Neath Colliery

(A) ORIGINAL	Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company
(B)	On Wednesday 20th July 1927, Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company went into voluntary liquidation, and a new company, Cessnock Collieries Limited, was formed to take over the assets, coal mining leases, freehold properties, collieries, etc., on the South Maitland field, that had previously belonged to the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company. Amongst these assets was Neath Colliery.
(C)	On the 13th August 1959, Caledonian Collieries Limited acquired the capital, assets and property of Cessnock Collieries Limited. Neath Colliery holdings were part of this take-over.
(D)	On the 2nd May 1960, Coal and Allied Limited was formed. This merged J. & A. Brown Abermain - Seaham Collieries, J.A.B.A.S., and Caledonian Collieries Limited. Neath Colliery lease-land, holdings and building became part of the assets of this new company.

(A) Record Tracing No.:	297 597.
(B) Register:	Northern Collieries Lease Books - Book No. 1 - No. 32 Book No. 2 - No. 6
(C) Papers:	1906/1718; 1912/1870; 1927/11808; 1930/29228; 1931/18774; M 16581.

(D) Neath Colliery was on the north side of the Cessnock to Kurri Road (Highway No. 132) and fairly close to Neath Public School of latter days.

(A) Neath Colliery was 8 miles 1 chain (12.82 kms) distant by road from Kurri Post Office.

(B) It was 3 miles 30 chains (5.4 kms) distant by road from Cessnock Post Office.

(C) The screens at Neath Colliery pit-top were 12 miles 12 chains (19.44 kms) distant by rail from the junction with the NSW Government Railways at East Greta Junction.

1720 acres. Of this area about 25% was coal-bearing. By the end of 1910, only 132 acres had been worked, for a total production to that date of 515,729 tons.

The Greta Seam coal measures outcrop along the western and northern sections of the Neath Colliery holding. The beds striking generally North 40º East. The dip being south-easterly at from five to six degrees.

The Top Greta Seam in Neath Colliery was the only seam worked. It varied greatly in thickness throughout the relatively small area of the holding in which it extended. From as much as 4 feet to 28 feet in the proving bores sunk.

In late 1903, Mr Edwin Pepper, a coal bore sinker, dropped 3 bores for the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company on land on the South Maitland coalfields in which the company was interested. All three bores proved coal seams, which are reported thus:

Another bore sunk by the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company struck coal on Tuesday 3rd October 1905 at a depth of 286 feet. This coal seam was 27 feet 10 inches in thickness, and included 1 foot 9 inches of intersecting bands, of which was one 11 inches thick of shale and fireclay.

The Neath Colliery ventilation shaft showed the Greta Top Seam to be 28 feet thick. At this point it had a fine conglomerate roof and it had a shale floor.

The Greta Lower (Homeville) Seam was separated from the floor of the Greta Top Seam by from 60 to 75 feet of sediments. This Greta Lower Seam included three small splits ranging from 1 foot 3 inches to over 3 feet in thickness. A small prospecting shaft situated 52 chains (1.04 kms) North 70º West from the main shaft was sunk to test the Greta Lower (Homeville) Seam. The bottom split was found to be 2 feet 2 inches thick. Two upper splits were much thinner. The Greta Lower (Homeville) Seam was not worked within the Neath Colliery holding.

The Neath Colliery coal lease was acquired by the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company during 1903. Test bores were sunk by Mr Edwin Pepper late in 1903 on this lease for the company.

On Wednesday 7th February 1906, Mr G.H. Alderton, company secretary for the Wickham and Bullock Island Company, notified the Mines Department that Mr Clem Jones had been appointed manager of the company's new colliery shortly to be developed on the South Maitland coalfields. On Monday 16th April 1906, Mr Alderton advised the Mines Department that these new workings, were to be known as Neath Colliery. At its half-yearly meeting held on Monday 30th April 1906, the Wickham and Bullock Island Company announced to its shareholders that progress was being made with both the specifications for the Neath Colliery and the survey for its connecting branch railway. Further that the contract for the sinking of the two shafts on the Neath lease had been made. The successful tenderer were Messrs Champion and Goddard on the 30th March 1906. When an industrial hitch occurred, Wickham and Bullock Island Company brought in Mr I. Nixon from their Carrington mine to be the temporary sinking overseer. Also that plant and machinery recovered from the company's Newcastle field collieries was to be utilised at the new Neath Colliery.

Neath Colliery had five entry points, two shafts and three tunnels. The original colliery entry was via two shafts, about 60 yards apart, and which were sunk in 1906. Two tunnels were driven in at the outcrop during late 1914. A third tunnel entry was made in the latter end of 1930.

The main shaft, which was adjacent to the pit-top structures, was also the down-cast airway. It was 14 feet in diameter, and 299 feet deep to the roof of the main Greta Top Seam. The shaft was brick lined from top to bottom. This shaft carried two cages, which were supported by rigid steel rail guides, and these were constructed so as not to obstruct the ventilation with centre buntons. A bunton was a horizontal timber of girder placed across a shaft to support cages, guide rails or ropes, pipes, etc. The single-decked cages in this main shaft carried two skips at a time. The cage measured 6 feet 2 inches high by 11 feet long and 3 feet 6 inches wide.

The up-cast air shaft or return airway was located on the main road, (Cessnock to Kurri), side of the pit-top structures. This shaft was 12 feet in diameter and 312 feet in depth. It too was brick lined from top to bottom. There was a single cage in this shaft and which had 4 steel rope guides. This cage measured 5 feet 9 inches high by 5 feet 6 inches long and 3 feet 4 inches wide.

From the bottom of the main haulage shaft, two main headings were driven in a direct north direction, and opposite two main headings to the south. Each heading was 9 feet wide and 9 feet high.

In the latter part of 1914, following the sealing of the two Neath Colliery shafts to extinguish the underground fire of the 26th July 1914, two tunnels were driven into the outcrop one mile due north of the Neath Colliery shafts. The main aim of these tunnels was to provide easy entry for inspection of the underground fire's damage. When the fire had been extinguished, and Neath Colliery re-opened for normal working and production on Monday 4th January 1915 utilising the shafts, these northern outcrop tunnels became the miners' and horses' travelling roads. These two tunnels were fairly close to the old Maitland to Cessnock Road via Sawyer's Gully, and were locally nicknamed by the miners as "Snake Gully". In the early 1940's Neath Colliery coal production was hauled via the Neath North Tunnel.

In the late 1930's when coal was being removed in the pillars adjacent to the Neath Colliery shafts, another tunnel was driven in on the outcrop about one mile due west of the Neath Colliery shafts. This tunnel was almost on the fence line between Coal and Allied Limited's Aberdare North Colliery Tunnel and the Neath Colliery lease.

The bord and pillar system of mining was adopted in Neath Colliery. First workings averaged 8 feet in height, and in this method removed 40% of the coal. The bords were 8 yards wide by 8 feet high. Pillars were 14 yards wide by 44 yards long. Cut-throughs were 6 yards wide and 8 feet high, and were made every 44 yards. As far as possible bords and cut-throughs were driven to make levels for "flat-wheeling". Bords and pillars were split into districts or panels, which were 20 chains or 440 yards (0.4 kms) square.

In the very first days of colliery operation, all mining was by contract working with hand-picking and hand-boring. By 1911 one Jeffrey "short-wall machine and two Jeffrey "breast-cutters" had been introduced. In 1915 five further Jeffrey cutters had been added. Whilst some hand mining methods still continued, by 1922 Neath Colliery had twelve electrically driven Jeffrey coal cutting machines in use.

