90-683: The Hunter Valley Coal Chain ( HVCC ) is the chain of coal delivery in New South Wales , Australia from (mainly open-cut) coal mines in the Hunter Region to the Port of Newcastle and domestic coal-fired power stations in the Hunter Valley. The HVCC essentially follows the path of the Hunter River travelling south-east from the mining areas in the Hunter Valley to Newcastle. The HVCC mainly deals in
180-454: A bottleneck for road traffic. A decision was made in the late 1930s to construct a bridge, however construction was delayed by World War II . Eventually the first two-lane bridge was opened in December 1952. The first bridge is a steel truss bridge with a central lifting span , designed to allow shipping to travel upstream. By the 1970s, this bridge was becoming a bottleneck and the decision
270-406: A co-ordinated manner and collectively known as the "JSM", negotiated prices for coking coal. One of the steel mills would be appointed as the lead negotiator for the initial contracts with producers. Prices in subsequent contracts would be based on these 'benchmark prices', adjusted for coal quality. This led to "JSM terms" being the benchmark for the industry. While coal is still sold under JSM terms,
360-604: A dairy processing factory by the Hunter Valley Dairy Co-operative, which established the Oak milk brand. The site is now owned and operated by Brancourts Dairy ; one of the oldest Australian owned and operated dairy companies in Australia. Hexham's central location has seen the establishment of petrol stations, fast food outlets, warehouses and saleyards for heavy vehicles and caravans. The Hexham Bowling Club provides
450-663: A deal with Edmund Barton , leader of the NSW Protectionist Party, whereby they would work together for federation and leave the question of a protective tariff for a future Australian government to decide. In early 1893 the first citizens' Federation League was established in the Riverina region of New South Wales and many other leagues were soon formed in the colony. The leagues organised a conference in Corowa in July 1893 which developed
540-517: A debt crisis after the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. New South Wales was hit harder by the depression than other states, and by 1932 one third of union members in the state were unemployed, compared with 20 per cent nationally. Labor won the November 1930 NSW elections and Jack Lang became premier for the second time. In 1931 Lang proposed a plan to deal with the depression which included
630-451: A diverse set of understory shrubs and fungi. One of the widespread fungi is Witch's Butter ( Tremella mesenterica ). The western slopes and plains fill a significant portion of the state's area and have a much sparser population than areas nearer the coast. Agriculture is central to the economy of the western slopes, particularly the Riverina region and Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in
720-564: A gift of a bottle of wine. The Liberal Party then elected Treasurer Mike Baird as party leader and Premier. Baird resigned as Premier on 23 January 2017, and was replaced by Gladys Berejiklian . On 23 March 2019, Berejiklian led the Coalition to a third term in office. She maintained high personal approval ratings for her management of a bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic . However, Berejiklian resigned as premier on 5 October 2021, following
810-725: A greater variety of other contract terms now exist. The railway corridor used is part of the Main North railway line . The Hunter Valley infrastructure is owned by the State Government owned RailCorp and managed by the Federal Government owned Australian Rail Track Corporation under a 60-year lease until 2064. In November 1994, it was announced that the line would be opened up to other operators. Prior to only FreightCorp and its predecessors operated trains. The other infrastructure associated with coal transport, such as load points,
900-681: A hereditary upper house was widely ridiculed and subsequently dropped. The property qualification for voters had been reduced in 1851, and by 1856 95 per cent of adult males in Sydney, and 55 per cent in the colony as a whole, were eligible to vote. Full adult male suffrage was introduced in 1858. In 1859 Queensland became a separate colony. In 1861 the NSW parliament legislated land reforms intended to encourage family farms and mixed farming and grazing ventures. The amount of land under cultivation subsequently increased from 246,000 acres in 1861 to 800,000 acres in
990-593: A huge victory for Holman's pro-conscription Nationalists in the elections of March 1917, a second referendum on conscription held in December that year was defeated in New South Wales and nationally. Following the war, NSW governments embarked on large public works programs including road building, the extension and electrification of the rail network and the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The works were largely funded by loans from London, leading to
