Balmain CollieryPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the industrial heritage of Balmain and commemorates the sacrifices of the men who worked and lost their lives at the Balmain Colliery

Balmain Colliery was the deepest mine ever worked in Australia, with harsh working conditions. There was little ventilation, a constant temperature of 36 degrees centigrade and 24 hours a day operation. Sadly there were many disastrous accidents throughout its working history. Leichhardt Library Local History has documented 16 official deaths of men who lived in Balmain and worked at the Balmain Colliery:

• Prior to 1900 there were five deaths, of which little detail is known.
• On 17 March 1900 six men were descending the shaft in a bucket which tipped over at 1,424 feet, killing all six.
• In 1933 sparks caused a gas explosion in the mine and two more men – David Kerr and Henry Williams – were killed.
• A methane gas explosion on 20 April 1945 caused the deaths of a further three men.

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