In August 1911 in giving evidence at the Mines Department Inquiry into Greta Seam mining methods, Neath Colliery manager, Mr Clem Jones stated that his colliery was a leasehold of some 1720 acres, of which 132 acres were being worked. The deepest cover was 350 feet and the least cover 68 feet over a 10 feet 6 inches thick seam. Seam thickness ranged from 10 feet 6 inches to 19 feet. First workings was to 8 feet, in this good coal. Most coal up to 85% was obtained by coal cutting machines, which produced in proportion of 70% large coal to 30% small coal. Water was laid on below in case of underground fires. At this date, in his evidence Mr C. Jones informed that 280 miners were employed with six deputies supervising.

As the first Neath Colliery manager, Mr Clem Jones had arranged for the colliery shafts to be sunk, where it provided the deepest cover on the lease. He then arranged for the first main headings to be driven towards the outcrop. This was partly to improve the drainage of the mine, with all underground water flowing back to the pumps at the shaft bottom. More importantly, the slope and inclination of such headings, greatly assisted the wheeling and underground haulage. Perhaps this is an appropriate position to record that included in Mr Clem Jones' program and planning was to have narrower and smaller pillars to recover the greatest coal production.

At its Company's directors' meeting held on the 22nd June 1914, the Board had approved the plan submitted by the Colliery Manager, Mr Clem Jones, that two tunnels should be driven into the Neath Colliery lease from the northern outcrop for the purpose of connecting and proving of the Greta Top and Bottom Seams on the holding. Barely a month later a serious fire raged in the airway overcast in Neath Colliery No. 3 West Heading. Both the management and the board of directors decided the best method to extinguish the fire was to seal both shafts. This was carried out immediately, and the Neath mine was closed on Tuesday 28th July 1914.

In the latter part of 1914 two tunnel drifts were commenced through the stone conglomerate near the outcrop one mile due north of the Neath Shafts. The main need at this time was to inspect and repair the damage from the underground fire. Neath Colliery re-opened on Monday 4th January 1915, and produced coal on Monday 8th February 1915. The production was again lifted via the shafts. The new tunnels were utilised by the miners and pit-horses as travelling roads into the colliery. These new Neath North Tunnels were not used for coal haulage until the 17th March 1943.

Skips of coal production arriving at Neath Colliery pit-top from underground via the main shaft were emptied in sets in a "three-skip" tippler. This huge tippler was unique, and in keeping with Neath Colliery manager, Mr Clem Jones' plans and designs of economical working. It was 11 feet 6 inches in diameter, and divided into three compartments with a set of skip rail tracks in each to meet the skip track on Neath Colliery pit-top. The large tippler's axis base was set off centre. The first loaded skip due to its weight moved the tippler downwards to allow the next following skip to enter the second compartment track. Again the process was repeated to allow the third skip to enter on the third compartment track. Each loaded skip pushed out an empty skip from the compartment it entered. The tippler had made a complete circle, and in so doing had unloaded the coal in the skips to the screens. An effective process, which had not utilised steam or electric power but purely gravity.

The coal ran onto a "Marcus" type steel shaker conveyor, and was the first of that style to be installed at a colliery in NSW. It was 62 feet long, and the coal moved its length at a speed of one minute. This conveyor was belt driven by a 10 horse power electric motor, which operated at 1060 revolutions per minute. The large coal moved to a picking belt (steel) and thence to be loaded via a chute into the rail wooden hopper coal wagons. The small coal was caught underneath in a trough and was conveyed to the small coal loading siding to be placed into wagons or dumped into heaps with the chitter, shale pit-refuse, etc., from the picking belt. Subsequently a "duff sieve plate" was added and the small coal was loaded into wagons and the "duff" dumped. (Author's note: See page 363 re final disposal of "duff and chitter" heaps, which were scattered around the pit-top). At no period did Neath Pit have a small coal holding bin.

After being unloaded the wooden pit-skips were returned to an area adjacent to the shaft to await re-entry into the mine. These empty skips were moved by a creeper chain travelling at a speed of 50 feet per minute, the motion being imparted to the creeper chain by a spur gearing from a 5 horse powered electric motor.

No mechanisation appears to have been introduced at Neath Colliery other than the electric coal cutting machines and electric borers. Pillar coal and "tops" both were won on these methods.

In late 1938 when coal was being removed in some pillars adjacent to the Neath Colliery main shaft, another tunnel (the 3rd), was driven in on the outcrop about one mile due west of Neath shafts. This entry was towards the Aberdare North Tunnel, and almost on that mine's boundary fence line. As well as working its nearby Neath Colliery lease, some coal from closer to the shaft was transported back up this incline. Except for the endless rope haulage in the "main-north" and "main-south" headings, all other skip haulage was made by pit-horses. To overcome this burden for the horses, a small 25 horse powered electric motor was installed to drive an endless rope to haul the one-ton wooden skips. The skips were side-tipped into a wooden holding bin or box. From this bin, coal was transported back overland by lorries belonging to Mr Ted Lowe to be treated at the screens at Neath Colliery pit-top. Later Mr Jack Lynch took over Mr Lowe's contract.

On 17th March 1943, the then colliery manager, Mr Wilson Barrett decided to cease raising coal via the shaft and to utilise the Neath North tunnels to haul out all Neath Colliery production. This decision enabled the wining of all pillar coal supporting the shafts. Then as well as being the miners' travelling road the Neath North tunnel became the haulage road. Caledonian Collieries Limited, at that time the supplier of electricity power within the City of Cessnock Municipality, erected a transmission line from Neath village at a cost of £348-0-0 ($696.00). This supplied electricity for a second-hand 25 horse powered motor transferred from Cessnock No. 2 Colliery to drive an endless rope to haul the mine's coal production in one ton capacity wooden skips from the underground workings at a speed of three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kms) per hour. Skips were unloaded into a timber holding box or bin to await surface transport by Mr Jack Lynch's lorries to be treated at the screens at Neath Colliery pit-top, and finally to be loaded into the rail wooden hopper wagons. Two skip tumblers (tipplers) were transferred from the old Neath Colliery pit-top.

In keeping with his great foresight that he had exhibited in his control and planning of the Neath Colliery coal mine, firstly on behalf of the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company and later Cessnock Collieries Limited, Mr Clem Jones, in his original design of the Neath Colliery workings and layout, had set aside areas for future open-cut operations. Such careful planning resulted in great rewards almost 50 years later, a "real bonanza", when the Cessnock Collieries Company turned to open-cut mining on the Neath Colliery lease, when the normal underground mining had become restricted and uneconomical. What great wisdom was shown by one of the "fathers" of Greta Coal Seam workings on the South Maitland Coalfields.

When the Neath West Tunnel ceased its production haulage in mid 1949, the firm, N.H. Bowers Pty. Ltd., was engaged to commence an open-cut in that section. Norman Bowers utilised "Euclid Plant" in this operation. The Bowers Company also provided their own lorries, (or contractors) to transport the open-cut production to the screens at Neath Colliery pit-top for treatment and loading into rail wooden hopper wagons. At the end of 1951, when underground mine working in Neath Colliery ceased, and consequently the skip haulage via the Neath North Tunnel stopped, much of this area as well as much of the outcrop right along the Neath Colliery lease, was also worked in an open-cut operation by N.H. Bowers Pty. Ltd.

During 1957 Cessnock Collieries Limited installed a simple washing plant at Neath Colliery pit-top. This was a "Diester Table" type. It was introduced to improve the quality of the Neath Colliery lease open-cut coal production. No other Cessnock Collieries Limited coal was "washed" and treated at Neath. Open-cut mining on the Neath lease-holding ceased during May 1959.

