by 20 feet high, was roofed with galvanised corrugated iron.

On 29th November 1952 a heating in the No. 3 Workings resulted in the sealing off of the major part of the No. 3 Workings. This heating was said to have been due to the geological fault and spontaneous combustion. A very old Bellbird under-manager, who desired to remain anonymous, informed me that in many areas of the Bellbird seam, there was an intrusion that was streaked through the seam, something like meat in a sandwich. When scraped off the coal, this white intrusion was found to be like a putty and was very pliable. This ex- under-manager said if a handful was squeezed together and placed under a heavy solid piece of coal, say the size of a 44 gallon drum, it would ignite and burn the coal in a few weeks. The ex- under-manager stated that the white intrusion appeared to be "pyritetic" qualities. In his opinion this intrusion could even have been the cause of the 1923 fire and explosion.

Mechanisation mining methods were introduced into the Bellbird No. 2 workings in mid 1952. In early 1953 Mr Peter Murray of 23 Corona Street, Hamilton, (and who later became the Superintendent of R.W. Miller and Company), was employed in Bellbird No. 2 haulage heading in the installation of a rubber belting conveyor. In these lower sections in the No. 2 workings, the mechanisation equipment used was the Anderson Boyes coal cutter, with the Joy 11 BU loader and Joy chain conveyors bringing the coal production to the rubber belting conveyor. This conveyor belting ran up through the stone drive in the No. 2 haulage heading to empty into a small 25 tons capacity timber holding bin. Skips were gravitated down the mine on a winch rope to stand on a kind or type of balloon loop to await loading. The haulage winch rope was changed over to waiting loaded skips, which were direct hauled up in a set of 10 or 12 skips to the endless rope haulage to be raised to the surface. A "flap" arrangement under the bin prevented the loss of coal during the skip reloading. In latter years 10 S.C. direct current battery shuttle cars replaced the Joy 11 BU loader and the Joy chain conveyors.

By the end of 1955 there was considerable industrial unrest and petty stoppages on the South Maitland field. Bellbird Colliery was being worked very uneconomically. The Company took steps to cut its 560 employees numbers to meet this situation. As a result in February 1956, all employees "walked out" and the pit remained idle. In late June 1956, a court hearing was held before Judge Gallagher to formulate a proposal to re-open Bellbird Colliery. The Bellbird Miners Lodge accepted the Company's argument that the major part of the lease, all virgin areas, should be worked from new entrances. This program would be costly and probably beyond the Bellbird Colliery Company's financial ability. The Miners Lodge in turn offered its suggestions. In the Judge's order, he recommended that the Company should not be bound to employ more than 280 miners. Further that the No. 1 Workings were not to be developed beyond another 10 chains. At this point and distance, the development work would cease. Also in the No. 2 and No. 3 Workings, coal, which could be won by safe pillar extraction, should be obtained after the development limit point had been reached. The Joint Coal Board said that the Judge's recommendations were the only practical plan for resumption. Finally Judge Gallagher exhorted that the past friction between miners and management at Bellbird Colliery should be forgotten. He requested that both sides should be reasonable and sympathetic to each other.

Whilst the mine was able to operate without cash losses, the Company still had serious trading losses, when all charges were taken into account. During late 1957 the shareholders decided to wind-up the Bellbird Colliery Company. At that date the £1-0-0 ($2.00) ordinary share was selling at the Stock Exchange for four shillings ($0.40). Sir John Butter was appointed as "liquidator". On 16th January 1958, it was announced that the Bellbird mine had been sold to Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty. Ltd., and that this new company would retain the colliery manager, Mr Athol Lightfoot, in that position.

In March 1958, 4 West and 6 West sections No. 1 Workings which had been sealed off during 1948 due to a serious self heating, were re-opened for pillar extraction by hand mining methods. After only 12 pillars had been removed, the area again became subject to another heating and was required to be sealed off during July 1959. A further attempt was made to re-open these sections on 30th January 1961. After some intermittent heatings and temporary sealings, a more serious heating in this area forced a permanent resealing of 4 West and 6 West No. 1 Workings on the 1st July 1961.

The Bellbird Colliery new owners, Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty. Ltd. had been a Western NSW Coal District open-cut operator. It was not surprising then that with the new company's need to find a quick good profitable "working", that an open-cut operation opened on 28th February 1959 on the Bellbird Colliery lease. By the end of that year (1959), the earlier "1948" designed site on the previous dam area had been worked out. Coal was transported from the open-cut in Euclids and in unregistered motor lorries to the No. 1 Workings pit-top. At first coal was loaded direct into the wooden hopper rail coal wagons from a "chitter bank ramp" constructed near the colliery sidings on the Maitland side of the pit-top structure. Within a few months a timber bin was constructed at ground level underneath the pit-top itself. This was really a slight ramp with a rail grid on top. Into this bin via the grid, the lorries were "back-end" unloaded by tipping. A conveyor belt carried the coal from the bin to the screens.

At the end of 1959 with the cessation of the open-cut working, another major operation was made. Coal transport from the No. 2 and No. 3 Workings which had previously been made by the "surface overland skip rail track" was changed to be conveyed by motor lorry. The skip rail tracks were removed, and a "chitter road bed" was laid to provide a firm base for the Euclids or lorries. Once again the vehicle end-unloaded into the receiving bin, and was rubber belting conveyed to the No. 1 pit-top screens.