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#17330859094611080-572: A majority of one seat. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 saw more NSW volunteers for service than the federal authorities could handle, leading to unrest in camps as recruits waited for transfer overseas. In 1916 NSW premier William Holman and a number of his supporters were expelled from the Labor party over their support for military conscription. Holman subsequently formed a Nationalist government which remained in power until 1920. Despite
1170-658: A majority of the day. It was the riverine terminus of the privately owned Richmond Vale Railway line, an early coal hauling railway from Minmi and Stockrington which crossed the Main Northern railway line at right angles. Coal loading at the wharf ended in 1967 and the railway line to the adjoining workshops was closed in October 1973. The remaining section of the Richmond Vale Railway was closed in September 1987. Hexham
1260-582: A military outpost on King George Sound in Western Australia in 1826 which was later transferred to the Swan River colony. In 1839, the UK decided to formally annex at least part of New Zealand to New South Wales. It was administered as a dependency until becoming the separate Colony of New Zealand on 3 May 1841. From the 1820s, squatters increasingly established unauthorised cattle and sheep runs beyond
1350-507: A plan for federation. The new NSW premier, George Reid , endorsed the "Corowa plan" and in 1895 convinced the majority of other premiers to adopt it. A constitutional convention held sessions in 1897 and 1898 which resulted in a proposed constitution for a Commonwealth of federated states. However, a referendum on the constitution failed to gain the required majority in New South Wales after that colony's Labor party campaigned against it and premier Reid gave it such qualified support that he earned
1440-618: A planner to design the street layout of Sydney. A road across the Blue Mountains was completed in 1815, opening the way for large scale farming and grazing in the lightly wooded pastures west of the Great Dividing Range . In 1825 Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) became a separate colony and the western border of New South Wales was extended to the 129th meridian east (now the West Australian border). New South Wales established
1530-538: A range of entertainment services for locals and travellers. It is also the home of the Free Church of Tonga which is situated on Old Maitland Road. In the 2021 census , Hexham recorded a population of 157 people. The median age of residents was 35 years, compared to the national median of 38 years. People aged 65 years and over made up 20.6% of the population, compared to the national average of 17.2%. The majority of respondents (84.1%) were born in Australia, compared to
1620-460: A ravenous world market, particularly in Asia (especially China , with its expanding need for coal in the steel industry), willing to devour it is disadvantaged by the distance that must be overcome to get the product to the market and the huge number of players involved. It is for this reason that the supply chain must run as smoothly as possible, moving the raw product from the mines, to the port and onto
1710-423: A ship, and sail to freedom. Poorly armed, and with their leader Philip Cunningham captured, about 100 troops and volunteers routed the main body of insurgents at Rouse Hill . At least 39 convicts were killed in the uprising and subsequent executions. Lachlan Macquarie (governor 1810–1821) commissioned the construction of roads, wharves, churches and public buildings, sent explorers out from Sydney, and employed
1800-502: A suspension of interest payments to British creditors, diverting the money to unemployment relief. The Commonwealth and state premiers rejected the plan and later that year Lang's supporters in the Commonwealth parliament brought down James Scullin's federal Labor government. The NSW Lang government subsequently defaulted on overseas interest payments and was dismissed from office in May 1932 by
1890-462: Is Sydney , which is also Australia's most populous city. In December 2023 , the population of New South Wales was over 8.3 million, making it Australia's most populous state. Almost two-thirds of the state's population, 5.3 million, live in the Greater Sydney area. The Colony of New South Wales was founded as a British penal colony in 1788. It originally comprised more than half of
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#17330859094611980-673: Is bordered to the east by the Hunter River - Coquun and by Ironbark Creek - Toohrnbing to the south, while to the west the suburb consists mainly of unproductive swampland and floodplains. Almost all settlement exists within a narrow corridor stretching along the Pacific Highway between the Main Northern railway line and the Hunter River - Coquun. This corridor, which is occupied mainly by highways and industrial areas, covers an area of only 1.1 square kilometres (0.4 sq mi). Within