On the 13th August 1959, Caledonian Collieries Limited acquired the assets, leases and pit-tops belonging to the Cessnock Collieries Limited Company. Aberdare North Tunnel, a neighbour to Neath Colliery, was transporting its production to Aberdare Shaft Colliery for treatment, screening and loading into rail wooden hopper wagons. Later in 1959, Caledonian Collieries Limited decided to utilise the "Diester Table" washery at Neath pit-top to treat Aberdare North Tunnel coal. This was transported via the main Cessnock to Kurri Road in motor lorries. In early 1960 the then manager of Aberdare North Colliery, Mr George Walker, devised a scheme to construct a private road across the two lease-holds and quite close to the previous Neath West Tunnel to link Aberdare North Tunnel and Neath pit-top and washery plus the Neath rail sidings. This simple course avoided a costly burden of road tax charges.

In May 1964 the earlier "Diester Table" washery plant was considered inefficient and uneconomical for the increased volume of coal from Aberdare North Tunnel. Mr Ernie Roderick, Aberdare Shaft Colliery engineer replaced the "Diester Table" with a second-hand coal washing plant which had previously been utilised at Waratah Colliery, Newcastle. This coal washery plant, although small, was very effective, making about a 75% recovery of good clean washed coals.

Neath Colliery in its early days of operation was considered to be a "naked light" pit, indicating that it was thought to be free of gas.

The main winding engine on the Neath Colliery haulage shaft was a steam driven duplex unit. This had two cylinders, each of 20 inches diameter and with a 3 feet stroke. The unit was geared to revolve the steel rope onto an 8 feet diameter drum. The steam haulage engine was fitted with a "Burns" brake, complete with a throttle valve. Steam originally was supplied by a John Thompson boiler, 30 feet long and 8 feet 3 inches in diameter. As steam needs increased, four more Thompson boilers were added.

There was a small emergency cage in the air up-cast shaft, which was powered by a steam engine. This was a twin cylinder unit, in which the cylinders were 12 inches in diameter, and had an 18 inches stroke. The unit had a 7 feet diameter drum.

Haulage underground in the very early days of Neath Colliery operation was made by using pit-horses. Stables were provided both underground and on the surface. Bords and cut-throughs as far as was possible were driven to provide for "flat" or easy wheeling.

As the main headings extended towards the outcrop boundaries a steam driven endless rope operated from the surface via the air shaft. This endless rope system is said to have operated from 1912. Mr William Humble, Mines Department Inspector, on 5th October 1921 records that this underground endless rope, steam driven from the surface was still utilised in haulage. Unsupported information states that this endless rope haulage was powered by an electric motor during 1929. Certainly a number of subsidiary headings utilised electric motor driven endless rope haulages operated in 1931.

In late 1938 when the Neath West Tunnel was driven in from the outcrop, an endless rope powered by an electric 25 H.P. motor operated the skip haulage to the surface. Again on 17th March 1943 when Neath Colliery production ceased to be raised via the shaft and was changed to be transported to the surface via the Neath North Tunnels, 50 new skips were added to the fleet. A small weighbridge was installed. A 25 H.P. electric motor was installed to bring the wooden one ton capacity skips to the surface. Coal from both Neath West Tunnel and Neath North Tunnel was transported by motor lorries to the screens and wagon loading point at Neath Colliery pit-top. Similarly open-cut coal was surface transported by motor lorry to this point.

As steam needs declined, the steam boilers were progressively withdrawn. By end of 1943 only one boiler remained mainly to provide hot water for the bathhouse use.

Pit-horses were extensively used throughout the life of Neath Colliery. Stables were constructed underground and on the surface.

First ventilation at Neath Colliery was provided by two small fans which were operated by steam exhaust. On Friday 23rd October 1908 these small fans were replaced by an iron "Guibal-Walker" fan, 12 feet in diameter and 5 feet 6 inches wide. This was opened on both sides with a fixed "Walker" shutter at the exit end. This was belt driven by a rope gear from a steam engine. This fan provided 85,000 cubic feet of fresh air every minute.

This fan had been installed during 1888 at the Wickham and Bullock Island Company's Carrington pit. This Company's Directors' Meeting Minutes dated 5th July 1909 records:

In 1944 after the Neath North Tunnel had been made the main haulage route replacing the Neath Colliery shaft, a small electric Sirrocco fan was installed in this tunnel area to improve the ventilation. At the same time a second Sirrocco fan (also electric) was placed at the Neath West Tunnel. During early 1945 the original Guibal-Walker steam driven fan was replaced again by a small electric Sirrocco fan. This change was made to make the overall ventilation of the whole of the Neath Colliery workings more efficient. This made, at that period, a total of three small electric Sirrocco fans being utilised.

The first electricity power generation plant at Neath Colliery is thought to have been installed in 1908. The 1909 Mines Department Annual Report indicates that during that year an electricity generation plant was in operation at Neath mine. This was only a very small 6½ kW plant, a Siemens generator operating at 420 revolutions per minute, and producing 500 direct current pressure volts. This was belt driven by a vertical 8¾ horse powered, four pole Tangye engine. This Tangye engine was steam driven. It had a cylinder 7 inches in diameter with a 7 inches stroke. This electricity was utilised to light 39 surface lights only.

Because of the colliery company's plans to introduce some Jeffrey coal cutting machines, during 1910 a 150 kW electricity plant was installed. This was a Siemens generator operating at 420 revolutions per minute. It was driven by a Bellis-Morcom steam engine, which had two cylinders. One was of 21 inches diameter, the other 13 inches diameter. Both had a 9 inches stroke. At first, a single John Thompson boiler supplied the steam for both the haulage and the electricity generator. The boiler was 30 feet long and 8 feet 3 inches in diameter and supplied steam at 150 pounds per square inch pressure. This 150 kW unit produced direct current electricity at 500-550 pressure volts. It power operated the coal cutting machines and some 27 underground lights.

Mr Stephen Arthur Henery became the first colliery electrician. (Author's note: Mr S.A. Henery in later years organised the Cessnock Potteries Company at Nulkaba).

As steam needs increased four more Thompson boilers were added. Once Caledonian Collieries transmitted its electricity from its Cockle Creek powerhouse in 1927, and became the supplier within the City of Cessnock Municipality, it met the needs of many coal companies and soon made these companies' electricity redundant. Consequently some boilers were withdrawn from use at Neath Colliery. By the end of 1943 only one boiler remained in use.

A further smaller 45 kW generation unit was added in 1923 to meet the increasing demands of the coal cutting machines and underground lighting. The electric power supply from Caledonian Collieries described in the previous paragraph was connected in early 1929. The Neath generators were soon phased out and removed. During June 1936, the disused Bellis and Morcom generation unit at Neath Colliery was sold to Singleton Dairy Company by Cessnock Collieries through its agent, Mr J.R. Kennaway of Newcastle.

Right from the commencement of the sinking of the up-cast air shaft at Neath Colliery in 1906, underground water was a problem. A Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper report in its issue dated Monday 18th March 1907 informs of the water accumulation in the headings and the up-cast shaft of the new Neath Colliery. Work had been suspended due to this cause. The newspaper states that water simply poured through the facings, and that in February 1907, its rush could be heard on the surface. Mine water rose in the shaft to a height of 125 feet. The operation of two steam driven pumps (duplex) eventually mastered the problem.

Mr F. Danvers Power in his book, "Coalfields and Collieries of Australia" in 1912 described the water pumps for underground mine water at Neath Colliery as being, quote:

Research has failed to reveal if air compressors were utilised at Neath Colliery.

