Location
Bulli is a northern suburb of Wollongong situated on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. (wikipedia)
History
Bulli is possibly derived from an Aboriginal word signifying “double or two mountains”, but other derivations have been suggested.
Originally inhabited by Wodi Wodi Aborigines, European wood cutters worked in the area from about 1815. The area was once abundant in Red Cedars, these are now still seen but thinly. The first permanent European settler was Cornelius O’Brien, who established a farm in 1823 and whose name was given in the pass at O’Briens Road south at Figtree.
The Bulli Coal Company opened a mine in 1862 on the escarpment and built cottages to house miners and their families. Coal was transported by rail from the mine to Bulli Jetty at Sandon Point where it was loaded onto ships.
On 23 March 1887 a gas explosion in the mine killed 81 men and boys, leaving 50 women widows and 150 children without fathers. There was one survivor, a 17-year-old boy who became known as “Boy Cope”. A memorial obelisk listing the names of those who perished is situated in Park Road, Bulli, adjacent to the railway line. The mine reopened later in the year. The Bulli Mine Disaster was one of the worst in the region’s history.
The mine has since long been leveled, with only concrete foundations revealing the location of the old office area and other buildings. Hidden along the cliff behind these foundations can be found the old mine entrances. These have been sealed with up to 12 feet of concrete, with a drainage line set in the concrete. To the east is the remnants of the sorting site, a few scattered foundations and a tar patch.
The old railway line from the mine to the coast has mostly been removed, but as you drive south into Bulli you will see the bridge it was set in, now used as a walkway over the highway after a fatal car accident involving a school child saw it restored. This bridge now features a welcome sign for the historic ‘black diamond’ district.
Bulli’s main historical feature is the railway station, situated between the escarpment and the surf beaches. The station was the first on the south coast and contains a museum which is open every Sunday.
Another historic feature is the Bulli Heritage Hotel, which was opened in 1889. This is in the heart of the ‘Black Diamond’ district. (wikipedia)
Places of Interest