In early 1960 an underground heating some two miles underground near the stone drive had caused the sealing of the Bellbird No. 2 Workings. On 15th June 1960 the No. 2 Workings were re-opened. However the heating persisted and because of a build-up of bad gases, it had to be resealed. On 20th November 1960 another attempt was made to re-open the No. 2 Workings, but again it was required to be resealed.

Meanwhile under the conditions set out in the terms of Judge Gallagher's 1956 recommendations, the development work was completed to the point agreed. Coal was then sought from within the sections sealed earlier after their formation in the mine's first days. Pillar extraction in 2 East and 3 East No. 1 Workings proved fairly successful and profitable in this project. Two shifts, day and afternoon working, using a Le Norce continuous mining machine and rubber belting conveyors soon put the new company on a sound financial footing. The second-hand Le Norce machine had been purchased cheap from the State Mine at Lithgow. Two shuttle cars were also loaned by this organisation. The rubber belting conveyors was also a "bargain" obtained in Queensland.

When the Le Norce machine was brought in to work at extracting a pillar, a small coal heap ramp was made, so that the Le Norce climbed up some 5 feet, and drove in a cut-through road to split the pillar. This coal was won by the Le Norce machine with assistance from explosives. The Lee Norse then returned back to make a "split-off" towards the bord heading. This corner "stook" was shot down with explosives. These methods were repeated until all the pillar was won. Both rib sides of the bord headings had been "skirted" to allow the shuttle cars to pass and avoid shunting.

After the above sections named had been worked, the mining mechanisation machines were placed in 9 West section No. 1 Workings. This had been first formed in 1930 and then sealed for future working. Pillar extraction was attempted here in early 1951, but when a spontaneous heating was detected, 9 West was resealed on the 17th April 1950. On 26th May 1962, a second attempt was commenced to remove the pillars in 9 West. A very high concentration of carbon monoxide was found, and 9 West section was immediately resealed. On all its "out-bye", special stowage packs were placed against each seal. This stowage pack consisted of loose coal, floor dirt, loam, etc., and was reinforced with old pit timbers.

The mechanisation machinery and equipment was moved back to extract pillars adjacent to the main No. 1 headings, and at about 1600 yards distance from the tunnel mouth. During the 1963 Annual Xmas Miners Holidays, a serious fire was found in this area. This resulted in the Bellbird No. 1 Working's tunnels and air shaft being sealed. At the end of the Xmas leave, the Joint Coal Board refused to allow the No. 1 Working's seals to be broken. In order to retain its then complement of 90 employees, Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty. Ltd. Company embarked on a crash program to prepare the No. 2 Workings. These workings had not operated for almost 4 years. Bellbird Colliery owners sought permission to work an open-cut operation to finance the unproductive weeks. The Company stated that if it lost its markets, retrenchments would have to follow. Minister of Mines Mr Jim Simpson, Chairman of the Joint Coal Board Mr H. Hartnell and the Combined Miners Council officials, all finally agreed to allow an open-cut to operate. This open-cut was positioned to the north of the Bellbird No. 3 and No. 2 entry tunnels. Large bulldozers and heavy earth moving equipment soon cleared the 20 to 80 feet of overburden to expose the 17 to 30 feet thick seam. First coal from this open-cut was available on 20th January 1964.

With the open-cut working, action was taken to specially train miners to operate in "proto-suits" to recover the Bellbird No. 1 Workings. This was a similar style project in miniature to that which had taken place at the Aberdare Central Colliery in the mid 1940's, when a mine was recovered whilst the fire and heat maintained their intensity. After several "hic-cups", the proto work project was completed, and the fire and heating was sealed off. Normal operations resumed in the Bellbird No. 1 Workings on 14th May 1964.

Mention was made earlier at page 764, that in the early 1950's "10 East No. 1 Workings", one of the sections sealed off by the 1924 proto recovery work, was re-opened. Whilst the "C" panel of 10 East was being worked, a fairly large area of solid coal was left, due to being separated by a goaf region. Aberdare Seven Colliery made application to the Mines Department to win this coal by driving through the barrier. Permission was granted. However Aberdare Seven Colliery had to abandon this proposal, due to the difficulty in sealing off the "C" panel from other adjacent Bellbird Colliery sections.

In late 1966 Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty. Ltd. decided to win coal utilising mechanisation methods from the pillars in the Bellbird No. 1 Workings adjacent to the 1959 open-cut. To exploit the previously formed pillars edging along the outcrop, 8 separate entry tunnels were driven progressively and successively through the open-cut wall to reach into the underground working. Two Le Norce mining machines, a 48Y and a 48H loaded coal into two Noyes Limited 100 H.P. electric "Hydro" shuttle cars. The two Hydro cars carried manufacturer's plates showing "August '66" and "October '66" dates. The two shuttle cars were each limited to a range of 180 yards, the length of the machine's cable. The distance worked was extended by the first shuttle car surging its load into the second shuttle car to be conveyed to the tunnel entry.

