MINING IN THE MEGALONG
In the early days of the colony, the only available fuels for illumination were whale and seal oil, which were burned in smoky glass-chimneyed lamps, and candles made from tallow and other fats. The masses generally relied on light from their cooking fire, and retired to bed early.
The invention of Kerosene and Paraffin (used for making candles), was a major step forward in technology, impacting the everyday lives of the entire population.
The Australian Kerosene Oil & Mineral Company took over the Glen Shale Mine in the Megalong Valley. They decided to concentrate their efforts on the Glen Shale Mine. A sizeable miners settlement sprang up in Nellies Glen with general store, bakery, butchery & public Hall.
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Extraction
& Refining Processes In 1846, a Canadian, Dr Abraham Gesner, patented a process for retorting an illuminating liquid from oil shale, which was given the trade name "Kerosene". Gesner also invented a kerosene lantern. In 1850 a Scotsman, James Young, patented a different retorting process, which appears to have been adopted in New South Wales, with modifications to suit local conditions. Kerosene shale looks like coal, but is much lighter in weight. It can be black or dark green in colour, has a silky sheen and is greasy to the touch. It consists of bituminised mud or clay, whilst coal is carbonised plant tissue. The term "oil shale" is, today, applied to any rock which produces oil on heating, whilst high grade oil shale is called torbanite. Torbanite was named after Torbane in Scotland, which came to be associated with the Boghead deposits discovered in 1844. At the time, the mineral became known as Boghead Minera. When torbanite is heated, gases are produced. From the condensed liquid, a synthetic crude oil can be produced. Further refining produces petrol, kerosene, lubricating and fuel oils, paraffin wax, tar, acids and pitch.
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Associated with the mines were various industrial facilities. These included retorts, coking ovens, refineries, and candle factories. Hartley Vale also once contained mines and refineries.
The old mining railway ran from North's Siding (near Shell Corner), the dual track cable tramway descended, undulating, to "the engine bank", now the top of the Scenic Railway. Two bridges were crossed; the first a suspension bridge whose cables were anchored to trees, the second a wooden trestle. From the engine bank it plunges into a rock tunnel, emerging on the slope of the valley and continuing steeply down to the terminus near the old Katoomba Coal Mine.
From the coal mine, a second dual track cable tramway passed through the Daylight Tunnel under Malaita Point, then two small tunnels before crossing a trestle bridge, and came to a junction with the horse drawn tramline to the Ruined Castle mines.
The cable line continued through the Mt Rennie Tunnel under Narrow Neck, and into the Megalong Valley. The mine tunnels were connected by a horse drawn line, which fed into a gravity powered incline. This in turn connected with the cable railway.
The tramway appears to have been built in 1891 or 1892, by the Australian Kerosene Oil & Mineral Co. However, shale mining gradually decreased from 1895, and by 1903 had ceased altogether.
A single endless cable was employed, powered by the "engine bank" near the upper terminus of the Scenic Railway. At the bend in the Megalong valley, skips ran around two massive "jenny wheels".
The jenny wheels, & other relics, are now adjacent to Megalong Valley Tea Rooms. Katoomba Coal Mine was located under Malaita Point and extended under the Katoomba golf course. Some tunnel entrances can still be seen.
