120 OUR GOAL AND COAL PORTS, 



deep waters of Port Jackson by one journey and in less than two 

 hours from the back of where the first coal crops out on the 

 Bulli Eange, near Stanwell Park, and Coalcliff. 



Here I beg also to call attention to a small arrangement of 

 mine, brought about for the express purpose of unveiling to the 

 public gaze by ocular demonstration, as to how great and bound- 

 less is the coal at their hand. On the acknowledged principle 

 " that seeing is believing," I arranged for one of the officers of 

 the Illawarra Steam Company's vessels to go to the top of the 

 tower of the new Town Hall (the ascent to which is as yet only 

 by ladder), and to report to me all he could see to the south 

 from that point. He returned and stated that he had had a 

 distinct sight of the whole coast passing Botany Bay, Port 

 Hacking, Coalcliff", Bulli, Mount Keira behind Wollongong, and 

 all the way further south (twenty-five miles) to the high Saddle- 

 back Eange behind Kiama, in which I may mention there exists 

 enormous seams of excellent coal. 



Thus my sailor friend had a clear gaze at over forty miles of 

 magnificent coal country, and along the whole line of which the 

 coal crops out to the eastward, and may be worked by tunnelling 

 in the same manner as at Bulli, and supplied to the railway 

 beyond Bulli proper by means of self-acting inclines. 



I have spoken of forty miles of coal country showing its eastern 

 outcrop, but I may add that in fact the coal seams extend at a 

 workable deptli under ground, up to ten miles of the Sydney side 

 of Coalcliff (which is itself about thirty miles south of Sydney), 

 and at which place the outcrop dips into the sea. 



Also I would mention, that even beyond the lofty " Saddle- 

 back," south of Kiama, the coal fields extend towards Shoalhaven, 

 but are out of view from the tower of the Town Hall. 



From that elevated position this ship's officer could also see 

 the straight direction of the proposed railway line from Wollon- 

 gong, Bulli, Coalcliff', and along the leading and easy descent of 

 the Bottle Forest and Port Hacking Creek range on to George's 

 Eiver, and finally by its straight course direct on to the deep 

 waters of North Balmain, opposite Cockatoo Island. 



After this unveiling, I ask shall we let these vast resources lie 

 dormant ? And shall we leave unopened to our Sydney popula- 

 tion the delights they would derive from having access to Illawarra 

 by one of the most picturesque and charming railway lines that the 

 world could produce? But a question of far greater importance 

 is, shall we postpone unnecessarily that development which would 

 speedily place Sydney and New South Wales in the position of 

 proud commercial pre-eminence ? 



