Illawarra Coke Company

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The Coalcliff facilities as seen from the top of the Illawarra escarpment CoalcliffICC.jpg
The Coalcliff facilities as seen from the top of the Illawarra escarpment
Coalcliff village with the Tasman Sea and the beach as seen from the south IllawarraCokeCompanyCoalcliff.jpg
Coalcliff village with the Tasman Sea and the beach as seen from the south

The Illawarra Coke Company (ICC) owned cokeworks located in Coalcliff and Corrimal, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, where historically coal was mined on the slopes of the Illawarra escarpment. After the mines were closed, coke-making still occurred on these sites until their respective closures. The company was the only independent producer of metallurgical and foundry coke in Australia. The ICC purchased the Coalcliff and Corrimal sites from Kembla Coal & Coke in 1996. [1] It produced coke for metallurgical processing and foundry to Australian and overseas base metals producers for lead and zinc smelting and iron production for steelmaking.

Contents

History

Coal deposits in the Illawarra, specifically around Coalcliff and Austinmer, were reported in 1797 by British explorer George Bass. [2] [3] While there was initial difficulty setting up facilities on the side of the Illawarra escarpment, coal mining and processing facilities were soon established. At these sites, discarded coal was burnt to create coke, a process that began in the 1850s and spread to other nearby collieries. [3] Ovens were first installed at the Corrimal cokeworks in 1911, and began operation the following year. [4] Since the 1960s, ownership of both sites has passed between several companies, with the most recent purchase occurring in 1996, where the facilities fell under the ownership of the Illawarra Coke Company. [4]

Facilities

The Illawarra Coke Company operated two facilities, located in Coalcliff [5] and Corrimal. [6] The cokeworks in Coalcliff are located adjacent to the coastal town of the same name, 47 kilometres (29 mi) south of the Sydney central business district and 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of Wollongong. The site of the cokeworks and adjacent coal mine is intersected by the South Coast railway line. The Corrimal site is located 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the Sydney CBD and 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) north of Wollongong. [6] The Corrimal cokeworks were the first to begin production of coke, which began in 1912. Coke making at the Coalcliff facilities commenced in 1914. [7]

Closure

The Coalcliff facilities closed in 2013 after 99 years of operation. The adjacent cokeworks in Corrimal closed in April 2014. [8] [9] By the time it closed, the Illawarra Coke Company was the oldest continuous producer of coke in the world. [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Illawarra Coal - The Unofficial History". www.illawarracoal.com. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Project". Illawarra Coal.
  3. 1 2 Mould, G.; Cairns, R.A. "Mining History of the Illawarra" (PDF). Illawarra Coal. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Illawarra Coke Company Collection". Archives Online. University of Wollongong. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Coalcliff Coke Works Property". Coalcliff Cokeworks. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Former Corrimal Cokeworks, Corrimal NSW" (PDF). Heritage Interpretation Strategy. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Cokeworks in the Illawarra Ceases Operation". Ruth Spitzer. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Corrimal's controversial cokeworks plan five years in the making". Illawarra Mercury. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "End of era as Coalcliff cokeworks closes". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "The end of an era for coking coal production in the Illawarra". ABC News. Retrieved 16 June 2025.


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