Killingworth is a small town located south of
West Wallsend, New South Wales
West Wallsend is a List of suburbs in Greater Newcastle, New South Wales, suburb and small town in the City of Lake Macquarie, Greater Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. It is near the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway and the western suburbs of N ...
and east of the
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway. It is part of the West Ward of the
City of Lake Macquarie
The City of Lake Macquarie is a local government area in Greater Newcastle and part of the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city from 7 September 1984. The area is situated adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is ...
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
in
Greater Newcastle
Newcastle ( ; Awabakal language, Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the City of Newcastle, Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie, Lake Macquarie Local gov ...
.
History
Killingworth owes its origins to coal mining, which took place there from 1888 until the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, when it ceased for a time, and thereafter until the great slump in the industry in the 1960s. Caledonian Collieries Limited purchased the original unworked shafts at Killingworth in 1895 and continued its sinking to a depth of 880 feet. Two seams were subsequently mined, production commencing at Killingworth Colliery in October 1897. It was renamed West Wallsend Extended Colliery about 1915, although large K C letters continued to adorn the engine rooms. Their coal was shipped via its own branch which connected with the main private railway from
Seahampton and
West Wallsend
West Wallsend is a suburb and small town in the City of Lake Macquarie, Greater Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. It is near the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway and the western suburbs of Newcastle.
History
The Awabakal are the traditional p ...
to the government's main line at
Cockle Creek.
A huge gas explosion occurred in the pit at 5.25 a.m. on 7 December 1910. No human life was lost but a horse named 'Splash' was killed. The shaft's cages were blown right up the shaft to lodge in a massive tangled mess in the metal headframe. Production did not resume until August 1911.
A brick kiln was established at the colliery, as was a sawmill connected to the mine's railway by a spur. The timber used to construct many houses in Killingworth was produced here. In addition, a large wagon repair shop was opened in 1924 and not closed until April 1961, eighteen months prior to the colliery's final closure.
A
public school
Public school may refer to:
* State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government
* Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
operated from 1891 to 1892 and 1902–1941.
References
External links
History of Killingworth(Lake Macquarie City Library)
{{City of Lake Macquarie suburbs
Suburbs of Lake Macquarie