Neath Colliery topography presented quite a problem for its rail coal hopper wagons holding sidings. The shafts were sunk high on a hill, now known locally as Neath Hill. The climb up this slope for a train was fairly steep. Beyond the colliery pit-top, the slope became sharper. Therefore it was necessary for the colliery's sidings layout to continue on a contour, that gave a minimal rise. An increased number of "short loop" sidings more than the normal colliery set-ups or layouts, provided sufficient holding areas for both empty and loaded rail wagons in this difficult Neath Colliery topography.

A survey of the Neath Branch Railway and the proposed Neath Colliery sidings layout, was made in early 1904 by Mr Alfred F. Hall, an early well known Newcastle and coalfields surveyor. In mid 1906 Messrs Goddard Brothers, railway construction contractors, were given the project of building a single track railway to join the Aberdare Railway at Abermain. This rail track is shown in Wickham and Bullock Island Company records as costing £3,650-0-0 ($7,300.00). Mr A.F. Hall had been a large and foundation shareholder in the Aberdare Collieries of NSW Company, which owned and which had constructed the Aberdare Railway. Perhaps his knowledge in that company and their enthusiasm for the future of the South Maitland coalfields may have influenced his design of the Neath Colliery Branch Railway, so that later it could be utilised in the duplication of the Aberdare Railway. In these early years, Abermain Railway Station was manned principally to service Abermain Colliery, and thus was admirably suited for the diversion of Neath Colliery trains to the proposed Neath Colliery Branch track at that point.

In 1906 the new Neath Colliery Branch diverted from the Aberdare Railway by a facing movement set of points located about opposite Goulburn Street, Abermain present position. The railway then ran parallel to the Aberdare Railway until it crossed the Cessnock to Kurri main road, (Highway No. 132), on the level, where the present Neath Colliery Branch Railway level crossing stands. The Neath Colliery Branch Railway then ran parallel to the Cessnock-Kurri main road (Highway No. 132) for about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kms) until it curved in an arc toward the colliery screens site. The running road siding after passing the colliery pit-top continued on a gentle rising track on this same arc dividing into two dead-end sidings, which had capacity to accommodate a locomotive and 45 rail coal hopper wagons.

In the shunting movements in its early days, inwards trains detached the guard's brake-van on the running road siding clear of the points to the empty wagons standage sidings. When the van was secured, the inwards train drew forward into one of the dead-end sidings, then propelled the inward train into the empty wagons standage sidings. Later when the down inwards train had been increased to convey up to 55 vehicles, the excess vehicles were detached and secured in like manner to the earlier guard's brake-van. The first portion was shunted away, and the second portion was then recovered and placed into the empty wagons standage sidings, or alternatively "tail-roped" shunted into the adjoining dead-end siding. The locomotive then propelled the guard's brake-van back down the running road siding towards the entry to the loaded wagons sidings. This entry points was a facing points movement from the colliery running road siding. Neath Colliery Branch Railway track was considered to have ended at the colliery safety catch points constructed at a point almost opposite the Hunter District Water Board Neath Pumping Station. The colliery running road siding was actually the continuance of the Neath Colliery Branch track. As stated above the locomotive and brake-van having cleared the loaded vehicle sidings entry pints inside the protection of the catch-points, the guard set the points for the locomotive to enter the loaded wagons siding, and in the same shunt "tail-roped" the guard's brake-van back uphill onto the running road clear of the movement of the outwards loaded wagons train. When this was pulled out onto the Neath Branch track, the guard gravitated the brake-van onto the rear of the train, making it complete for departure. The guard's last important duty was to reset the catch points to provide protection for later Neath Colliery coal trains.

Messrs Goddard Brothers, the original railway construction contractors, had laid a total of 2 miles 20 chains (3.6 kms) of sidings within the colliery yard layout area, in addition to the original 1 mile 53 chains (2.66 kms) Neath Branch track. This project had included the construction of four cuttings, removal of 20,000 cubic yards of soil, rock, stone and fill, plus the making of necessary embankments. The first full train of coal was despatched from Neath Colliery to Port Waratah for the coal markets and shipping on Tuesday 26th February 1907.

In early 1909 a decision was made by the Aberdare Railway Board of Control, that the Aberdare Railway track from Weston to Cessnock should be duplicated. As part of this duplication, the Neath Colliery Branch Railway from Abermain Railway Station to Neath Railway Station became the Up Main Line. A reverse movement crossover set of points from the Down Main Line to the Up Main Line was constructed at Neath Railway Station on the Abermain side of the present road level crossing to Kearsley village at Neath Railway Station. This level crossing at this period had been for the old road from Kurri to Cessnock via School Hill, Abermain. It was then commonly or locally known as Smith's Crossing. With this new double track Aberdare Railway, Down Neath Colliery trains reversed over the level crossing from the Down Main to the Up Main via the new crossover points and were propelled back on the Up Main towards Abermain to clear the new entry points to the Neath Branch track. As a further safe-working precaution, on 9th November 1909 by Circular No. 130, the Aberdare Railways Board of Control introduced "ordinary staff working" on the Neath Branch. The authority to locomotive drivers to proceed onto Neath Branch was an "Annette Key" which operated a lock on the safety catch points on the Neath Branch, located near to the later Hunter District Water Board Neath Pumping Station. (Author's note: This system remained until rail traffic ceased in December 1984).

Neath Colliery Down trains were always a source of delay to either that train or to Up rail traffic because of the added time required in the reverse shunting, etc. In 1974 after the retirement of Mr Ron Garnham, manager of South Maitland Railways, your author (John W. Delaney) as traffic manager of the same company influenced Mr Bert Reynolds, the new manager that a "right running" crossover set of points should be constructed on the East Greta Junction side of the Neath Branch entry points. These crossover points were installed and operated from the 29th August 1975. Consequently this removed a very appreciable amount of traffic delays.

Whilst the NSW Government Railways had banned the use of rail wooden coal hopper wagons to transport coal production to Port Waratah as from the end of December 1972, this type of vehicle continued to be utilised to move Coal and Allied coal to Hexham treatment and marshalling area, particularly Aberdare North Tunnel production loaded at Neath Colliery sidings. However even this activity was progressively phased out, by the introduction of the use of the Government Railways 40 tons capacity "BCH" steel type vehicle, during October 1977. The last train of 40 rail wooden hopper wagons was despatched by train No. 118 on 8th February 1978. The steam locomotive also was phased out and haulage by Government Railway diesel locomotives commenced during June 1983. The last steam loco to run and lift ex Neath Colliery sidings was No.18, 7 a.m. shift 10th June 1983. The outward load consisted of 12 BCH bogie vehicles. The locomotive was manned by Bruce McEntyre, driver; Michael Rae, fireman and George Jenner, guard. The Government diesel locomotive haulage to Hexham to Coal and Allied sidings continued until December 1984. From that date until Aberdare North Tunnel ceased operation in April 1988, the coal production was hauled direct to Port Waratah, in Government Railways "CH" type vehicles.

It is of interest, that when the NSW Government Railways commenced the diesel locomotive haulage from Neath Colliery sidings, one of its first requirements was a change in the method of shunting the inwards train. The old method of "tail-roping" brake-vans, etc., was given a short history. Instead, Coal and Allied Limited was required to convert a then disused siding into a locomotive "run-around" siding.

When Neath Colliery commenced mining operations, its coal production was transported to Port Waratah in the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company's fleet of rail wooden hopper coal wagons. These rail wagons were branded "W.B.I.C.", with the top of the letter reaching to the bottom of the top side board. These letters were 2 feet in height and 2 inches in width. An identification number, 9 inches in height and 1 inch in width, appeared on both sides of the hopper and the frame. Within two years (1908) the name "Neath" had been painted in letters 9 inches in height and 1 inch in width, below the "W.B.I.C." brand.