2070-565: Is close to the northern end of the Pacific Motorway . The Hunter Valley Dairy Co-operative took advantage of this key location to establish its first milkbar under the Co-operative's signature dairy brand Oak to serve locals and longer distance travellers outside its Hexham manufacturing facility. Many years after the closure of the co-operative and the sale of the Oak milk brand Lion to Parmalat ,
2160-490: Is dependent on a number of factors: Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) operates the third coal export facility in Newcastle. Its terminal is also situated on Kooragang Island and has a capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum but it has the development approval for construction of a loader with a capacity of 66 million tonnes per annum for that site. NCIG is developing the site in stages. The company loaded its first ship in
2250-527: Is now New South Wales, including the Wiradjuri , Gamilaray , Yuin , Ngarigo , Gweagal , and Ngiyampaa peoples. In 1770, James Cook charted the unmapped eastern coast of the continent of New Holland , now Australia, and claimed the entire coastline that he had just explored as British territory. Contrary to his instructions, Cook did not gain the consent of the Aboriginal inhabitants. Cook originally named
2340-442: Is privately owned, usually by a mine or a coal loader. West of Maitland the line is formed of two tracks, with three in places, with the lines being shared with passenger trains operated by NSW TrainLink . East of Maitland the line is formed of four tracks with the southern pair exclusively for the use of coal trains with an underpass at Hanbury west of Waratah allowing trains to reach Port Waratah without having to interface with
2430-521: The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) to implement a short term capacity distribution system to allocate the current capacity of the coal supply chain to existing coal exporters. This scheme was implemented in June 2004 and interim authorisation to continue a modified version of the scheme until December 2007 – called the medium term capacity distribution system – has been granted by
2520-476: The Australian mainland with its western boundary set at 129th meridian east in 1825. The colony then also included the island territories of Van Diemen's Land , Lord Howe Island , and Norfolk Island . During the 19th century, most of the colony's area was detached to form separate British colonies that eventually became the various states and territories of Australia . The Swan River Colony (later called
2610-733: The Colony of Western Australia ) was never administered as part of New South Wales. Lord Howe Island remains part of New South Wales, while Norfolk Island became a federal territory , as have the areas now known as the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory . The original inhabitants of New South Wales were the Aboriginal tribes who arrived in Australia about 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. Before European settlement there were an estimated 250,000 Aboriginal people in
2700-526: The Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions reaching northwards to the Queensland border. Tourism is important to the economies of coastal towns such as Coffs Harbour , Lismore , Nowra and Port Macquarie , but the region also produces seafood, beef, dairy, fruit, sugar cane and timber. The Great Dividing Range extends from Victoria in the south through New South Wales to Queensland, parallel to
2790-566: The 1880s. Wool production also continued to grow, and by the 1880s New South Wales produced almost half of Australia's wool. Coal had been discovered in the early years of settlement and gold in 1851, and by the 1890s wool, gold and coal were the main exports of the colony. The NSW economy also became more diversified. From the 1860s, New South Wales had more people employed in manufacturing than any other Australian colony. The NSW government also invested strongly in infrastructure such as railways, telegraph, roads, ports, water and sewerage. By 1889 it
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2880-421: The 40-hour working week was implemented by 1947. The post-war economic boom brought near-full employment and rising living standards, and the government engaged in large spending programs on housing, dams, electricity generation and other infrastructure. In 1954 the government announced a plan for the construction of an opera house on Bennelong Point . The design competition was won by Jørn Utzon . Controversy over
2970-518: The ACCC. New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW ) is a state on the east coast of Australia . It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. The Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory are enclaves within the state. New South Wales' state capital
3060-501: The Hexham manufacturing site now operated and owned by Brancourts is often referred to as the "old Oak site". Hexham is located just upstream of the Hunter River delta and its various islands, and as such it was a relatively convenient place for crossing to the north bank of the river. A punt was established in the 1800s, followed by a steam punt, which eventually carried motor traffic. As traffic levels grew after World War I , Hexham became
