UBMBWC walkGreater Blue Mountains National Park – Blue Mountains

National Park- Burra Korain Ridge- Rienits Coal Mine- Monday 8th July 2019- Track Notes

The party outside the entrance to Rienits Coal Mine Creek. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Short title Rienits Coal MineDate Monday 8th July 2019Leader Brian FoxMaps, etc. Department of Lands topographic map, 1:25000, Mount Wilson, 8930-

1N, third edition. GPS setting WGS 84.Walk description and route

Access via Ridgewell Road, Blackheath and a northward spur line towards Victoria Creek. The relocation of the locked gate on Ridgewell Road nearly two kilometres closer to the main road to discourage asbestos dumping has added additional length to walking before reaching Burra Korain Ridge. The good news is that someone has been pruning the bushes on the Burra Korain Ridge Track making for faster movement.

Rating 4, some off track.Gear issues First aid kit. 1 litre of water, GPS, PLB, appropriate head and footwear,

electrolytes, maps, compass. Change of gear for afterwards.Numbers 8Meeting point

0630 Pymble, 0830 Ridgewell Road

Transport Own carsComments This mine site was first announced in 1885. Approximately 11km, 8km

of which is off track and scrubby. Close of Bookings

ASAP

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Enquiries brianandelaine@aapt.net.au or 0407067081Michael Keats email mjmkeats@easy.com.au or tel. 9144 2096

The Party

Brian Fox, leader, Michael Keats, Jim O’Keefe, Harold Thompson, Berenice Torstensson, John Cooper, Heni van der Hecht, Suzanne Barr and Marion Davies, 9.

Plot of the walk overlaid on a topographic map. Recorded and prepared by Harold Thompson.

The Weather

Total cloud cover with occasional very light rain. Some rare, transient glimpses of clear, blue sky mid-morning. Temperature 8 to 10 degrees C.

Local Place names and history

 Burra Korain Ridge is divided by Crayfish Creek and Victoria Creek. Its southern end joins Burramoko Ridge on Ridgewell Road, Blackheath. It trends 5km generally north to Burra Korain Head. An Aboriginal name for ‘big wind’ or ‘plenty wind.’ Ref: Dunphy, Myles. Grose River Territory, 1961, recorded as Burra Korain Plateau. Approved as Burra Korain Ridge in 1965. This ridge gives access to Rienits Coal Mine,

located on Victoria Creek, 150m upstream of junction of Victoria Brook. MW 493 779.

Victoria Brook is a mostly perennial creek rising near the intersection of Victoria Falls Road and the Great Western Highway, about 1.2km south east of Mount Victoria. It flows for 4km generally east and east, north east into Victoria Creek. Named after the township of Mount Victoria. The Blair Athol Coal Mine No. 4 is located near the headwaters of this brook. Now a historic site, this coal mine operated from 1920 to 1924 and employed 23 men. Ref: Dunphy, Myles. Central Blue Mountains Map, Kurrajong Heights to Mount Victoria Northward of Western Railway Line, 1965. MW 462 792 to 488 799.

Victoria Creek is a mostly perennial creek, having its headwaters near Sunbeam Avenue, Blackheath. Named after Victoria Falls which is located on this creek. This creek flows for 8km generally north, north east into the Grose River at Burra Korain Flat. Name approved by the Geographical Names Board 24 April 1970. Previously called Victoria Falls Creek. In

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1903 Henry Rienits, a school master of Mount Victoria together with others, dug a 37m tunnel into a coal seam alongside this creek, 150m upstream of the junction of Victoria Brook. Ref: The Blue Mountain Echo, 22 May 1914, p. 5 records, “the proposed dam at the intersection of the Victoria Creek and the Grose-river.” MW 477 762 to 499 829.

The western lower cliff line of Victoria Creek near the junction with Victoria Brook. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Rienits Coal Mine Heinrich Guenther Rienits (1851-1928) and his wife came to Mount Victoria in 1880. Heinrich took up the position of teacher in charge for Mount Victoria Public School (1880-1885) and opened and conducted a private school from 1886- 1913. In 1903 Heinrich prospected for coal in Victoria Creek driving an adit into the hillside. This ‘mine’ is located on Victoria Creek some 150m upstream of the junction of Victoria Brook and Victoria Creek. Heinrich lobbied for the construction of the road to Victoria Falls, which was completed in 1908.

Acacia terminalis. On the walk this wattle created welcome colour. Photo: Brian Fox

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Victoria Creek near Rienits Coal Mine. Photo: Brian Fox.

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Two images of the Stalked Puffball, Calostoma sp. Top image Brian Fox, lower, Harold Thompson.

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Michael at the base of an isolated pagoda, top cliff line above Victoria Creek. Photo: Brian Fox.

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Cascade in Victoria Creek. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Outside the entry to Rienits Coal Mine on Victoria Creek. Photo: Harold Thompson

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Track Notes

The walk completed today was in part the result of an interchange of correspondence between Brian Fox and a geologist in Tasmania who was seeking information (and pictures) about the precise location of Rienits Coal Mine.

Brian had undertaken research which seemed to indicate that although Heinrich Guenther Rienits discovered the coal exposure, it was his son, Oswald who opened and developed the mine. Brian’s notes.

“I visited Rienits Coal Mine on the 16 August 2003 with my brother (John) and again led a group there 13 December 2003.

The coal mine is located in Victoria Creek about 150m upstream from the junction with Victoria Brook. It is positioned on the eastern side above a small waterfall and just above the bank of the creek. I measured and recorded the near horizontal adit went in 37 metres. The GR's I have (which would be the older version, AGD 66) are 248 764E; 627 9746N.

