QUEENSLAND COAL FIELDS. 



most of the pits were periodically idle. T)ie Bundamba dis- 

 trict supplies over three-fourths of the coal turned out from 

 the West Moretoii coalfield. The Aberdare seam furnishes 

 nearly 58 per cent, of the total production of the field, two- 

 thirds of its total coming from the four mines about Box Flat. 

 Another 21 J per cent, is derived from the New Chum seam; 

 so these two seams provide the bulk of the coal from the 

 district. The cost of mining might be considerably decreased 

 were the areas held by one company greater, thus reducing the 

 aggregate cost of management, and laying out of the mines. 



The West Moreton seam is 2ft. Sin. thick. Three hundred 

 and forty-five feet below this is the Aberdare seam, 13ft. lOin. 

 thick, including three stone bands 5in., 12in. and 6in. thick 

 respectively; in addition there are smaller bands, leaving about 

 lift, of coal. As the seani is followed to the south, the lower 

 section of four feet of coal becomes thinner and of poorer 

 quality, while in the Aberdare mine, to the north, this section 

 was worked 5ft. in height, over a large area. The seam is 

 worked in two sections. In some cases the top 68in. are taken 

 down first, the bands of stone being picked out before filling. 

 The foot band in the floor is then left as a roof above the lower 

 rooms. In the other case, where the bottom coal, below a mix- 

 ture of coal and stone known as "The Badger," is poor, the 

 top section is worked as before ; then the band of stone is 

 stripped by yardage, after which the underlying coal, above 

 "the badger" is lifted, that below "the badger" being left. 

 This seam furnishes the best steam coal in the district. The 

 Aberdare colliery was the first to open out on this seam, and 

 still takes the lead in output of any colliery in the State. 

 Other collieries working this seam are West Moreton, Bore- 

 hole, Fairbank, Box Flat, Bog Side, Mafeking, Bonnie Dun- 

 dee, New West Moreton, and Fernie Creek. The Box Flat col- 

 liery was the first to instal a coal-cutting machine on this field. 



The Bluff, or Dirty seam, is from 116ft. to 185ft. below the 

 Aberdare, and consists of 30ft. of alternate stone and coal 

 bands. The thickest band of coal is only about 2ft., and that 

 is of inferior quality. So far, this seam has not afforded a 

 workable section of coal in any portion of the field. 



Stafford's Four-foot-six seam is 296ft. below the Bluff. It 

 is easily recognised over the greater portion of the district from 

 the fact that it lies immediately under the first thick bed of 

 sandstone under the Aberdare seam. It generally shows about 

 four feet of clean coal at the bottom, above which are two 

 thin bands of stone, and two bands of coal, about 7 and 15in. 

 respectively. This seam was originally worked by the old 

 Rosehill, Borehole, and Braeside collieries, in workings long 

 since abandoned. 