By late 1910 Neath Colliery had a small fleet of its own rail coal hopper wagons, bearing the name "Neath" as its brand. The letters were 18 inches in height and 2 inches in width. The name was shown on the second and third top side boards of the hopper portion. The name "Neath" only appeared on both sides of the hopper, and was not shown on the frame. The identification number appeared on both sides of both the hopper and the frame. 40 such wagons were supplied by A. Goninan Limited, Newcastle during July 1909.

With the opening of two new company collieries, Cessnock Colliery (later Cessnock No. 2) in early 1917 and its other acquisition Kalingo Colliery (later Cessnock No. 1) in the early 1920's, all belonging to Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company, warranted a new approach to the company structure. On Wednesday 20th July 1927 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company went into voluntary liquidation, and a new company, Cessnock Collieries Limited, was formed and took over all the assets and collieries of Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company on the South Maitland coalfield. Both Neath Colliery and Cessnock No. 2 Colliery workshops were well equipped to handle all wagon repairs including major overhauls. Wheel lathes, turret lathes, blacksmiths and carpenters shop provided all necessary facilities. In addition a brass foundry at both collieries made the "brasses" available for axle-boxes and other essential locations.

Following the formation of Cessnock Collieries Limited the Neath Colliery workshops provided a continuous program of re-building, repairing, re-painting, re-numbering and re-branding. The rail coal wagons were painted in a deep burnt red colour. The identification number and the new brand "C.C." was over-painted in white on both sides of both the hopper and the frame. The letters on the hopper portion were 2 feet 6 inches in height, and 3½ inches in width. The letter reached the top of the second top side board.

During the early 1930's, with fairly constant use, the axles and bearings on the original wagons had become very worn. Some axles had been reduced from 4½ inches diameter to nearly 3 inches. The restoration of worn brass bearings was well within the capacity of the Neath Colliery workshops as a result of the colliery brass foundry. However to restore axle sizes was more difficult. An outside firm, McNicoll Brothers, won the contract to build up about 100 defective axles by a welding process at Neath Colliery. NSW Government Railways wagon inspectors on examination condemned the practice and "side-lined" almost 100 vehicles. However over the balance of Neath Colliery life, from time to time as need of coal rail wagons became pressing, the colliery engineer slipped in a rust covered "condemned axle" until all were used. These particular rail coal wagons ran from all Cessnock Collieries Company's mines to Port Waratah without mishap until all the wooden hopper coal rail wagons were disbarred on the Government Railways tracks by the NSW State Railways on 31st December 1972.

The poppet head at Neath Colliery over the main shaft was 60 feet in height, 16 feet square at its base, and 12 feet square at its summit. The timbers utilised were stout and well suited for this purpose. The back stays were massive timbers 99 feet long. These back stays and the poppet head uprights were fitted with cast iron shoes embedded in concrete. The winding engine and drums were also based on concrete.

Good use was made of topography or slope of the land in the erection of the screens area and loading point to gain the advantage in height in minimum construction costs. The rough sawn deck timber had been cut in the colliery's own saw mill. On its lease, the company had a timber reserve of 600 acres with trees well suited for adaptation to pit-work. The pit-top structure, where necessary was clad and roofed with galvanised corrugated iron.

All timber work, pit-top structure and workshops are said to have been constructed by the Muirhead family, long term employees of the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company at its Newcastle field coal mines.

The various tradesmen's workshops, i.e. blacksmiths, fitters, carpenters, etc., were all located in one building. This was 105 feet long, 26 feet wide and 14 feet high. It too had been built utilising sawn timber from the company's saw mill. It too was clad and roofed with galvanised corrugated iron.

The manager's residence was a substantially built weather board house, constructed in 1906 for the manager, Mr Clem Jones. Today the house is the home of Mr Wilson Barrett, who was for so many years connected with the company.

Amongst the early pit-top installations was a "three skip" tippler, which placed the coal production onto a steel "Marcus" conveyor. The "Marcus" conveyor was the first of that type installed at a colliery in NSW. Prior to reaching the tippler, loaded skips were moved to a Pooley weighbridge. This weighbridge was tested daily. If necessary, the scales were adjusted by a water balance trough.

The bricks to line the shafts and to build the boilerhouse, powerhouse and the colliery office were made at kilns on the Neath Colliery property. The dead-end empty wagons reception sidings together with the colliery running road, and the branch track up the Neath Hill from the Neath Railway Station made a very large arc, almost a semi-circle about 2 miles (3.2 kms) in length (or diameter). The remains of these brick kilns can still be found on the Neath Colliery property adjacent to the end of this lengthy dead-end siding, almost directly north of Neath Railway Station.

The Wickham and Bullock Island Company later made its brickyard a commercial proposition. On the 31st December 1924 the Mines Department granted the Wickham and Bullock Island Company 15 acres of a brick clay area as a mining purpose lease. Many bricks from these kilns were used in many prominent South Maitland Coalfields buildings. West Cessnock Public School, Cessnock Memorial Hall (now Credit Union Office), Catholic Lyceum Hall, East Cessnock Public School, and the Abermain Rescue Station, to quote just a few examples, that to this day still demonstrate the very fine quality of bricks produced.

An interesting feature of this particular brickyard was that in later years, the excavation made in obtaining the brickclay formed a popular swimming hole. Many picnics were held on the banks of this very pleasant surroundings. This swimming hole became known jocularly as "Neath Beach".

Like most South Maitland Collieries, because of its steam needs one of the first basic requirements at Neath Colliery was a large dam. In this construction in these early days the main equipment utilised was a "horse and scoop". Quite a number of well known coalfields residents were involved. To name just two:

"Capper" Gehrig, who lived on Maitland Road, Cessnock, where the motel now stands; James Lightfoot, Athol Lightfoot's grandfather.

Wickham and Bullock Island Company records show the total cost of the dam as being £237-3-9 ($474.39).

As has been described in a number of areas of these notes, chitter, shale, inferior coal and pit-rubbish reject material from the picking belts presented a problem at many mines. This was a similar problem at Neath Colliery. Many large "dump" heaps were made along the inside arc of the Neath Colliery rail sidings. Possibly because this was on the lower side of the slope, it made for convenient discharge and unloading.

By the late 1930's these chitter dumps and hills had reached mountainous proportions. Fortunately for Neath Colliery, up to this period no spontaneous combustion had taken place in these heaps. A few years after the start of World War II, the war effort and industry demands found coal to be in somewhat short supply. An astute coal salesman for Cessnock Collieries Limited sold this great quantity of "inferior coal" to the Sydney electricity generation powerhouses. These powerhouses had been fitted with equipment and furnaces to handle and burn this type of coal. Over a lengthy period, the chitter dumps at Neath Colliery were loaded by a front-end loader straight into NSW Government Railways "U" Class 25 tons carrying capacity rail wagons. These were despatched in train loads of 22 vehicles direct to Bunnerong Powerhouse.

One of their award benefits granted to the miner employees by the various coal companies, was that on request the miner received a load (1 ton) of coal per month for his own domestic use. In the early days of pre-electric stoves and appliances this right was quite a benefit, and perhaps the main reason, that civic gasworks were not constructed on the South Maitland coalfields.

In the mechanics of this coal-load benefit, a paper slip or "coal ticket", signifying the miner's right was issued by the colliery company to the miner, who in turn handed this to a coal carter or carrier. The carter on submission of the ticket to the appropriate and designated employee at the mine's screens, received 1 ton of coal into his vehicle. In the early days, this was a horse-drawn 1 ton capacity tip-dray. Later a small motor lorry was utilised. Most miners used the coal carter of their own choice.