The quickest access and no doubt how Rienits reached and hauled out the coal is via what is now Ridgewell Road and a northern (unnamed) spur.

Oswald Rienits would have been 28 in 1903, and so old enough to have taken on the task of exploiting the seam for his father. But Heinrich Guenther Rienits (Henry) discovery was announced in 1885 when Oswald was only 10 so the son did not make the find.

Lithgow Mercury (NSW), Friday 28 August 1903, page 4, THE COAL SEAM ON THE MOUNTAINS. Our Blackheath correspondent writes: - I hear that the seam of coal discovered by Mr. Oswald Rienits of Mount. Victoria, and which is situated on the Blackheath side of the mount, is a good one, and is to be opened up. It is within easy access of the railway line, being a little distance from Mr. Delaney's slaughter yards. The sample of coal is said to exceed expectations. This is good news to the surrounding district, and when developed should cause the establishment of a little township in that part. “

An intriguing, and as yet unresolved issue, remains that search as we could, no evidence of coal was located along Burra Korain Ridge; on the spur or indeed the steep section from the mine entrance to the base of the top cliff line. Although it is apparent that the coal is of a good quality and that many tons of it were extracted, not one piece of it was dropped … I find this situation close to unbelievable. No coal miner is that careful.

Folk lore is that the coal from the mine was taken up the lower cliffs and then by horse (?) along the gentle curved ridge that joins Burra Korain Ridge and hence to Blackheath. How? Was it bagged and manhandled up the steep section (80m vertical) and then by horse or mule? Or was there a primitive track which has disappeared? Thinking outside the square I wonder whether bagged coal was loaded on to horses or a horse drawn dray along a creek

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side track and then by a purpose constructed track which was built that starts at approximately GR 488 794 and then wound its way up 100m of relatively easy grade to join the readily trafficable ridge south of spot height 968 at GR 494 791. I now want to go back and test this idea. Finding some pieces of coal would be confirmation.

Brian outside the entry to Rienits Coal Mine. Photo: Bernice Torstensson.

The entry to Rienits Coal Mine. Photo: Brian Fox.

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In Rienits Coal Mine. Photo: Brian Fox.

Looking out into Victoria Creek from Rienits Coal Mine. Photo: Brian Fox.

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Berenice, Heni and Sue at the base of the lower cliff line Victoria Creek, note the coal seam exposure. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Walking along at the base of the lower cliff line. Photo: Harold Thompson.

The cars were parked at 485 765 at the locked gate on Ridgewell Road. After selecting rain gear, we set off walking the next section of Ridgewell Road that we should still be able to drive. At 0852, 487 769 we noted the Hat Hill Fire Trail that links to Bettington Road. It was 0905 when we reached the site of the original locked gate at 493 778. Here we turned due north and set out along the spine of the ridge that separates Victoria Creek to the west from Crayfish Creek to the east. A cairn at 494 784 0917 was noted.

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Vegetation trackside has recently been trimmed, possibly by mountain bikers who would find this ridge ride a great experience. Given the status of the discarded pruning’s, I would say within the last 4 weeks. Another cairn was located at 493 790.

A track junction at 0945, 495 794, marked the beginning of our off-track route via a curved ridge that swings through 180 degrees and ends at a dramatic high point. Interim points were noted at, 0951; 493 798, 0958; 490 797. We stopped at 1004, 490 796 on an isolated pagoda for morning tea. The view is stunning with the dramatic western upper cliff line of Victoria Creek dominating the view.

Morning tea finished we set off descending through several 10m contours in a tight gully. It was on this section that I came across an example of a rather uncommon species for the area; a Stalked Puffball, Fungus, Calostoma sp. 489 796 (see pictures above).

Soon after this discovery we encountered a series of isolated pagodas, being the southern extension of the upper cliff line above Victoria Creek. Three positioned stones on a waist high rock ledge along a natural rock shelf seemed to confirm that this was a former way of route. Wow! What a dramatic location. I will try to describe it. A steep sided, tight basin like gully with towering pagodas to the north and centrally disposed, a flat-topped blade of rock some 10m wide and 30m long projecting into the gully almost dividing it into two separate basins. On the western side of this blade and above Victoria Creek were some natural steps that appeared to have been enhanced to make a safer way of route. Given the current soaking wet ground conditions, a tape was set to ensure that climbing down was secure and coming back up was possible in safety, 489 795.

According to our information we were about 300m maximum distance from the coal mine entrance. At this point I elected to stay while the party pushed on down below the cliff line and through what looked like very rough conditions.

Extract of the walk route plot overlaid on a topographic map recorded and prepared by John Cooper.

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Using the above map, I believe that a horse friendly track was built next to and parallel with Victoria Creek that crossed the minor tributary at 488 794, then ascended a north west angled spur to reach a gentle sloping ridge at 489 792. The track would then have headed due east to link with the north south ridge at 491 794. Using this route horses and or horse drawn vehicles could have taken out the coal.

After a lot of heavy scrub bashing the crew found the mine entrance at 488 797. We were back as one party at 1148 and proceeded to retrace our steps to the morning tea site where a very quick lunch was consumed, 490 796, 1205-1217. Jim, checking on his weather app advise that a rain squall was headed our way which hastened our eating. The rain did not eventuate.

The original locked gate was reached at 1312 and the vehicles at 1335. Total distance walked 10km, total ascents 390m.

Michael KeatsBushexplorers10th July 2019

UBMBWC Rienits Coal Mine-080719-Track Notes /MK

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