At the open-cut tunnel entry to these outcrop workings, a timber gantry was constructed. The Noyes shuttle car climbed the gantry to side-top into a Euclid or into a motor lorry body moved by a prime mover. The gantry and shuttle car had been provided some weather protection by a corrugated galvanised iron verandah erected overhead. The Euclid or motor lorry discharged its load onto an iron bar grid contained in a slight ramp into a hole or bin to be moved by a rubber belting to a crusher. The crusher was a second-hand unit that had been purchased by the Eric Newham Company from a disused shale quarry at Newnes. From the crusher, coal ran on a slow moving wide conveyor belt some 20 yards in length. From this belt "pickers" removed stone and pit rubbish. Coal was then moved into a number of small holding bins, from which it bottom discharged into rail wagons. A small 15 H.P. electric motor operated a winch rope to advance rail wagons under the loading points.

The rib coal in this part entering No. 1 Workings from the open-cut was very friable. This situation was always considered to be hazardous by its very nature and its uncertain action in freeing coal to drop inside falls onto the miners. Every effort was made to get a good face on the top lip of the coal.

During 1966 as well as the open-cut entry operation, mechanisation mining also operated towards the bottom of the No. 2 Workings to make pillar extraction. To speed up the transport of this production, another heading drift was made between the haulage and travelling headings of the No. 2 Workings for the purpose of installing a rubber belting conveyor to the surface. In early 1967 a similar style drift also for a rubber belting conveyor was made between the haulage and travelling headings in the No.1 workings.

Towards the end of the 1960's when the pillar extraction was bout some 1200 yards from the Bellbird No. 2 Workings entry, Bellbird Colliery Company introduced a further improved method of haulage to increase the production flow and to lessen costs. Two 10 S.C. diesel shuttle cars were installed to act similar to the old style "wheeler", in that the shuttle car hauled the coal production from the continuous miner at the fact to load into four large 3 tons capacity steel skips. These large steel skips were known as "granby cars". Each shuttle car carried 6 tons. To unload the shuttle cars into the "granby cars", a short ramp was made by placing baulks across the mouth of the side opening, whether it be a heading, bord or cut-through. Stone was then dropped from the roof, compacted, sloped and dampened to make the ramp about 3 feet high. This was sufficient to raise the shuttle car to load the coal direct into the "granby car" skips. A reversible endless wire rope hauled the cars to the surface. The return wheel was located or sited "in-bye" past the side heading, bord or cut-through sufficiently to accommodate the four "grandy car" skips. To provide the necessary tension or "back-balance", some smaller steel skips, loaded with stone, were placed on the "in-bye" side of the return wheel. When the side area was worked out, the return wheel was advanced to just prior to the next side opening, and the activity was repeated. On the surface, a dummy rail was fixed so that it kicked upwards. A jockey wheel on the skips caught the dummy rail, slanting or tilting the skip, opening the side door, so that the production load slid via a chute into a Euclid or an unregistered lorry. The frame of the "granby car" skip remained on the rail, and the body was moved to allow the side tip. The transport lorries discharged into the bin, described earlier, located at the No. 1 pit-top.

On 23rd August 1970 due to a self heating, the whole of the No. 1 underground workings, including the haulage and travelling headings, plus the air shaft, were sealed.

In early 1970 a region or part of the Bellbird No. 2 Workings was divided off and sealed to make a new development, which became known as the No. 4 Workings. A new single entry heading, 15 feet wide by 8 feet high, was driven in to lessen the underground haulage. No skip haulage ever operated in the No. 4 Workings. At first an "alligator" was hauled out by an electric winch. An alligator is a type of covered skip used in steep mining to prevent coal loss by spillage. This required a special bridle connection for the alligator to be attached to the rope. The action of unloading the alligator was performed somewhat like emptying a milk carton. In the first instance, the alligator unloaded direct into a motor lorry. Later this was made into an elevated bin, for coal production transport to the No. 1 Workings pit-top. Ventilation in the new No. 4 Workings was provided by a two stage axial flow fan installed at the tunnel mouth. The return airway from the No. 4 Workings made its way back into the No. 2 Workings system via an overcast through the coal. When the nearby Maitland Main Colliery was placed into receivership in 1973, Bellbird Colliery for the sum of $2,000.00 bought the Maitland Main Company's fairly new Le Norce continuous mining machine and conveyor rubber belting plus the structures at their auction sale held on 8th November 1973. All this mechanisation machinery was placed into the No. 4 Workings. Coal produced in the workings was moved on the conveyor to the alligator haulage, which unloaded into the elevated bin on the surface for later lorry transport.

In the Mines Department 1971-1972 Annual Report, some comment was made on the Bellbird Colliery's future. With the closure of the haulage and travelling headings at the No. 1 Workings, and the continuing program of pillar extraction also in the No. 1 Workings via the entry tunnels in the open-cut wall, this Department considered that Bellbird Colliery's future lay in the No. 3 Workings. The entry to this workings had been re-opened in early 1971, and the heading cleaned up. By the date of this particular Annual Report, penetration was almost 1 mile (1.6 km) in. The recovery had been difficult and slow. A large area of virgin coal lay about 1 mile still further down in the No. 3 Workings. A feasibility study found this coal was of very good quality. Its composite ash and sulphur content was much lower than other Bellbird Colliery areas. Some work was made to drive side headings and win coal to pay for the development. An old endless haulage rope system was utilised. The coal production was conveyed by lorry to the No. 1 Workings pit-top for treatment and loading into rail wagons. Twelve months later with a new colliery manager, a change of policy was made, in that the outmoded haulage system was replaced by a Case caterpillar wheeled vehicle. Conditions were terribly hot. Finally some crush and creep beat the No. 3 Workings project. This was mainly due to the Eric Newham's Company financial inability to afford the heavy steel RSJs required to support the dangerous mining conditions.

