-
The Discovery of Coal
Coal is first discovered by Europeans in Australia at Hunter River, New South Wales by escaped covict William Bryant. -
The First Coalmine
The first coalmine is made at Hunter River, the same place where coal was first discovered. -
The First Mining Village
Governer King sets up the first coal mining communtity near the coalmine, naming it Newcastle. One of the first uses of the mined coal was to make salt. This was achieved by boiling seawater. This production continued until 1804.