Killingworth is a small town located south of
West Wallsend, New South Wales 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 (LGA) in the Hunter Region in New South Wales, Australia. It was proclaimed a city on 7 September 1984. It is adjacent to the city of Newcastle and is part of the Greater Newcastle area. ...
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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
in
Greater Newcastle
Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...
.
History
Killingworth owes its origins to coal mining, which took place there from 1888 until the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, 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 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 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