In the early days, a certain volume of trafficking or trading in coal tickets was carried on in the coalfields, particularly by unmarried miners or non-householder miners, whereby some of the non-mining population could receive the miner's household coal at a small cost and money exchange. Whilst aware of such "scalping", most mining companies blandly took no action to counter. However the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company held a different view. From the early 1920's, especially after the opening of its "Little Cessnock" Colliery, (Later known as Cessnock No. 2 Colliery), the company engaged at each of its collieries, Neath Colliery and Little Cessnock Colliery, its own coal carter, who made the deliveries of household coal from its mines, in the Company's horse and 1 ton capacity tip-dray. Miners working at either colliery who lived within the Neath or Abermain villages received their household coal from Neath Colliery. Miners working at either mine, who lived at Cessnock and its adjoining suburbs received their household coal from Little Cessnock Mine, (the later Cessnock No. 2 Colliery). By the advent of coal production at Kalingo Colliery (later Cessnock No. 1 Colliery) household coal deliveries had progressed to a stage to be made by motor lorry. By utilising their own carter, Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company considered it could control the correct supply.

It is also a well known fact that when coal-tickets became assessed as income earnt for income tax deduction purposes, trafficking in coal tickets almost completely vanished.

Mention was made earlier in these notes about the "Diester" washing tables that were constructed in 1957 at Neath Colliery pit-top and screens to handle and improve the quality of open-cut coal production. Although quite small these tables were very effective in removing stone and other impediments. Coal being lighter, floated in water over the riffles or removing grid. The stone and heavier rubbish by a form of gravitation moved out sideways to drop out into a chute. A very simple but effectual operation.

In 1964 Coal and Allied Limited sought to increase the quantity being processed. To achieve this a second-hand washing plant, from one of the Group's then disused collieries, (Waratah Colliery), was transferred to Neath Colliery pit-top to replace the small "Diester Table" unit. This second-hand washing plant showed very good results, providing some 75% recovery from about 1250 tons treated daily.

A brand new washery plant, an "Acco Little Jig" manufacture, in early 1968 replaced the second-hand unit installed in 1964. This new plant washed with a kind of wave action.

Up till 30th April 1988, coal production from Aberdare North Tunnel was washed at Neath Colliery washery, then if necessary transported to Coal and allied Hexham Plant for blending, or alternatively despatched direct to Port Waratah for shipment. When Aberdare North Tunnel closed at the end of April 1988, so also did Neath Colliery washery.

Thence into Caledonian Collieries shipping office, next to Coal and Allied shipping office.

Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company was formed in 1879 with a capital of £110,000-0-0 ($220,000.00) in 70,000 fully paid-up shares at £1-0-0 ($2.00) each; plus 20,000 preferential shares paid to 5 shillings ($0.50) and 20,000 contributing shares also paid up to 5 shillings ($0.50). The purpose of this company was to conduct coal mining operations on the Newcastle field. The company held two coal areas. One belonging to Mr Peter Fleming; the second was on the other side of Throsby Creek. The private lease on the Lindwood Estate, the property of Mr Peter Fleming, was increased by an additional Government "Crown mining lease" to a total of 2150 acres. It extended from Goat Island, later known as Bullock Island, under the harbour basin and Throsby Creek, and included the present area of Carrington. Messrs Walker and Wilde, as mining contractors sunk the shaft on Bullock Island.

Another mining shaft sinking partnership, Messrs Walker and Fairley, sank a 231 feet deep shaft, 10 feet in diameter, to the Borehole Seam in 1883 for the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company. This seam was 19 feet thick at this point. By late 1884 the Company's two collieries, the one at Bullock Island and the other at Wickham, were connected underground. By 1890 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company had become a sizeable coal producer with James Fletcher, well known mining identity and personality as the colliery manager, and the mine employing some 300 men.

However, by august 1895 the company was finding many mining problems due to the terrain and the roof conditions. A fall in the pit during August 1895 was determined as being caused by the overburden over-riding the "six yards bords and six yards pillars. In early 1896 the Mines Department directed the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company, that it should increase the width size of its pillars to 8 yards, and that the Company should refrain from extracting the "top band coal".

Like other Newcastle mining organisations, Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company had observed the success of the pioneer coal company, East Greta Coal Mining Company, on the South Maitland field. This company had soon been followed on the South Maitland field by other Newcastle field mining groups such as the J. & A. Brown firm, the Australian Agricultural Company, Caledonian Coal Company and the Abermain Colliery Coal Company, a protégé of Seaham Collieries Limited. All these organisations took up coal leases. Similar to these firms, Wickham and Bullock Island had been having difficulty both with its expansion and its operation costs. These aspects were greatly aggravated by its terrain problems. During 1903 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company acquired 1720 acres from the Aberdare Collieries of NSW instead of by a direct Crown lease. At the 1903 Annual Shareholders' Meeting of the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal, the Company Chairman, J.F. Burns advised that:

The Registrar General's records in Book 804 No. 572 shows that Wickham and Bullock Island Company paid £6,000-0-0 ($12,000.00) to the Aberdare Collieries of NSW Company for its coal lease rights on this 1720 acres.

In late 1903 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company engaged Mr Edwin Pepper, a well-known mining bore-sinker of that period, to sink 3 bores on their new South Maitland Coalfields mining lease. In these 3 bores, the Greta Coal Seam was proved, but much less in thickness than that found in the other early South Maitland field mines. Coal thicknesses in the Pepper bores are shown thus:

Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company itself sunk yet another bore, which on Tuesday 3rd October 1905 found the Greta Seam at a depth of 286 feet. The seam in this bore was 26 feet thick.

Following the encouragement of its South Maitland field exploration, and because of the seriousness of its mining problems on the Newcastle field, Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company discontinued its mining operations at its Carrington pit. Almost immediately, the Company demolished the surface structures of this mine.

On Wednesday 7th February 1906, Mr G.H. Alderton, the Company Secretary for the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company from the Company's head office at 38 Pitt Street, Sydney, notified the Mines Department, that Mr Clem Jones had been appointed manager of the company's new South Maitland Coalfield mining operation. On the 16th April 1906, the Mines Department was informed that the name of this new mining development was Neath Colliery. Many of the previous Carrington Colliery miners shifted to Neath Colliery. Good use was also made at Neath Colliery of recoverable Carrington Colliery mining machinery, which had been removed in the second half of 1906.

At Neath, the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company constructed pit-top structures, sunk shafts and drove headings, but not without some serious underground water problems. In February 1907 whilst headings were being driven from the shaft bottom, water poured from the face in a rush, and rose back up the shaft to a height of 125 feet. The colliery was closed for some 25 days directly due to this cause. This required two large Tangye steam pumps to master this problem.

Meanwhile Mr Alfred F. Hall, a well known early coal mines surveyor, had made designs and plans for a Neath Colliery Branch Railway and also for the colliery coal rail wagons holding or standage sidings. Mr A.F. Hall was a large shareholder in the Aberdare Collieries of NSW Company, the owners of the Aberdare Railway. Perhaps this influenced Mr Hall to plan that the Neath Colliery Railway Branch line should junction with the Aberdare Railway at Abermain. Maybe Mr Hall foresaw that sometime in the not too distant future that the Aberdare Railway track would be duplicated, and with his common interest to both the railway company and his client, Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company, Hall designed that the Neath Colliery Branch Railway should run parallel to the Aberdare Railway as far as the foothill of the Neath Colliery coal lease.

First train of coal was despatched from Neath Colliery on Tuesday 26th February 1907. By the end of 1907 Neath Colliery's daily coal production averaged 450 tons.

