Rewind Series 4 Episode 10 – Kooragang Opening 40 years ago and 1960’s Coal Handling

40 years since the beginning of operations at the Kooragang coal loader. NBN News covered the construction and the first delivery of coal, soon to be shipped through the new facility.

Its a story of rapid change…. just 20 years earlier, coal arrived by rail in timber hoppers to be hoisted by electric cranes to awaiting vessel, an operation heavily reliant on manual labour.

By 1967, the use of conveyer belts increased capacity at the basin loader. In 1976, Port Waratah Coal Services began operation… the Carrington terminal opened in October of that year. And in 1984, the Kooragang loader.

Infrastructure to this day, an important part to our nation’s economy.