3150-715: The Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator (HVCCC) formally replaced the HVCCLT in August 2009 and expanded to include all Hunter Valley coal chain producers and service providers. HVCCC coordinates the resources of port operators Newcastle Port Corporation , terminal operators Port Waratah Coal Services and Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group , railway operators Aurizon , Pacific National and One Rail Australia , railway infrastructure managers Australian Rail Track Corporation and Producers. The major coal producers in
3240-490: The Hunter Valley are: Most coal produced in the Hunter Valley is sold directly by coal mines (producers) to overseas buyers. About 20% of coal is sold by traders who do not mine coal but act as agents or intermediaries in coal sales. The majority of Australian coal was traditionally sold to Japanese steel mills or power utilities in accordance with long-term contracts. Those contracts were the subject of annual price and volume negotiations. The Japanese steel mills, operating in
3330-545: The Main Northern railway line to the Hetton Bellbird Sidings at the loader. It had 10 'full' and 5 'empty' sidings. The coal was dumped at a dump station and was transferred via conveyor across the main line and highway to a ship-loader. (The company has a depot to the west, across the Pacific Highway and Great North Railway, at the end of what is now Woodlands Road.) After it was constructed, the first Hexham bridge
3420-462: The centre for New South Wales is located 33 kilometres (21 mi) west-north-west of Tottenham . Hexham, New South Wales Hexham / ˈ h ɛ k s . ə m / is a suburb of the city of Newcastle , about 15 km (9 mi) inland from the Newcastle CBD in New South Wales , Australia on the bank of the Hunter River . Settlement occurred at Hexham in the 1820s when the land
3510-616: The centre of a narrow coastal strip extending from cool temperate areas on the far south coast to subtropical areas near the Queensland border. Gulaga National Park in the South Coast features the southernmost subtropical rainforest in the state. The Illawarra region is centred on the city of Wollongong, with the Shoalhaven , Eurobodalla and the Sapphire Coast to the south. The Central Coast lies between Sydney and Newcastle, with
3600-431: The coal depot at Blackwattle Bay . In Hexham's later days as a port, ships sometimes ran aground travelling from Hexham. Milk was also transported by small boats to the Hunter Valley Dairy Co-operative factory after it was opened at Hexham in 1927. Hexham's central location, with ready access to river, road and rail transport, has made it a key crossroads in the lower Hunter and influenced its industries. Originally it
3690-543: The coal loader closed. Ship loading at the J & A Brown shiploader ended on 1 November 1967. The last ship loaded was the MV Stephen Brown . A shiploader served by road adjacent the road bridge over the Hunter River - Coquun was constructed by J & A Brown Abermain Seaham Collieries Ltd at their Hexham Engineering Workshops in 1959 for RW Miller . After the merger of RW Miller with Coal & Allied in
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3780-462: The colony's exports and by 1850 most of the eastern third of New South Wales was controlled by fewer than 2,000 pastoralists. The transportation of convicts to New South Wales ended in 1840, and in 1842 a Legislative Council was introduced, with two-thirds of its members elected and one-third appointed by the governor. Former convicts were granted the vote, but a property qualification meant that only one in five adult males were enfranchised. By 1850
3870-542: The corporatisation of government agencies and the privatisation of some government services. An Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was created. Greiner called a snap election in 1991 which the Liberals were expected to win. However the ALP polled extremely well and the Liberals lost their majority and needed the support of independents to retain power. In 1992, Greiner was investigated by ICAC for possible corruption over
3960-550: The cost of the Sydney Opera House and construction delays became a political issue and was a factor in the eventual defeat of Labor in 1965 by the conservative Liberal Party and Country Party coalition led by Robert Askin . The Askin government promoted private development, law and order issues and greater state support for non-government schools. However, Askin, a former bookmaker, became increasingly associated with illegal bookmaking, gambling and police corruption. In
4050-410: The first quarter of 2010. Full 30 million tonnes per annum operations were expected in the first quarter of 2011. While productivity in supply chains is an issue for industries of all sizes, few industries have to deal with a network as broad and a demand as pressing as the coal industry. As at December 2012 Coal accounted for 18% of Australia's exports. But while Australia has an abundance of coal and