In early 1972, following the success and improved production from the tunnels into the No. 1 Workings through the wall of the first (1959) open-cut, another entry underground was made through the wall of the second (1964) open-cut. The main purpose of this entry was to win the coal in the area under the Bellbird village homes heading towards Pelton Colliery. At the same time Bellbird Colliery Company made application to mine the neighbouring abandoned Hilldale Colliery lease. When this application was approved, a second entry tunnel heading was driven through the open-cut wall to pierce the barrier. The pillars and solid coal in the Hilldale Colliery lease were won and recovered by Bellbird Colliery.

In some discussions with an under-manager, who had a lengthy service with the Bellbird Company, he told me of some of his experiences in the mine. This under-manager had observed quite a number of attempts by the various managers in their search for working places to keep the Bellbird Colliery operating. Such searches took the management into the huge areas, that had been sealed, because of heatings, falls, gases and fires. As part of the search teams, he had noted some considerable wastage of good equipment. It would appear that right from the mine's inception, there had always been an urgency to "drive" and push coal production out, mainly with the intent of making huge profits, but frequently with a loss of machines, material and territory. There were several incidents, where in a fall in a heading road or in a bord, the cables of shuttle cars or mining machines had been "axed" and cut, rather than waste time in recovering. In another section behind a brick stopping seal, he had seen a "continuous miner", an "M.G. set", 2 transformers, 2 shuttle cars, plus other equipment. Quite a cost and loss, and one wonders at whose neglect. In late 1973 once more Bellbird Colliery was struggling to produce coal to meet its requirements. The then new manager, Mr John Shoebridge planned for the mine company's heavy earth moving equipment to make a sloped box cut into the step of the seam between the No. 1 Workings pit-top and the entry tunnels into the "1959" open-cut wall. From this sloped box-cut a heading was driven into a sealed off panel adjacent to the 1923 explosion and fire area. This heading was very steep at an incline of 1 foot in 3 feet. A second-hand fan and using large steel tubes provided ventilation. Coal was shot down, picked up by an old scraper loader and placed on a rubber belting conveyor to be brought to the surface. Despite the erection of additional seals, the manager, Mr John Shoebridge, soon had a serious heating. It was not long before spontaneous combustion caused a great number of small fires nearby. Mr Shoebridge quickly retired his men and his mining equipment from this new development, and promptly resealed the box-cut.

The firm R.W. Miller and Company in mid 1974 appears to have become the sole selling agent for the Bellbird Colliery Company's coals. In addition the R.W. Miller company utilised some Bellbird coals to blend with the poorer quality coals, it had purchased elsewhere. The Greta Top Seam in most South Maitland mines appears to have had a high "sulphur" content in the coal won above the 18 feet level. Bellbird Colliery was no exception to this problem. All coal buyers in this period were requiring good analyses of the product purchased. Coal samples for testing were taken at random from the rail wagons on outward loaded trains. These samples were taken each day to 37 Lindsay Street, Cessnock, the home of Mr Alec Henderson. Mr Henderson was the chemist at R.W. Miller and Company's laboratory in Newcastle. This joint service gave both R.W. Miller and the Bellbird Company, a quick appraisal of the coal enroute and about to be sold. In early 1976 Bellbird Colliery established a laboratory at its pit office, and was able to make its own tests to determine for itself the coal's qualities.

It was probably due to this close association between the R.W. Miller and Company and the Hetton-Bellbird Colliery Company that in the beginning of 1976, Mr Peter Murray, then Superintendent of R.W. Miller and Company's coal mines, suggested to the Hetton-Bellbird Colliery Company, that it should operate the long disused Millfield Colliery lease. By this date Bellbird Colliery was finding many problems in maintaining its level of coal production. The Bellbird Company ceased its underground mining production on its own lease in February 1976. On 25th February 1976 Hetton-Bellbird Company commenced to operate the Millfield lease.

When Millfield Greta Colliery had ceased its mining operations, R.W. Miller Company had sealed the main haulage tunnel entrance by a light soil and earth fill. Hetton-Bellbird Colliery using their own pit front-end loader soon cleared the opening. The earlier Millfield Greta Colliery gantry, pit-top and the elevated coal holding box had been almost completely destroyed by a bush fire in the 1968 summer. Consequently Hetton-Bellbird Company considered that for its operation it was too expensive and unnecessary to repair these facilities. Instead it erected an "A" frame to support a used conveyor belt system to be transferred from Bellbird Colliery. The "A" frame was constructed from old electric light poles from Bellbird Colliery. A "cat-walk" made from 6 inches by 3 inches channel iron and rough timber planking running up on each side of the conveyor belting on the surface. Hetton-Bellbird Colliery had transferred from its own mine, a 415 volts twin drive Hanaford electric motor to drive the conveyor belt. This electric motor was positioned on a disused wagon timber frame. The belt had a tension loop. Coal won below ran over from the belt onto the ground to make a heap. The Hetton-Bellbird Colliery front-end loader lifted the coal from the heap to load the transport lorries of R. and P. Mitchell Limited of Bellbird.

