Newnes
Located just out of Lithgow NSW where is a historical site called Newnes Oil Shale Works. It was once a place where they mined oil shale, the process was when the shale is oil like substance was produced this was a replacement for crude oil during the war.
How to get there
From Lithgow follow highway 86 to Wallerawang 12 kms away, keeping the dam on your left when you approach the Wallerawang Power station keep going to the left when you see the sigh to Newnes then turn left. The road will turn to gravel after Wolgan Gap (The lookout) then the road starts to descend. Drop into the Newnes Pub the give a lot of information and have some supplies and advice, they could do with the advertisement. Ask about the
GLOW WORM TUNNELS while your there it's worth your wile.The Mines
The mines are located across the river opposite ruins of the production plant. Tunnel number 1 has been blasted/collapsed in but tunnel number 2 is open with a small brick shad over the entrance, this can be entered as for the tunnel it looks like a round bore, approx. 1000mm In diameter and went on for as far as I could see. When I entered it approx. 4 meters I was over come by foul air (co2)
and could not breathe if my life depended on it.Here is a map of the old oil shale workings.
The mines for Newnes are indicated on the map as "Tunnels". The coalmine is located in the top right corner of the map. I'm not shore if the coalshaft is accessible or not.
Sorry but it's the best resolution that I can get. You can still make out the writing if you had good eyes. The picture below shows that once Newnes was a self-supporting small city.
General view of the Commonwealth Oil Corporation works at Newnes C.1915
Last Revised: 12/6/99 at 1:14pm