4140-488: The following stages between mine and port: In 2003 the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Logistics Team (HVCCLT) was established to improve the movement of coal from Hunter Valley mines to the port's coal loaders and then to markets across the globe. In 2009 the Hunter Valley coal industry went through a detailed view and major restructure of the contractual arrangements for the movement of coal. As a result,
4230-560: The governor, Sir Phillip Game . The following elections were won comfortably by the United Australia Party in coalition with the Country Party. Bertram Stevens became premier, remaining in office until 1939, when he was replaced by Alexander Mair . A contemporary study by sociologist A. P. Elkin found that the population of New South Wales responded to the outbreak of war in 1939 with pessimism and apathy. This changed with
4320-635: The islands adjacent in the Pacific Ocean". The area included modern New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania. He remained as governor until 1792. The settlement was initially planned to be a self-sufficient penal colony based on subsistence agriculture. Trade and shipbuilding were banned to keep the convicts isolated. However, after the departure of Governor Phillip, the colony's military officers began acquiring land and importing consumer goods obtained from visiting ships. Former convicts also farmed land granted to them and engaged in trade. Farms spread to
4410-511: The land New Wales , however, on his return voyage to Britain he settled on the name New South Wales . In January 1788 Arthur Phillip arrived in Botany Bay with the First Fleet of 11 vessels, which carried over a thousand settlers, including 736 convicts. A few days after arrival at Botany Bay , the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson , where Phillip established a settlement at
4500-482: The late 1960s, a secessionist movement in the New England region of the state led to a 1967 referendum on the issue which was narrowly defeated. The new state would have consisted of much of northern NSW including Newcastle . Askin's resignation in 1975 was followed by a number of short-lived premierships by Liberal Party leaders. When a general election came in 1976, the ALP under Neville Wran came to power. Wran
4590-452: The loading of coal onto vessels. PWCS leases the land on which the port is situated from the Government of New South Wales under an agreement which states that the port is maintained as a 'common user facility'. The coal export facilities operated by PWCS have a total capacity of 133 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa): The distribution of loading between Carrington and Kooragang Coal terminals
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#17330859094614680-602: The main coal export facilities in Newcastle. The coal export facilities consist of two coal loading terminals, located on either side of the South Channel of the Hunter River. These are known as the Kooragang Coal Terminal, on Kooragang Island and the Carrington Coal Terminal in the suburb of Carrington. Each of those terminals comprises equipment for the delivery and storage of coal to the terminal and for
4770-515: The mid-1980s, it was used by Coal & Allied to load coal washed at the Hexham Coal Washery destined for Sydney . This loader was closed in 1988 after the closure of the Hexham Coal Washery., The last ship to load there – and after 138 years, the last to load coal at Hexham – was the MV Camira in May 1988. and the loader was dismantled soon afterwards.. Another timber wharf was located on
4860-476: The more fertile lands surrounding Paramatta , Windsor and Camden , and by 1803 the colony was self-sufficient in grain. Boat building was developed to make travel easier and exploit the marine resources of the coastal settlements. Sealing and whaling became important industries. In March 1804, Irish convicts led around 300 rebels in the Castle Hill Rebellion , an attempt to march on Sydney, commandeer
4950-678: The narrow coastal plain. This area includes the Snowy Mountains , the Northern , Central and Southern Tablelands , the Southern Highlands and the South West Slopes . Whilst not particularly steep, many peaks of the range rise above 1,000 metres (3,281 ft), with the highest Mount Kosciuszko at 2,228 m (7,310 ft). Skiing in Australia began in this region at Kiandra around 1861. The relatively short ski season underwrites
5040-652: The national average of 66.9%. The mosquito species Ochlerotatus alternans is common in the area and adults, famed for their size and ferocity, are referred to as "Hexham Greys". The most famous Hexham Grey is "Ossie the Mossie", (sometimes spelled as "Ozzie the Mozzie") a large model of a mosquito that sits atop the Hexham Bowling Club sign at the corner of the Pacific Highway and Old Maitland Road in Hexham. The Hexham Bowling Club's "retired" bowlers are affectionately known as
5130-608: The necessary enabling legislation in 1900 and Western Australia subsequently voted to join the new federation. The Commonwealth of Australia was inaugurated on 1 January 1901, and Barton was sworn in as Australia's first prime minister. The first post-federation NSW governments were Progressive or Liberal Reform and implemented a range of social reforms with Labor support. Women won the right to vote in NSW elections in 1902, but were ineligible to stand for parliament until 1918. Labor increased its parliamentary representation in every election from 1904 before coming to power in 1910 with