In early 1909 a decision was made to duplicate the Aberdare Railway track from Weston to Cessnock. As part of this duplication, the Neath Colliery Branch Railway from Abermain Station to the present day Neath Railway Station became part of the Aberdare Railway Up Main Line. A reverse movement crossover set of points from the Down Main to the Up Main Line was constructed at Neath Railway Station on the Abermain side of the present road level crossing giving access to Kearsley village. Down Neath Colliery trains reversed over the level crossing, then via the crossover points on the Up Main Line to clear the trailing set of entry points to the Neath Colliery Branch.

In his design and layout of the Neath Colliery underground workings, the manager, Mr Clem Jones had planned that the colliery shafts should be sunk where the coal was at its deepest point on the lease. Mr Jones then had his main colliery headings driven towards the outcrop on the lease boundaries. He then organised the bords and pillars to be made working back towards the shafts. His purposes was to lessen his haulage costs, and to lighten the mine workers' efforts by having the easier haulage for the pit-horses by underground roads that gravitated back towards the shafts. In addition, underground water gravitated back to a sump adjacent to the base of the shafts, for pumping to the surface. As indicated earlier (page 364), Mr Jones' foresight and planning had been to set aside areas at the outcrop with small depths of overburden to be worked in the future under open-cut conditions. A great reward to Cessnock Collieries in later years. Mr C. Jones' mining methods was to have narrower and smaller pillars to recover the greatest coal production. What great wisdom and skills were demonstrated by this early manager.

Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company early in 1911 planned to take up more leases in the western section of the South Maitland field. The Newcastle Morning Herald newspaper in its issue dated Wednesday 3rd May 1911 informs, quote:

As a result of this initiative, coal land leases were purchased that were later to become the Kalingo Colliery and the "Little Cessnock" area. (Author's note: More of the history of these collieries and areas will be given later).

During 1911 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company transferred its Sydney office from 38 Pitt Street, Sydney to 2 Hunter Street, Sydney.

At the Wickham and bullock Island Coal Company's directors meeting held on 22nd June 1914, Mr Clem Jones, Neath Colliery manager, had submitted a plan that two tunnels should be driven in from the outcrop on the Neath Colliery lease for the purpose of connecting and proving the Greta Top and Bottom Seams on the holding. The directors approved Mr Jones' recommendation. One wonders was this also a glimpse of foresight on Mr Jones' part. Perhaps he had examined the possibilities and problems that would occur, should a disaster at the Neath Colliery shafts close the mine. Barely a month after the directors meeting, a "disaster" did strike.

On Sunday 26th July 1914 at 11.15 a.m. a serious fire was found raging in the airway over-cast at Neath Colliery No. 3 West Heading. The underside of the over-cast was burning the whole width of the travelling road for about a chain in length. Roof coal dropped and fed the fire. When conditions became most forbidding, the employees and others fighting the fire were ordered from the mine. Before all were out, several explosions of distilled gas took place. Fortunately no person was injured, but considerable damage was done. The colliery officials and manager decided the best method to extinguish the fire was to seal the shafts.

In the latter part of 1914, following the shafts' sealing, two tunnel drifts were commenced through the stone conglomerate near the outcrop line one mile due north of the Neath Colliery shafts. The main need at this time was to inspect and repair the damage from the fire. Neath Colliery re-opened as an operating mine on Monday 4th January 1915, and produced coal again on Monday 8th February 1915. Production was again raised, via the shaft, although the new tunnels became the miners' travelling road into the colliery. This new Neath North Tunnel was not utilised for coal haulage until the 17th March 1943.

Today Neath village is a ribbon community that flanks the Cessnock to Kurri main road. But in its very early days of operation, like many other early South Maitland Coalfields mines, Neath Colliery had attracted a "calico" mining village. This had been situated mainly on the north side of the Neath Colliery Branch Railway, opposite the shops, garage and pumping station on the bend in the road in present day Neath. Between 1910 to 1915 the mining employees totalled some 300 people. Tents and bag "humpies" housed the miners and their families. The tents and temporary dwellings were soon converted to rough sawn timber houses with corrugated galvanised iron roofs. Alongside the mining village was a football field, and a boxing gymnasium. Near the present Water Board pumping station stood the local School of Arts building, which also doubled as the picture theatre and dance-hall. On the south side of the main road and towards Cessnock were several churches. Later the small school was erected - all features of any Australian town. Today, very little of this first mining village remains. Instead, the houses of present day Neath adjoin the main Cessnock to Kurri road.

A human interest incident happened in Neath Hotel that exemplified the "Australian Character" and linked the village and its mining content. Miners in Neath Colliery used naked lights. A small oil wick lamp, that was worn on the miner's cap or hat to provide his underground mining, illumination. A small but very important part of the miners' equipment. Harry Littlefair, about to leave Neath to join the Anzacs enroute to Gallipoli left his oil wick lamp with the local Neath hotel-keeper. It was placed in a prominent position in the Neath Hotel public bar. When Harry Littlefair gave his life at Gallipoli, his lamp was retained, (and still is), as a fitting memorial in the Neath Hotel bar.

During 1926 heavy rains and the build-up of surface water in a creek burst through into the mine near the outcrop. The inrush of water destroyed brick stoppings, toppled many standing pit-props, and did a fair extent of damage, and much inconvenience.

In the first part of the 1920's, the early brick kilns adjacent to the reception dead-end siding were increased in size. Brick production became a very viable commercial venture for Neath Colliery. Many prominent Coalfields and Cessnock buildings, such as the East Cessnock and West Cessnock Public Schools, etc., were constructed from this building material.

One of Neath Colliery's large outlets for coal export was to New Zealand. Coal from Neath Colliery to this area was handled and sold by R.S. Lamb and Company, a large New Zealand shipping firm. On Wednesday 20th July 1927 Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company went into voluntary liquidation. A new company, Cessnock Collieries Limited, was formed. This took over the assets of the Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company on the South Maitland Coalfields. By this date Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company had no coal mines on the Newcastle field. The assets of Cessnock Collieries Limited were the mines, lease-lands, freeholds, buildings, railways, rail wagons, rail sidings, etc., and included:

All coal wooden hopper rail wagons were repaired, re-painted, re-numbered and re-branded "C.C.". The first chairman and prime-mover in this company restructuring was Mr Daniel Finlayson Stewart. He had been the chairman and a major shareholder of R.S. Lamb and Company. The first General Manager was Mr George H. Alderton, who in the early days of Neath Colliery had been secretary of Wickham and Bullock Island Coal Company. In 1947 Mr Harold L. Williams succeeded Alderton as General Manager. In mid 1953, Mr W. (Bill) McManus followed Mr Harold Williams as General Manager, a position he held until Caledonian Collieries Limited took over Cessnock Collieries in August 1959.

Mr Douglas R. Hill in 1927 had become the first secretary of the new Cessnock Collieries Limited. When he died in 1949 Mr W. McManus became the Company Secretary. On Mr McManus' elevation to General Manager in 1953, Mr Sid Grover became Company Secretary, a position he retained until the take-over in 1959.

The Newcastle Shipping Office of the new Cessnock Collieries Limited was situated in the "old" T & G Building, Bolton Street, Newcastle directly opposite the Post Office mail boxes. Later the Cessnock Collieries' Shipping Office was moved to the Savings Bank Building diagonally across from the Newcastle Post Office. The first handling and shipping officer was W.E. (Bill) Alexander. When Bill retired in 1950, he was followed by Mr W.L. (Bill) Young. On Bill Young's untimely death in 1953, Mr Ken J. Williams became the shipping officer. When the take-over took place in 1959, Cessnock Collieries shipping needs were handled by Mr Hershel Smith, Caledonian Collieries Limited shipping officer at that Company's Newcastle Office in Howard Smith's Building in Bolton Street, Newcastle.

