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Courier mail article Thurs march 4th 1909
VISIT TO THE MINE
It is not generally known that a coal mine has been opened out almost in the city of Brisbane-to be more precise, half a mile west of Nundah railway station and three quarters of a mile east of Eagle Junction. At present it is only a small affair, but a seam has been worked to some extent, and over 1000 tons of coal have been sold to local manufacturers.
The existence of coal in the locality, although only proved during
the past few years, has been suspected for a long time. Leich- hardt in one of his early works states that while walking near the Brook of Kedron he noticed indications of coal. About ten years ago Alderman Thompson (late Mayor of Bris- bane) spent some time and capital prospecting for coal where the pre- sent mine is situated. Then two years ago Mr. C. H. Gardner turned his attention to coal mining, and it is due to him that the mine has been developed so far as it has.
The mine is situated on a bluff overlooking Kedron Brook, on pro- perty which originally belonged to Dr. Bancroft, but which about 3 5 years ago was purchased by Mr. Gardner. When the latter set out to prove the coal, he encountered many faults and difnculties, but he perse- vered, and has now got the workings down into what appears to be settled country. The seam varies in height, some of the working chambers being 4ft. high, with a band of pipe-clay several inches thick running through the middle of it, and a penny band higher up. while at the furthest end of tho main heading the height of the seam is about 5ft. 9in. As the drive is only in about 450ft. the seam shows the usual disturbances of coal near the surface. Whether there are further seams below the one being worked remains to be proved, but as the experience throughout Australia is that several are found underlying each other, the probability is that the same formation will exist here.
The property consists of 20 acres of freehold, and, an adjoining lease of 25 acres from the Government at a royalty of 6d. per ton on the coal won. The plant is small, consisting of a vertical boiler and engine and winding gear, but even so the mine employed about a dozen men at the beginning of last month. Since then operations have been confined to baling and keeping the workings clear, pending the obtaining of more capital to work the property. There is an interesting combination of marketable products in this mine, for shale underlying the coal has been sold to the Virginia works for the manufacture of fire bricks at 4s. 6d. per yard ; and above the coal is an extensive deposit of quartz conglom- erate, which the Brisbane City Coun- cil and the Toombul Shire Council
are both using for road-making pur-
poses.
With the new capital now being obtained the mine will be further developed, and arrangements will be made for connecting it with, the rallway by a siding 40 chains long, while fuller equipment will be pro- vided to enable a larger output of coal, the handling of gravel in bulk, and the securing of shale sufficient to meet all local requirements. A num- ber of prominent business men have taken shares in the company and they will doubtless see that the mine is developed to its fullest extent.