5220-457: The nickname "yes-no Reid". The premiers of the other colonies agreed to a number of concessions to New South Wales (particularly that the future Commonwealth capital would be located in NSW), and in 1899 further referendums were held in all the colonies except Western Australia. All resulted in yes votes, with the yes vote in New South Wales meeting the required majority. The Imperial Parliament passed
5310-477: The northern pair of tracks. In 2006 the Sandgate Flyover was opened to similarly allow trains to access Kooragang Island . As at December 2012 there were 50 to 60 coal trains per day up to 1.5 kilometres in length. To alleviate congestion which frequently sees loaded trains queuing, in November 2013 construction commenced on five relief roads at Hexham that will be located between the two running lines, with
5400-504: The offer of a public service position to a former Liberal MP. Greiner resigned but was later cleared of corruption. His replacement as Liberal leader and Premier was John Fahey , whose government narrowly lost the 1995 election to the ALP under Bob Carr , who was to become the longest serving premier of the state. The Carr government (1995–2005) largely continued its predecessors' focus on the efficient delivery of government services such as health, education, transport and electricity. There
5490-444: The official limits of the settled colony. In 1836, an annual licence was introduced in an attempt to control the pastoral industry, but booming wool prices and the high cost of land in the settled areas encouraged further squatting. The expansion of the pastoral industry led to violent episodes of conflict between settlers and traditional Aboriginal landowners, such as the Myall Creek massacre of 1838. By 1844 wool accounted for half of
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#17330859094615580-579: The opening of an ICAC investigation into her actions between 2012 and 2018. She was replaced by Dominic Perrottet . New South Wales is bordered on the north by Queensland, on the west by South Australia, on the south by Victoria and on the east by the Coral and Tasman Seas . The Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory form a separately administered entity that is bordered entirely by New South Wales. The state can be divided geographically into four areas. New South Wales's three largest cities, Sydney , Newcastle and Wollongong , lie near
5670-432: The place he named Sydney Cove (in honour of the Secretary of State, Lord Sydney ) on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day . Governor Phillip formally proclaimed the colony on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Phillip, as Governor of New South Wales , exercised nominal authority over all of Australia east of the 135th meridian east between the latitudes of 10°37'S and 43°39'S, and "all
5760-439: The region. The Wodi wodi people, who spoke a variant of the Dharawal language, are the original custodians of an area south of Sydney which was approximately bounded by modern Campbelltown , Shoalhaven River and Moss Vale and included the Illawarra . The Bundjalung people are the original custodians of parts of the northern coastal areas . There are other Aboriginal peoples whose traditional lands are within what
5850-423: The river bank and conveyors across the railway and highway to expedite loading. The loader was closed in 1972 and demolished during 1976. The MV Hexham Bank was the last ship to be loaded at the Peko-Wallsend loader in November 1971, The wharf was demolished by the 1990s. The ships serving Hexham were small and known as 60 milers , based on the distance they travelled to Sydney carrying coal for gas-making or to
5940-457: The sea-borne export coal trade, especially to Asia ( Japan and Korea in particular). It is one of six major coal chains in Australia: The port of Newcastle is the world's largest coal export port. Rising demand for coal, particularly in the Asian region has resulted in a strong increase in the volume of coal exported through the port. In 2013 port throughput was 150.5 million tonnes, up from 68 million tonnes in 2000. Coal generally goes through
6030-442: The settler population of New South Wales had grown to 180,000, not including the 70,000 living in the area which became the separate colony of Victoria in 1851. In 1856 New South Wales achieved responsible government with the introduction of a bicameral parliament comprising a directly elected Legislative Assembly and a nominated Legislative Council . William Charles Wentworth was prominent in this process, but his proposal for
6120-446: The ships no easy task. In 2011 Australia exported 281 million tonnes of coal and moved 97% of this by rail. But over the last five years, getting the coal to these ports, onto the ships and to the market proved to be a difficult operation as the Chinese and other Asian markets demand soared. Freight bottlenecks rapidly developed, primarily at the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal and at Newcastle's Port Waratah. To cope with these bottlenecks,