In late 1938 because pillar extraction was being made towards the main haulage shaft and to assist the underground haulage as well as some development nearby, a third tunnel was driven in on the outcrop about one mile due west of the Neath Colliery shafts. By the installation of an endless rope haulage powered by a 25 horse power electric motor, coal production in this area was brought to the surface and transported by motor lorry to the screens at Neath shafts pit-top. When pillar coal extraction approached even closer to the shaft support pillar area, preparations were made for alternative endless rope haulage of all Neath Colliery production to be brought to the surface via the Neath North Tunnel. On 17th March 1943 the raising of coal via Neath Colliery shaft ceased. This coal, as well as the Neath West Tunnel production, was surface transported by motor lorry to the screens.

On 6th March 1943, Cessnock Collieries Limited instructed George Hawkins and Company to conduct a fairly large auction sale at Neath Colliery to dispose of second-hand and obsolete plant, machinery and equipment. Amongst the items, were the early Bellis and Morcom electricity generation plant, plus switch board, circuit breakers, etc. A steam winding engine, the original cages, creeper chains, etc., amongst the large quantity of mining gear, made an interesting sale to those people involved in coal mining activities.

Chitter refuse, "duff", fines coals, the discards from the various colliery picking belts over many years, usually was an embarrassment and an encumbrance at most collieries. Neath Colliery had stacked this reject material in dumps, that mountained into hills along the lower side of the arc of the Colliery's rail siding running road, stretching out adjacent to the screens and sidings. Coal was found to be generally in very short supply in the early years of World War II due to the demands of the war effort and the manpower situation. An astute salesman for Cessnock Collieries Limited in late 1943 sold the huge volume of chitter and inferior coal stacked at Neath Colliery. Sydney electricity power generation stations were especially equipped to handle this type of material. A special coal steel rail wagon track siding some 100 yards in length was laid adjacent to the chitter heaps. A front-end steam shovel loader was utilised to load the NSW Government Railway 25 tons capacity "U" class steel vehicles. A train consisted of 22 vehicles. One vehicle was loaded every 15 minutes during daylight hours. Trains were despatched direct to Bunnerong Powerhouse. In a relatively short period the huge heaps were removed.

Neath Colliery coal holding only extended over about 25% of its lease-land. Add to this factor that the seam on this lease thinned quickly and sharply towards the outcrop. Consequently economical hand work mining including pillar coal extraction at Neath Colliery was finished early. Neath West Tunnel operation had ceased during 1949. The balance of Neath Colliery underground production and its working via the Neath North Tunnel also ceased in February 1951. Cessnock Collieries Limited decided to win the remaining coal on its Neath Colliery lease by open-cut methods. Mines Department records show that on the 19th March 1951 this operation started. The area chosen was along the outcrop adjoining the old Pioneer Road from Maitland to Wollombi via Sawyers Gully. An earth moving contractor, N.H. Bowers Pty. Ltd. cleared the overburden, mined the coal and transported the production to the screens at the original Neath Colliery pit-top, and for loading into the Company's rail wooden hopper coal wagons. In this open-cut operation, as well as their bulldozers, N.H. Bowers Pty. Ltd. utilised "Euclids".

By the mid 1950's, coal quality was becoming very significant in making coal sales. Sulphur, ash content, size, etc., all became very important attributes. To improve its open-cut coal from its Neath colliery lease, during 1957 Cessnock Collieries Limited installed "Diester" coal washing tables.

Cessnock Collieries Limited found itself in great financial problems during the mid to late 1950's. Cessnock No. 2 Colliery and Neath Colliery had both ceased operations as underground mines. Cessnock No. 1 (Kalingo) Colliery, partly due to industrial problems and some equipment inefficiency was producing poorly. In 1957 in an effort to correct this position, the old steam winding engine at Cessnock No. 1 Colliery was replaced with a very modern (and very expensive) electric winding motor. Capital expenditure in this period was very nearly the total paid-up capital of the company. To partly meet this very tough position, in late 1957 a substantial area of private coal lease land on the eastern boundary of Cessnock No. 1 (Kalingo) Colliery was sold to the Newcastle-Wallsend Coal Company (Pelton Colliery).

Despite the installation of its costly electric winding motor, the performance of Cessnock No. 1 Colliery, particularly industrial, was mediocre and eventually uneconomic. A planned closure of the mine took place in early 1958. After almost 12 months in early 1959, Cessnock No. 1 (Kalingo) Colliery re-opened on a modified basis. Manning had been cut by 50%. Output was restricted to one producing heading. Performance of this reorganised mine were in accordance with forecasts. Outputs and production costs were as predicted. However due to lack of advance information as to coal quality, when the pit struck high sulphur coal, and lack of a washing plant its markets could not be sustained.

On the 13th August 1959 Caledonian Collieries Limited acquired the assets of Cessnock Collieries Limited. These assets included the coal lease holdings of Neath Colliery, Cessnock No. 2 Colliery and Cessnock No. 1 (Kalingo) Colliery. After the take-over, Caledonian Collieries Limited utilised the "Diester" washing tables at Neath Colliery pit-top to wash, process and treat coal production from Aberdare North Tunnel. The manager of Aberdare North Colliery, Mr George Walker, arranged the construction of a private road across the adjoining coal lease holdings of Aberdare North Tunnel and Neath Colliery. This road was intended to reduce and avoid the NSW State road taxes on coal transport.

After the merger in May 1960 of J. & A. Brown Company and Caledonian Collieries Limited to create the formation of Coal and Allied Limited, the practice of washing and treating Aberdare North Tunnel at Neath Colliery pit-top continued. In 1964 Coal and Allied Limited sought to increase the quantity and quality being processed. To achieve this a second-hand washing plant from one of the Group's then disused collieries (Waratah Colliery) was transferred and was installed under the supervision of Mr Ern Roderick, engineer at Aberdare North Tunnel. This second-hand plant almost doubled the quantity previously being washed and processed. A brand new coal washing plant, an "Acco Little Jig", replaced the second-hand unit in early 1968.

At the end of December 1972, NSW Government Railways barred the transport of coal to the Port Waratah sidings in the coal wooden hopper rail wagons. However use of this type of vehicle was permitted for coal to be hauled to the Coal and Allied Limited's Hexham sidings. All washed coal from the Neath Colliery was transported to Hexham to be blended with the Company's other coals. During October 1977 the Railway Department directed that this wooden hopper vehicle should be phased out. On 8th February 1978 the last train of wooden hopper rail wagons was hauled from Neath Colliery to the Hexham sidings. After this date Aberdare North Tunnel coal treated and washed at Neath Colliery pit-top was conveyed in NSW Government Railway large steel vehicles. Firstly the "HCH" type, then later in "CH" type.

When Aberdare North Tunnel ceased mining operations on the 30th April 1988, Neath Colliery washery plant unit stopped also. Almost immediately still standing pit-top structures were demolished. In addition all colliery rail sidings and the Neath Branch railway track were removed and sold for scrap.

The only remaining link with the mine's past is the original colliery manager's home. Today this is the residence of Mr Wilson Barrett, long time employee and colliery official of the Cessnock Colliery Group.

Neath Colliery ceased underground mining operations on its lease holding in February 1951.

Neath Colliery ceased open-cut mining operations in May 1959. Mines Department file 1959/3032.

Freehold land at Neath Colliery is owned by Coal and Allied Limited as at 1st November 1988.