Newnes, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Wolgan Valley
The Wolgan Valley is a largely undeveloped valley located in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is centred on the Wolgan River and is located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney.-Description and history:...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, and partly surrounded by the Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park
Wollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness...
, is an abandoned oil shale
Oil shale
Oil shale, an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock, contains significant amounts of kerogen from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced...
mining site that was operational in the early 20th centuries. It was originally built by the Commonwealth Oil Corporation.
History and description
A major oil shale mine with two headings was started on the north side of the Wolgan River, opposite the works. It was intended to tunnel through the mountain to meet up with some earlier workings in the Capertee Valley as mining conditions in the Capertee were regarded as being much better than in the Wolgan. However, mining difficulties and the generally low quality of the shale in this area meant that mining became concentrated on the No. 2 mine and work on the No. 1 mine was eventually abandoned. Although construction of a tunnel linking the Wolgan Valley with the Capertee was proposed on numerous subsequent occasions, it was to remain an elusive dream.The No. 2 mine was established on the southern side of the river, east of the works. This mine was to provide most of the oil shale for the working life of Newnes.
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
hillside. These works consisted of retorts, various distillation areas, oil storage tanks and washers, plant for the refining of the various finished products, a power station, workshops, etc., with provision for future expansion. They were built in a substantial manner, as attested by the extensive ruins that stand to this day. Although construction commenced in 1906, it was not until 1911 that the initial stage was completed and the retorts charged for the first time.
George Newnes
Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet was a publisher and editor in England.-Background and education:...
, the chairman of the Commonwealth Oil Corporation at the time, was established close to the mining leases. The company built the 50 km Newnes railway line from the main government railway
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
south of Newnes to their works through very difficult country, particularly where the line descended into the Wolgan Valley from the plateau above. This railway is no longer in use and the rails have been removed. A tunnel on the railway has survived as the Newnes glow worm tunnel
Newnes Glow Worm Tunnel
The Newnes glow worm tunnel is a disused railway tunnel in the Wolgan Valley, New South Wales, Australia, that is famous for its resident glow worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.-Description and history:...
, which has become something of a tourist attraction.
Camping
Camping is available on both sides of the Wolgan River; only pit toilets are provided. Most of the camping is in the National Park, at no charge, so pets are not permitted. Wood should not be collected for wood fires.As of 2011 there was wood available from the Newnes Hotel.
There is a very small amount of private land remaining in Newnes, where camping is available for a fee and pets are permitted. Information available from the former Newnes Hotel, which is open as a kiosk on most weekends.
Walks and Hikes
There are several great walks in the Newnes area excluding walking through the ruins. Many of the more famous walks include:- Pipeline Pass - This is a medium to hard walk that goes from Newnes to the oil shale operations at Glen DavisGlen Davis, New South WalesGlen Davis is a village in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The village is located in the local government area of the City of Lithgow. It is located 250 km north-west of Sydney and approximately 80 kilometres north of Lithgow...
. The pipeline track is very scenic and comes highly recommended. The walk takes around 10 hours and is normally completed as an overnight walk. There are lyrebirdLyrebirdA Lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds, that form the genus, Menura, and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their superb ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral coloured...
s, cycads, banksia serrataBanksiaBanksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
and assorted eucalyptusEucalyptusEucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees. - Wolgan River to Rocky Creek. This route follows the Wolgan River downstream to Rocky Creek. The route is often hard to find in many places, however the walking grade is fairly moderate and most people can complete it in a full day return.
- Wolgan River to Annie Rowan Creek. Two day (overnight at Annie Rowan Creek) or three day (two nights at junction of Rocky Creek and Deanes Creek) return. Note that the track beyond Rocky Creek is mostly on the north side of the Wolgan River.
Wildlife
A variety of native wildlife can be observed in the vicinity of the Newnes campground. The amount of wildlife observed depends significantly upon whether someone has recently brought their dog into the campground, which is illegal. Examples are- kangarooKangarooA kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, especially near dusk - wombatWombatWombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
s and - goannaGoannaGoanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia.There are around 30 species of goanna, 25 of which are found in Australia...
s.
See also
- Newnes Glow Worm TunnelNewnes Glow Worm TunnelThe Newnes glow worm tunnel is a disused railway tunnel in the Wolgan Valley, New South Wales, Australia, that is famous for its resident glow worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.-Description and history:...
- Wolgan ValleyWolgan ValleyThe Wolgan Valley is a largely undeveloped valley located in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is centred on the Wolgan River and is located approximately 150 kilometres west of Sydney.-Description and history:...
- Wollemi National ParkWollemi National ParkWollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness...
- List of Australian heritage railways
- Henry DeaneHenry Deane (engineer)Henry Deane was an Australian engineer, responsible for electrifying the Sydney tramway system and for building the Wolgan Valley Railway and Trans-Australian Railway.- Biography :...
- engineer for Newnes railway.