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Mining prior to the arrival of the Europeans cannot be defined by a date. For thousands of years, the Aborigines had already been mining ochre (used in art and for ceremonial purposes) and stone. They established quarries and transportation routes for trading between tribes. In regards to European settlement, mining started following the discovery of coal in the Newcastle area. Originally discovered by excaped convict William Bryant in 1791, it was not reported until an English officer found a coal seam, in 1797, whilst searching for escaped convicts. Coal was mined and exported, beginning in 1799. The first coal mining settlement was established at Newcastle in 1801.

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16y ago

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