Rosewood History

The Excelsior Colliery

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld), Saturday, 27 May 1911, page 14

Some excitement prevails here owing to the likelihood of the Excelsior coalmine being again opened up and fresh developments of a permanent character being made. Mr. W. E. Thomas is now in town selling shares and distributing prospectuses, and is meeting with great success. This mine was closed down some months ago, owing to the difficulty in carting the coal to the railway-line. It is now proposed to sink a shaft almost alongside the Marburg railway, and this will greatly facilitate the proper working of the mine.

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Queensland Times (Ipswich), Wednesday, 26 June 1912, page 6

EXCELSIOR- ROSEWOOD COLLIERY.
Leaving “Glencoe,” my steps were directed towards the above-named colliery. A finger-post directs you “To Marburg, Minden, and Tallegalla.” A hundred yards along this thoroughfare and one catches a glimpse of the loading-stage of the Excelsior-Rosewood Colliery. Instead of the colliery itself being, as its first name indicates, “higher up,” the site of the coal producing centre is “lower down” about a quarter of a mile on the fringe of a brigalow scrub.

The loading stage is connected with the Marburg branch line by a short siding, some 30 chains in length. This colliery is situated on Mr. A. Perrem’s property, and it is now being worked by the Ipswich and Rosewood Coal and Coke Company. Mr. F. D’Arcy is the deputy-manager, Mr. H. Harris, who is well and favourably known in the coal trade throughout this district, being the directing, or general, manager, and Mr. Carl Knudsen the registered secretary.

This colliery, too, is very prettily surrounded by admirable pastoral scenery. The work now being done is mostly of a developmental nature, and the employees are engaged below in driving for another seam, the existence of which, of course, has been proved. The shaft is sunk to the depth of 75ft, where a 4ft seam is now being worked, and small orders (about 10 tons a day being raised) for the fuel are executed and conveyed to the chutes alongside the siding by steam haulage, an engine being erected under the loading- stage, and to reach it the waggons have a somewhat elevated journey.

So far as the quality of the coal is concerned, it is well spoken of, but the chief drawback to this colliery, which was opened up some five years ago by the Bedworth Colliery Syndicate, were the hardships encountered in getting the coal to the Rosewood railway station, especially during wet weather. Horses and drays, as well as the drivers, then had “merry” (or would it be more correct to say “muddy”) times. The scene is changed! The “iron horse” is now requisitioned to carry the product un earthed from its resting place to distant centres.

At a more recent period, a company of working miners (with Mr. George Duck, of Dinmore, as manager) tried to move things along at the Excelsior Colliery, but the difficulty experienced in getting their coal to market (with a very small capital at their command) compelled them to withdraw from their undertakings. With the advent of railway facilities, however the prospects of the success of the Excelsior Colliery are much brighter. Nine hands are constantly engaged, and the recently-formed company (comprising Ipswich, Rosewood, and Brisbane residents) have acquired the mineral rights of several adjoining farms namely, those of Messrs. T. Harding and C. and G. Urry.

First-class machinery is erected at the pit-head, and there is a fine air-shaft sunk to the workings. Mr. D’Arcy has been connected with this colliery, more or less, since it was first sunk, and he states that there is a large area of good coal to work upon; so that the new company should now have every thing in their favour for a prosperous future.

Returning to Rosewood, I observed a strange sight. In the distance, in front of me, I perceived, a “Rising Sun” (hotel) over looking John-street, and at the rear of me (at a greater distance) was a setting sun! From this particular observation, on a rise, Rosewood presents a most attractive panoramic picture.