6210-452: The south bank about 600 m (1,969 ft) upstream from the current bridges across the Hunter River - Coquun. This was near the Wheatsheaf Hotel, once operated by John Hannell, whose tomb is nearby. The loader was built in 1935 for the Hetton Bellbird Collieries and was sold to the Newcastle Wallsend Coal Company in 1956. It was supplied via the South Maitland Railway up to the East Greta Exchange Sidings (near Maitland) and from there via
6300-439: The state's south-west. Regional cities such as Albury , Dubbo , Griffith and Wagga Wagga and towns such as Deniliquin , Leeton and Parkes exist primarily to service these agricultural regions. The western slopes descend slowly to the western plains that comprise almost two-thirds of the state and are largely arid or semi-arid. The mining town of Broken Hill is the largest centre in this area. One possible definition of
6390-413: The terminal operators developed capacity management systems to cope with the volumes. The two hubs developed independent yet similar systems to cope with the problem of how to reduce queues, with Port Waratah using a Capacity Balancing System and Dalrymple Bay a Queue Management System. The Port Waratah model allocates production from the mines to available shipping in a way that maximises the capacity of
6480-524: The terminal. Since August 2003, there has been evidence that the Hunter Valley coal export infrastructure has been stretched and that some coal export growth might have been lost as a result of constraints in the system. In response to this situation, Port Waratah Coal Services (manager of the Kooragang coal terminal located on Kooragang Island and Carrington coal terminals at the Newcastle Port) applied to
6570-498: The threat of invasion by Japan, which entered the war in December 1941. In May 1942 three Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney harbour and sank a naval ship, killing 29 men aboard. The following month Sydney and Newcastle were shelled by Japanese warships. American troops began arriving in the state in large numbers. Manufacturing, steelmaking, shipbuilding and rail transport all grew with the war effort and unemployment virtually disappeared. A Labor government led by William McKell
6660-426: The tourist industry in the Snowy Mountains . Agriculture, particularly the wool industry, is important throughout the highlands. Major centres include Armidale , Bathurst , Bowral , Goulburn , Inverell , Orange , Queanbeyan and Tamworth . There are numerous forests in New South Wales, with such tree species as Red Gum Eucalyptus and Crow Ash ( Flindersia australis ), being represented. Forest floors have
6750-542: The westbound line relocated further south. This will allow coal trains to be pass one another and reach the ports in a more logical order. It is scheduled for completion in 2015. Aurizon , East Coast Rail and Pacific National both provide locomotives and freight wagons to operate coal trains. East Coast Rail provide crews to operate Xstrata owned rolling stock, with Pacific National doing likewise for Whitehaven Coal and Southern Shorthaul Railroad for Centennial Coal . Port Waratah Coal Services Limited (PWCS) operates
6840-478: The zone residential development is confined to 3 small areas measuring only 0.137 square kilometres (0.053 sq mi) in total. On Maitland Road there is Hexham Park which has a number of facilities including a cricket pitch, rugby union field, lights, amenities and a grandstand. Hexham is located at the junction of the Pacific Highway to Brisbane via the coastal route, the New England Highway and
6930-573: Was a site of farming by the Sparke family. As a crossroads, hotels soon followed, with three in operation in the 1800s: the Wheatsheaf, Hexham and Travellers Rest. Later it was a key locality for coal loading by J & A Brown and the Bellbird-Hetton Colliery. With coal loading came coal washeries and engineering workshops. Its central location was again important to the establishment in 1927 of
7020-470: Was able to transform this narrow one seat victory into landslide wins (known as Wranslides) in 1978 and 1981. After winning a comfortable though reduced majority in 1984, Wran resigned as premier and left parliament. His replacement Barrie Unsworth struggled to emerge from Wran's shadow and lost a 1988 election against a resurgent Liberal Party led by Nick Greiner . The Greiner government embarked on an efficiency program involving public sector cost-cutting,
7110-529: Was an increasing emphasis on public-private partnerships to deliver infrastructure such as freeways, tunnels and rail links. The Carr government gained popularity for its successful organisation of international events, especially the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but Carr himself was critical of the federal government over its high immigration intake, arguing that a disproportionate number of new migrants were settling in Sydney, putting undue pressure on state infrastructure. Carr unexpectedly resigned from office in 2005 and
