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Coal was discovered
Coal was discovered by Europeans in Australia at the mouth of the Hunter River in New South Wales by the escaping convict William Bryant -
2nd Discovery of coal
The 2nd discovery of coal was on the south coast of New South Wales by William clarke near present-day Thirroul. -
First Coal mine established
The first coal mine was established near the mouth of the Hunter River. -
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New settlement named Newcastle
Governor King set up a permanent settlement at the mouth of the Hunter River, naming it Newcastle. It became the centre for develoment of Australia's coal trade. One of the first uses of Newcastle coal was for the production of salt. Seawater was boiled using local coal for fuel. -
First Steam engine arrived
The First steam engine to be shipped to the colony of New South Wales arrived. The steam engine was installed in John Dickson's flourmill at Darling Harbour. -
Simeon Lord established a mill
Simeon Lord established a mill in Sydney and in 1816 he entered into an agreement with Governor Macquarie to mill, dye and dresscloth from the Female Factory at Parramatta. -
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Steam engines introduced
More steam engines were introduced in 1825, 1826 and 1829 -
First paddle steamer
The Sophia Jane was the first paddle steamer to regularly operate in Australiam waters. -
Number of Steam engines
By 1831 there were 6 engines, including one at the Australian Agricultural Company's Newcastle coalmine. -
The 'Surprise'
While the 'Sophia Jane' was having its paddles fitted in readiness for its voyage, another steamer, the 'Surprise', made its first voyage from Sydney to Parramatta. -
Early textile factory was established
Another early textile factory was established at Blackwattle Bay, Sydney. It manufactured the 'finest as well as the coarsest cloths'. -
Number of Steam engines
By 1840 there were 26 steam engines in flourmills and 10 in other industries. -
Sydney Foundry
Peter Russell took over the Sydney Foundry and Engineering Works. This foundry, thought to be the first foundry established in Australia, produced both iron and brass castings along with stoves, gratings, railings and architectural building colums, as well as many steam-engine parts. -
First attempt to establish iron and steel
The first attempt at establishing iron and steel smelting in Australia waas made near Mittagong, NSW. -
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First railway track in New South Wales
In New South Wales the Sydney Railway Company started building the first railway track in New South Wales between Sydney and Parramatta- a distance of 22 kilometres. The project ran into financial difficulty and was taken over by the NSW colonial government. The line opened on 26 September 1855 -
Opening of gold fields
With the rapid opening of goldfields, there was a growing demand for picks, shovels and the various tools needed for fossicking for gold. When it became neccessary to mine gold, steam engines became to be used. -
Gold Rush
The Gold rushes of 1851 in both New South Wales and Victoria not only brought wealth but also an increase in population. Sydney and Melbourne suddenly became growing cities, with buildings to rival those in other parts of the world. -
Steamships
By 1852, steamships were running services between ports including Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Moreton Bay (Brisbane), Adelaide and Tasmania. -
First railway line opened
In Victoria, the first railway line in Australia opened between melbourne's Fliners Street Station and Port Melbourne, then called Sandridge. -
First line carrying steampowered trains opened
While South Australia had in 1854 a horsedrawnrailway operating at the mouth of theMurray River, the first line carrying steampoweredtrains opened between Adelaide and Port Adelaide. -
Railway line in Tasmania opened
In Tasmania, a railway line 72 kilometres long opened between the northern towns of Launceston and Deloraine. -
Private timber railway
A private timber railway from Lockville to Yoganup, south of Perth,was the first railway to operate in Western Australia. The first government railway opened in 1879 between Geraldton and Northampton. -
Iron and Steel
Another attempt at smelting iron and steel was made in Victoria, with the formation of Victoria Iron Company- later to become the Lal Lal Iron mining Co. Ltd in 1875. -
First Railway in Queensland
The first railway in Queensland ran from Ipswich inland to to Grandchester using rthe narrow 1067 millimetre gauge. The system was extended furthert o the Darling Downs beforebeing connected with Brisbane. -
Rainway in Northern Territory became operational
In the Northern Territory, a railway between Darwin and Pine Creek (253 kilometres) became operational. -
Railway opened in Australian Capital Territory
In the Australian Capital Territory, a 10 kilometre branch line opened between Queanbeyan, NSW, and Canberra.