Chapter 11
I The Present Energy Economy
II Australian Energy Consumption
III Research And Development
IV Coal
V Oil And Natural Gas
VI Solar Energy
VII Nuclear Energy
VIII Bagasse Firewood And Other Biomass
IX Electric Power Generation And Distribution electric Power Generation And Distribution
X Manufactured Gas
XI Industrial Process Heat
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Coal was discovered in 1791, at what is now Newcastle and by 1798 was being mined from outcrops near the mouth of the Hunter River. The Australian Gas Light Company was formed in 1837 to manufacture town gas for street lighting in Sydney and in due course for domestic lighting. It was not until much later, however, that gas was common for cooking and industrial heating. Nevertheless town gas remained an important source of energy for homes and industry until replaced by natural gas in the 1950s.
Oil shale was discovered at Hartley Vale, NSW in 1854 and was used to produce kerosene for lighting and heating, but by 1861 it had to be supplemented by imports from USA.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Australian Gas Light Company
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition page 780, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/750.html