The entrance to the Millfield Greta Colliery travelling heading tunnel, at the Millfield Colliery closure of 1955, had been equipped with a heavy timber door and padlocked. Therefore it was a comparatively easy project to prepare the heading for use by Hetton-Bellbird Company. It only required a minimum of clearing up debris of small falls, etc. Ventilation for the renewed working of Millfield Greta Colliery lease by Hetton-Bellbird Company was provided by the transfer of a Bellbird Colliery "aeroplane propeller" exhaust fan and installed in the previous concrete building over the original Millfield Colliery air shaft. This fan was driven by a 50 H.P. electric motor.

In the first four months of operation, coal lifted by R. and P. Mitchell Limited transport trucks was taken to Bellbird Colliery. Here this Millfield Greta production was "shandy-ed" with previously dumped Bellbird Colliery coal, standing on the ground surface at Bellbird Colliery, and the mixture was loaded into rail wagons. By arrangement with the Bellbird Colliery Company, this mixed coal was sold by R.W. Miller and Company as "pick-tops". This coal was despatched by rail from Bellbird Colliery in "L.C.H." type Government Railways rail wagons.

At various stages over the history of the Bellbird Colliery, some of the mine's coal production had been required to be stored or "held" by dumping on suitable areas on the Bellbird Colliery pit-top. Because of the nature and qualities of Bellbird Colliery coal, and its inherent tendency towards spontaneous combustion, the Company's insurers would not allow "dumped" coal to be in heaps over 5 feet high. In addition the mine's waste-examiner made daily inspections to ensure against any self heating. During Mr Athol Lightfoot's period of management, a large quantity of coal containing a high content of sulphur was spread thinly widely around the Bellbird Colliery pit-top. Mr Lightfoot held a theory, that over a period of time, such coal so "dumped" would be washed by rain at little cost, and the sulphur leached out. The actual cost analysis at the time of the lift is not known, but all coal was sold. All dumped coal at Bellbird Colliery had been lifted by mid-June 1976.

In June 1976 railway transport of coal from Bellbird Colliery was discontinued. On 28th July 1976, the rail entry to Bellbird Colliery was "straight-railed" to make the Branch Railway to be for Pelton Colliery rail traffic only. From this date, all coal production from the Bellbird Colliery "Millfield Greta" working was transported by road by the firm, R. and P. Mitchell Limited to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery washery at Rothbury for treatment and rail loading.

To win the Millfield Greta coal, Bellbird Colliery had transferred its Le Norce continuous mining machine; its Case diesel underground tractor to transport the coal to the conveyor; the rubber belting conveyor, its structure, and its Hanaford electric drive motor; and a second-hand fan to provide ventilation.

When the Bellbird Company working from the main Millfield Greta Colliery haulage heading was halted due to the pit conditions, an alternative area was sought. In the early 1970's the neighbouring mine, Maitland Main Colliery, had obtained a small area of the Millfield Greta Colliery lease adjoining the railway crossings on the Cessnock-Wollombi Main Road, and within this area opened a small open-cut mining operation. Hetton-Bellbird Company using the Bellbird Colliery front-end loader made a box-drift entry through this open-cut into the seam in the old Millfield Greta Colliery workings. This drift's heading was narrow, just wide enough to allow the front-end loader to operate. The "A" frame, its "cat-walk", the conveyor belting and its Hanaford electric drive motor, etc., etc., all of which had been constructed or installed by Hetton-Bellbird Company at the original Millfield Greta main haulage heading were transferred by Bellbird Colliery crane the short distance to the new box-cut drift in the open-cut. In this new area, the workings generally headed back towards the Maitland Main Colliery fan adjacent to the Cessnock-Wollombi Main Road. The main heading here, in which the rubber belting conveyor ran, was in actual fact directly under the Wollombi Road. In this particular operation, the pillars were made 18 yards long by 6 yards, bords and cut-throughs were driven some 4 yards wide.

Over the whole period of the Hetton-Bellbird Company Millfield Greta operation, the company had been plagued with "crush and creep" difficulties. Whilst not entirely unknown to the company, it was an unpleasant legacy for the Hetton-Bellbird Company. This condition was also experienced in the "box-cut" heading workings entered through the open-cut area. By early December 1977, it was found that this problem could not be overcome. On Sunday morning 13th December 1977, the site manager of the project, Mr Alec Rutherford made his own inspection and assessment of the then "crush and creep" problem. Using measuring sticks, he could literally observe the action of the floor moving up and the roof coming down. Mr Rutherford called out a team of miners, who moved out the Case tractor, transformers, cables, etc. All equipment was transported out on the rubber conveyor belt. By Monday morning, there was only 18 inches of the props' lengths visible in this particular area. On the 18th January 1978, it was decided by the Hetton-Bellbird Company, that all underground working at its Millfield Greta lease project should be discontinued.

During the summer of 1968, a bush fire in the undergrowth and re-growth trees surrounding the pit-top area of Millfield Greta Colliery, had badly damaged, almost completely gutting and destroying, the gantry, pit-top and coal holding box at Millfield Greta mine. Almost immediately following the decision on the 18th January 1978 to cease underground mining, steps were taken by the Hetton-Bellbird Company to demolish the remaining old original Millfield Greta Colliery fire damaged pit-top. The remains of the gantry and the elevated timber coal holding box were cleared. In addition the pit's rail sidings yard was lifted. An open-cut mining operation was commenced along the seam outcrop in this particular area by the Hetton-Bellbird Company. The earth moving contractors, Goodsir and Cooper, of High Street, Cessnock, were engaged to carry out the open-cut mining operation. Once more, coal produced was transported by the firm, R. and P. Mitchell Pty. Ltd., of Mount View Road, Cessnock to Ayrfield No. 3 Colliery washery at Rothbury for treatment and rail loading. All Hetton-Bellbird Company mining operations, including the open-cut project, on the Millfield Colliery lease, were completed on 14th May 1979.

