NSWMining
Lithgow
Coal, railways and furnaces in one valley.
Late 1860sCommercial coal mining develops
WHAT STARTED IT
Lithgow became an industrial town because coal, iron-making materials and railway access came together in its valley. The railway provided both a route to market and a hungry customer for coal and metal.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
Commercial coal mining developed in the late 1860s. Ironworks, steelmaking, brickworks and other factories followed. The first commercially viable Australian steel pour took place here in 1901; steelmaking later shifted to Port Kembla. The blast-furnace ruins preserve the scale of that industrial ambition.
TURNING POINTS
Late 1860sCommercial coal mining begins in Lithgow.
1901A successful steel pour marks a national industrial milestone.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
Coal mining, industrial heritage and services remain part of the district’s identity. Its location at the western edge of the Blue Mountains also brings visitors to surrounding forests and historic sites.