7200-484: Was built in 1952 with a centre lifting span so small ships could travel to this wharf. (Similarly, the Stockton Bridge further downstream was built with a high arch so ships could travel upstream to Hexham by the north channel of the Hunter River - Coquun to load coal at Hexham.) This loader was later taken over by Peko-Wallsend in the 1960s, which also built six 610 t (600 long tons) coal silos (painted green) on
7290-424: Was elected in May 1941. The McKell government benefited from full employment, budget surpluses, and a co-operative relationship with John Curtin's federal Labor government. McKell became the first Labor leader to serve a full term and to be re-elected for a second. The Labor party was to govern New South Wales until 1965. The Labor government introduced two weeks of annual paid leave for most NSW workers in 1944, and
7380-479: Was formed in 1885 but New South Wales declined to join. A major obstacle to the federation of the Australian colonies was the protectionist policies of Victoria which conflicted with the free trade policies dominant in New South Wales. Nevertheless, the NSW premier Henry Parkes was a strong advocate of federation and his Tenterfield Oration in 1889 was pivotal in gathering support for the cause. Parkes also struck
7470-719: Was granted to Edward Sparke. Hexham was named after the market town of Hexham , England with both towns being near to a Newcastle and sharing a history with one another; many of the coal miners from Newcastle upon Tyne and elsewhere in Northumberland moved to New South Wales at the time of settlement. The history of Hexham is closely associated with that of the nearby suburbs of Tarro (originally Upper Hexham), Ash Island , Tomago and Minmi . Hexham measures approximately 6.7 km (4.2 mi) from north to south and 6 km (3.7 mi) from east to west, covering an area of 18.7 square kilometres (7.2 sq mi). The suburb
7560-495: Was loading cargoes of up to 610 t (600 long tons) at a rate of 1,016 t (1,000 long tons) per day. Coal for ships with larger cargos was sent from Hexham to other ports using the government rail line. There was a large rail yard called the Hexham Exchange Sidings to allow J & A Brown coal trains to be taken over the government line to Carrington. The Hexham Coal Washery, opened in 1953, remained operating after
7650-603: Was located on the south bank, downstream of the first Hexham bridge. This was originally used by J & A Brown from the mid-1800s to load coal brought by train from Minimi across Hexham Swamp - Burraghihnbihng. As J & A Brown's operations expanded coal was loaded at this wharf from their other coal mines. Coal arrived via the Richmond Vale Railway and a right-angle crossing (across the Main North government line) from 1856 until November 1967. Around 1890, this facility
7740-417: Was made to increase capacity by building a second bridge for all northbound traffic. This concrete high-level fixed bridge was built just upstream of the original bridge (converted to carry southbound traffic only) and was opened in August 1987. Hexham has its own railway station on the Main Northern railway line , served by an hourly NSW TrainLink service between Newcastle and Maitland / Telarah for
7830-458: Was once a riverport of some importance in the lower Hunter and was known as Port Hunter, dual named Yohaaba. In the colonial days travellers from Newcastle to Maitland could travel to Hexham by boat and then disembark to travel by road to Maitland via Upper Hexham ( Tarro ), Four Mile Creek and Green Hills, the road being more direct than the river which had many bends after Raymond Terrace . Coal loading at Hexham began about 1850. One timber wharf
7920-598: Was one of the factors leading the Trades and Labor Council to form a political party. The Labor Electoral League won a quarter of seats in the NSW elections of 1891 and held the balance of power between the Free Trade Party and the Protectionist Party . The suffragette movement was developing at this time. The Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales was founded in 1891. A Federal Council of Australasia
8010-402: Was possible to travel by train from Brisbane to Adelaide via Sydney and Melbourne. The extension of the rail network inland also encouraged regional industries and the development of the wheat belt . In the 1880s trade unions grew and were extended to lower skilled workers. In 1890 a strike in the shipping industry spread to wharves, railways, mines, and shearing sheds. The defeat of the strike
8100-559: Was replaced by Morris Iemma , who remained premier after being re-elected in the March 2007 state election , until he was replaced by Nathan Rees in September 2008. Rees was subsequently replaced by Kristina Keneally in December 2009, who became the first female premier of New South Wales. Keneally's government was defeated at the 2011 state election and Barry O'Farrell became Premier on 28 March. On 17 April 2014 O'Farrell stood down as Premier after misleading an ICAC investigation concerning
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