One other item that should be recorded in this "Method of Working" section concerning the Hetton-Bellbird Colliery's operation was the "cavil" (or allocation of working places) that took place each 3 months. Firstly the pit-horse stopped with the "wheeling road". It was the wheeler, sidler and miner, who changed as the result of the draw or cavil. Secondly, when the new locations were known, the miner transferred his gear, i.e., drills, shovels, etc., by loading such gear onto a skip, whether loaded or empty, with a chalked message written on the skip's side, indicating the owner, and to where such gear was directed. After a cavil, those who were moved over the "jig", during the late 1920's and throughout the 1930's, the tools of such miners were transported up the "jig" in a skip hauled by Mr Ben Jenkins, (a wheeler) and his pit-horse.

First underground haulage at Bellbird No. 1 Workings appears to have been powered by steam. The colliery chimney stack was completed on 2nd September 1911. By this same date the Bellbird No. 1 pit-top was nearing completion. Tradition and history by word of mouth within the Mathieson family supports the information of a steam powered endless rope haulage. The Cessnock Eagle newspaper in its issue dated 7th August 1914 advised that the "endless rope haulage at Bellbird Colliery had been installed that week". The newspaper informed further that previously a winch had moved skips in sets of 10, to supply the 210 miners.

Electricity generation was first installed during 1912. This was a 100 kW Curtis turbine, which generated direct current electricity to drive the coal cutters. The 1913 Mines Department Annual Report records the installation of a 912 kW Bellis and Morcom unit generating alternating current 2200 volts electricity. This same Annual Report informs that in that year an electric haulage was in use. This is thought to have been an electric winch underground on a side heading transporting skips to and from the main heading.

The Maitland Mercury newspaper in its issue dated 5th August 1918 informed that a new haulage was planned for Bellbird No. 1 Workings. This information is also recorded in the "Chemical, Engineering and Mining Review" in its issue dated 5th August 1918. This journal in its issue dated 5th August 1927 records that a new haulage in the Bellbird No. 1 main heading had been placed in commission. Mr John Shoebridge, superintendent of the Argenton Mines Rescue Station, in a section of the book, "Shaping the Hunter", shows that this particular electric haulage motor had been supplied by Carrow Iron Works of Scotland. This was said to be a 600 H.P. unit. This motor was housed in an engine house at the northern end of No. 1 pit-top. This building had been erected on the town side of the Pelton Branch Railway and the Bellbird Colliery sidings. The engine driver at this date was Mr W. "Bill" Carruthers.

Pit-horses provided the underground skip transport to the coal face. Mr Jim Rutherford residing at 45 Wollombi Road, Cessnock, now aged 87 years (1990), was an early Bellbird Colliery employee. Jim told me, when he commenced work at Bellbird Colliery as a young man, his first occupation was a "contract wheeler". Both miners and pit-horses entered the mine by the travelling tunnel heading. The contract wheeler in those days took two empty skips into the work face and returned with two loaded skips to be attached to the main haulage rope. Each wheeler served two pairs of contract miners, some 40 yards apart.

In the development of Bellbird Colliery workings, in the driving of bords and headings and after the formation of the pillars, these pillars were divided off into panels for later working by pillar extraction, and were given by barrier pillars. Each panel had its own "flat" on the main haulage road or on the major side heading.

Usually the bords and headings had been driven in with a slightly rising incline, so that the pit-horses were assisted in wheeling downhill to the panel flat. In sections or panels, where the distance was considered excessive in wheeling time, a sidler with his horse was utilised to bring empty skips in or loaded skips out to and from the haulage rope to a point, which halved the haul. In effect the sidler was a second wheeler, who by this operation, lessened the burden on the wheeler and his horse. All pit-horses came out of the mine, each day.

An early (now aged) Bellbird Colliery employee, Mr Arthur Threadgate, who resides at 23 Comfort Avenue, Cessnock, told me of his experiences as a sidler in No. 1 Workings 15 East section in the mid 1930's. Arthur said when he commenced as a sidler, he had had little experience. However the pit-horse knew the job, and Arthur followed. Skips were hauled in sets of six. Some bords in 15 East were slightly steeper and required some braking by the placing of 2 sprags in the set of 6 loaded skips. The pit-horse also assisted by leaning back on the leading "pushing" skip. The horse's hearing was very good. If the sidler was attaching the limbers to the skip, and he missed with the pin, and if the horse heard the coupling sound, it would take off. Arthur said the pit-horses were very knowing.

Mr Lyall Allan, now aged 86 years (1990), and who resides at No. 3 Bayview Street, Blackalls Park, informed me that he commenced work at Bellbird Colliery, when he was 13½ years old. His first position and duty was to drive a 30 H.P. electric haulage winch at the new Bellbird No. 2 Workings. When Mr L. Allan commenced work, he could see the single pair of contract miners down the tunnel driving the entry headings. The winch, with a jerky action, direct hauled the loaded skip to the surface. This coal production was taken by a sidler and his pit-horse on a very uneven single surface skip track to the screens at No. 1 pit-top. For some months, the winch motor stood out in the open. After a number of electrical storms, a few pit props were stood, and roofed with a few sheets of corrugated galvanised iron to provide meagre weather protection for both the young engine driver and the equipment.

