QUEENSLAND COAL FIELDS. 49 



trict. In the area of 5000 square miles of coal bearing 1 country, 

 outcrops of anthracite coal occur in two localities 100 miles 

 apart. The anthracitic character of the coal has been caused 

 by the general contortion of the coal measures. The first coal 

 seam in the Dawson-Mackenzie valley was discovered in 1901, 

 about 40 miles south of the Central line. W. E. Cameron 

 writes*: "The fact that coals of high steaming character 

 have been found at such widely separated parts (Walker's 

 Creek being some 220 miles from the coal beds of the Dawson) , 

 and that the beds are continuous between the two places^ give 

 a promising forecast for the great resources of this portion of 

 Queensland in high class steaming coal." 



The three chief properties on this field are the Bluff, 

 Mammoth and Dawson River. The Bluff colliery was the first 

 to become an active producer. There are several coal seams 

 in this field. One bore, sunk to a total depth of 520ft. 6in., 

 struck 8ft. of soft coal at 52ft.: 14ft. of coal at 264ft.; 10ft. 

 of coal at 410ft-: 2ft. of coal at 422ft.; and 3ft. of coal at 

 429ft. At the Mammoth Colliery a seam 24ft. thick has been 

 struck. 



The mean of several analysis right across the main coal 

 seam on the Dawson River, which was 10ft. thick, gave: 



Moisture. Vol. H. Carb. Fixed Carb. Ash. Sulphur. Sp. Grv. 

 3.75 12.98 78.45 4.84 trace. 1.42 



Some of the Dawson-Mackenzie anthracite is very friable, 

 and does not carry well. It is rather slow in lighting, but is 

 smokeless, and gives an intense heat. The ash clinkers and 

 clogs the fire bars, making it impossible to keep up a full 

 head of steam, but being brittle it is easily removed. Tests 

 made by C. B. MacDoiiald, the Coal Inspector for the Queens- 

 land Railway Department, showed that lib. of this coal evapo- 

 rated 94 and 9.71b. water at 212deg. Fahr. A trial of this 

 coal on H.M.S. "Wallaroo" required 4. lib. of coal per square 

 foot of grate surface per hour, and it took 3.21b. coal to de- 

 velop i i.H.p. 



The relation between the coal measures of the Upper and 

 Lower Bowen series is shown in the accompanying section. 

 Fig. 27, by B. Dunstan, taken from his report on the Geology 

 of the Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers. 



At Tolniies two coal seams known as the top and bottom 

 seam outcrop at the surface. The top seam being of inferior 

 quality has not been worked, but the bottom seam has been 

 prospected. These seams are of bituminous coal, and belong 

 to the Upper Bowen series. Analysis of the bottom seam by 



*The Central Queensland (Dawson-Mackenzie) Coal Mea- 

 sures. (Govt. Survey Rept. No- 200, Brisbane, 1903.) 

 D 



