Bulli Mine Disaster Memorial 1887
Eighty one men and boys were killed on 23 March 1887 by a gas explosion at the Bulli coal mine. A memorial to the miners was announced by the NSW Government in August but its location was contested. The local community insisted that it be sited in the graveyard of St Augustine Church where three-quarters of the victims were buried. The site is on Park Rd Bulli west of thechurch [-34.333573, 150.915369]
The memorialwas erected a year after the disaster. Its unveiling was planned to be undertaken by the Governor of NSW, Lord Carrington, but was cancelled at short notice. The local community held an unoffical ceremenoy at the site on the first anniversary of the disaster. Commemorations have been held since and are currently organised by the Black Diamonds Museum and Heritage Centre.
The memorial is made of granite imported from Scotland, 7.62 metres high and sits on a foundation stone from Pyrmont in Sydney. Engraved into the memorial are the names of those who died.