In early 1920 the earlier 30 H.P. electric winch was replaced by a larger 55 H.P. electric motor and an endless rope, which ran down the haulage tunnel entry at the No. 2 Workings. At the same time the surface skip rail track running to No. 1 Workings pit-top was duplicated. The same endless rope running down into the mine, by a system of wheels at the No. 2 Workings was also used to haul the skips, to and from the No. 1 pit-top over the surface skip tracks. By mid 1920 an outside contractor had constructed a poured concrete building at the No. 2 Workings entry headings. This housed two electric motors. The Maitland Mercury newspaper, in its issue dated 6th July 1920, records that the Australian General Electric Company had installed a new 600 H.P. British Thompson electric motor at the Bellbird Colliery No. 2 Workings. This new motor had a 12 feet diameter "C" wheel, which was utilised to operate the endless rope. This rope was about 2 inches diameter in thickness. The Bellbird Company considered that this unit would be able to handle the ever increasing development at the No. 2 Workings. The 55 H.P. electric motor was also transferred within the new poured concrete engine house. With the installation of the new haulage motor, the 55 H.P. motor was utilised only for an endless rope haulage on the surface skip tracks between No. 2 and No. 1 Workings.

The new engine driver was Mr Hammond Archer, who operated the two engines. The engine driver received instruction signals from underground, both by sight in the form of a light, and by sound in the form of a bell. These instruction signals were electrically transmitted along a wire. The electrical charge was made by carbon poles standing in jars of sal-amoniac. A system known as the "Lechanche" cell.

The method of haulage that applied in the Bellbird No. 2 Workings would appear to be the pattern that would have applied in all (including future) Bellbird Colliery Workings haulage tunnels. The endless rope was extended every 250 yards as the development and haulage headings advanced. To avoid a long haul for wheelers prior to the endless rope extension, usually a winch driven by a 55 H.P. electric motor pulled skips to an adjacent flat to be placed on the endless rope. The return of the empty skips down the mine was greatly assisted by the effects of gravitation forces. Loaded and empty skips in main haulage headings, generally moved insets of three. Loaded skips in the No. 2 haulage, as at No. 1 Workings haulage, rose on the left-hand side skip rail track as one looked down the mine. Empty skips in both haulage headings returned down into the mine on the right-hand side skip rail track. All clips used in the various haulage systems at the separate workings, were manufactured in the Bellbird workshops.

The main haulage in the No. 1 Workings ran in for a total of about 3¼ miles (5.2 km). The first part was some 75 chains (1.5 km) in length to where it reached the major Bellbird Fault adjacent to 10 East. In this fault, the coal seam had an up-throw of 180 feet. To regain the seam work level, three stone drives (or drifts) were made through the strata. These drift headings were some 80 yards in length and about 30 yards apart. The drifts were fairly steep, some 1 foot in 5 feet. A "jig haulage", gravity operated, was installed to connect to the main haulage. In this jig haulage working, 8 loaded skips raised 8 empty skips to the higher seam level. A mine employee, known as the "jigman", used a foot pedal to brake and restrict the rope movement. This area in the Bellbird workings was known generally as the "jig".

As has been recorded earlier, it would seem that the first part of the haulage in the No. 1 Workings was steam powered. This then was followed by the gravity powered jig to reach the second part of the No. 1 Working haulage. From this point at the top of the jig, another endless rope moved the skips. This particular endless rope, like all other underground haulage ropes, was electrically powered.

Despite intensive research, the names of almost all of the various manufacturers of electric motors utilised, eludes me. It is known that the haulage engines ranged in horse power from 30 H.P. to 600 H.P. There were quite a number of winches or direct haulages. Endless ropes were installed, where it was considered to be the best operation, as in 15 West, No. 2 Workings. 11 Slants, No. 1 Workings had an endless rope system, which hauled the skips in sets of 16. This particular rope was powered by a 400 H.P. electric motor. The Mines Department 1913 Annual Report records that in that year only one underground electric haulage motor was in operation. Mr W. Humble, Mines Department Chief Inspector, in an article published in the "Chemical, Engineering and Mining Review" in the issue dated 5th August 1921, informed that 5 electric underground haulages were in use at Bellbird Colliery. The 1927 Mines Department Annual Report, indicated that by that year, this number had grown to a total of 12 electric underground haulages at Bellbird Colliery.

Mr Tom Templeton had been the colliery "rope boss" for almost the whole of the first 30 years of the Bellbird Colliery life. The two main endless ropes in the No. 1 Working and the main haulage endless rope in the No. 2 Workings were of 4¼ inches circumference, and all other haulage ropes were of 2 inches circumference. At first all skips utilised were the wooden 1 ton capacity type. Towards the end of the 1940's steel 1 ton capacity skips were introduced as one of the Bellbird Company's innovations to overcome the dust hazards. The Company considered that the cracks in the wooden skips aggravated the dust problem by allowing spillage. At a later period, the Company introduced mechanical stone dusting machines that operated on the skip rail tracks as a further answer to the dust menace.

It is of interest, that when mining mechanisation and rubber belting conveyors were introduced, a large number of the wooden skips were withdrawn. Over a period these skips were brought to the surface and demolished. This was achieved by burning, and the metal recovered and sold as scrap.

