Coal has been the life blood of the Port of Newcastle since 1799. Between 1799 and 1829 the Port of Newcastle shipped 50,000 tonnes of coal, loaded into ships using wheelbarrows from a pile of coal near the dock.
Originally the coal was loaded onto the ships using wheelbarrows, a slow and painstaking process. In 1860 steam cranes were introduced making loading faster. Hydraulic and electric cranes were then introduced, but as the trade demands on the Port increased, further improvements in technology were needed.
Coal throughout at the Port of Newcastle in 2005-06 was 80.2 million tonnes . this was loaded using shiploaders with a loading capacity of up to 10,500 tonnes per hour.
Birth of the Port
Submarine Attack
Then and Now
BHP
Aluminium
