<52 COALFIELDS AND COLLIERIES OF AUSTRALIA. 



In the Illawarra coal field tlie following seams occur in 

 descending order : 

 The Bulli seam .... from 2 to lift, thick, usually 6 to 7ft. 



The Four feet about 4ft. thick 



The Thick about 14ft. (several small seams) 



The Eight feet from 7 to Oft. thick 



The Bottom . . about 6ft. thick, including numerous bands 



The Bulli seam is the only one that has been worked to 

 any considerable extent in the southern coalfield, the lower 

 seams, so far as prospected, being found to be slightly inferior. 

 It is the Bulli seam that was struck in the Cremorne bore near 

 Sydney. 



The kerosene shale that occurs at Joadga Creek, Hartley 

 Vale, Katoomba, Capertee, etc., belong to the Tipper coal- 

 measures. 



The coal from the different districts varies considerably in 

 composition. That from Newcastle is most suitable for gas 

 making and household purposes, and contains the least amount 

 of ash. The coal from the southern and western fields is essen- 

 tially a steam coal. Some of the Southern coal makes good 

 coke, though it is rather high in ash, as the coal does not 

 lend itself to washing, the impurities being so finely dis- 

 seminated through it. Some of the western coal from Lithgow 

 also makes good coke after being washed. 



The Dempsey series does not contain any productive coal. 



The Middle or Tomagp coal measures outcrop in the 

 neighbourhood of East Maitland and dip under the Dempsey 

 series and Upper coal-measures. The following are the prin- 

 cipal seams in descending order : 



The Top or Donaldson's seam from 4ft. to 6ft. thick 



No. 2, Big Ben, or Toniago thick seam from Tit. to 10ft. thick 



No. 3 seam about 6ft. thick 



No. 4 seam about 3ft. thick 



No. 5 or Toniago thin seam about 2.1ft. thick 



Scotch Derry seam, probably an upper split of the 



Rathluba seam . . about 9ft. to lOJft. thick, containing 



numerous bands. 

 The Rathluba seam . . from 4ft. to lift, usually about 5ft. 



Tlie Ironstone seam about 2ft. thick 



The Morpeth seam . . from 4 to 8ft. thick, with bands. 



A rather dirty seam, scarcely workable. 



Out of a total thickness of about 40ft. of coal in the 

 Middle coal-measures, about 20ft. havt! proved workable. It 

 is for the most part friable, and suitable rather for local use 

 than for export. 