Unlike many other tunnel entry mines on the South Maitland field, Bellbird Colliery main haulage ropes do not appear to have had surface tension applied to the ropes. However underground a large trolley was positioned beyond the end of the rope run. The trolley was some 8 feet wide by 10 feet long, and carried a high tower, in which cast iron weights hung. These weights were some 3 feet in diameter and about 3 inches thick. The tower trolley was attached to an anchor pole by a large threaded adjusting screw bolt (or bar). A crow-bar was used in the "set-holes" in the large nut to make the adjustments required to the rope. On some occasions when an endless rope became saturated with skips, particularly in the first part of the No. 1 Workings haulage, it caused the rope to slip. Loaded skips already on the rope had to be spragged, detached from the rope, and the distance between the sets spread. This electrical power load required the firemen on the boilers to work at a much increased pace, so that the electricity generation plant could work at its maximum. The Bellbird powerhouse was alongside the boilerhouse. When this steam demand was great, the powerhouse attendant was not too proud to grab a shovel. It was always a matter of personal pride by the boiler-men and the powerhouse attendants, that they were always able to meet the electricity demands on their particular shifts.

Mr Lyall Allan of Blackalls Park told a delightful story concerning a pit-horse, whilst Lyall was the driver at the No. 2 Workings engine house. Lyall received a telephone message, that a pit-horse had become caught by the rope at a "flat" near a side heading, where bridge boards covered the endless haulage rope whilst the pit-horse crossed into the side heading. Lyall had given some thought to this contingency previously. The electric motor and the rope had no "reverse motion". The 2000 volts electricity power fed direct to the motor. A "knife fuse" pulled, cut the power off, and made the motor "dead". Lyall reversed the connecting leads, he gave the electric motor a quick "hit", moving the rope back slightly, sufficient to free the horse. Fortunately the pit-horse suffered no damage other than cuts on its legs. With the large power leads changed back, the endless rope operated normally. Mission accomplished, without the drama of electricians or mine management supervision.

As recorded on page 760, a new entry was made into the Bellbird lease, which became known as the No. 3 Workings. This area was ready for mining operations on 3rd August 1937. For this single entry heading, a separate engine house was constructed to house the 150 H.P. electric haulage winch motor. This building was of timber construction, roofed and clad with galvanised corrugated iron. The first engine driver at this engine house was Mr Jack Carmichael.

At first only 8 pairs of contract miners appear to have been employed in the No. 3 Workings. The 150 H.P. winch direct-hauled sets of 8 skips. Loaded skips were placed over No. 3's own separate weighbridge, before being attached in sets of 4 skips to the surface skip rail track for transport to the screens and rail loading at No. 1 Workings pit-top. The weighman, Mr Norman Locock, doubled as the clipper. Some empty skips returning on the surface skip track from the No. 1 Workings towards No. 2 entry, were detached from the empty skip rope; thence by a gantry crossed over the loaded skip track to gravitate back towards the No. 3 Workings to await placement underground via the No. 3 entry. Empty skips were also moved below in sets of 8. The winch rope was used to brake the "gravity force" return.

The surface skip rail track, some 1400 yards in length, had been duplicated in December 1919, (see page 752). The skips on these tracks were hauled by an endless rope, which was powered by a 55 H.P. electric motor. This motor was housed in the No. 2 Workings engine house, and was also operated by the engine driver, Mr Hammond Archer. Mr Archer was the driver of No. 2 Workings endless rope haulage. Along the surface skip rail track, skips were assisted by the installation of a "Tommy Dodds" turnout at a difficult curve situated near the stables. In addition a Bellbird Colliery employee, Mr Tom Crossley of Wollombi Road, Bellbird was stationed at this site for many years. He used a crowbar to ensure the safe passage of the skips. For many years Mr Harold "Leppo" Davies, at the top of the gantry, had unclipped the skips rising from the No. 1 Workings. Loaded skips from the No. 2 and No. 3 Workings arriving at No. 1 pit-top in sets of 2 or 3 skips via the surface skip tracks, were caught by a creeper chain to be hauled up the gantry on their own separate tracks. Mr Sam Tattersal on Bellbird No. 1 pit-top handled these skips to be directed towards their separate tumbler.

The overland surface skip rail tracks transport ceased its haulage at the end of 1959. With the cessation of the open-cut mining, the Euclids or unregistered motor lorries used in the transport of open-cut coal production were utilised to handle coal from the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 Workings. The skip rails and short timber sleepers were removed, and a chitter road bed was laid. Mr Cliff "Tip" Ingle, of 19 David Street, Cessnock, became the regular road transport lorry driver.

In early 1941, Mr Aub Vernon (senior) and his son, Roy, drove a drift in the side heading running in a south-west direction parallel to the Kalingo Colliery barrier at the end of the No. 2 Working's main heading. Another member of the Vernon family, Mr Aub Vernon (junior) was the wheeler in this small team. The purpose of this drift was to shorten a long haul. An electric motor driving a small air compressor at the site, powered a jack hammer. This drift made through the strata. It was some 75 yards in length and was adjacent to 18 West gannon. A "main and tail" haulage operated by an electric motor was installed to reach the work places "in-bye" from this stone drive. When this drift had been completed, the development continued with two headings being driven, one for haulage and a return airway. In this development operation, a small 40 H.P. electric winch provided direct haulage for 2 skips. A "set-ri