Clandulla, New South Wales

When the area was known as Mornington, in 1900-1901, it was the site of a short-lived shale mining and retorting operation, run by the Mornington Proprietary Oil Company. Retorts of a novel 'lead bath' design were erected and a road constructed to their site. Experimental distillation of oil took place, but the 'lead bath' retorts were unsuitable—the low temperature of operation could not recover enough of the valuable ammonia by-product—and the quality of the carbonaceous shale—not torbanite, or 'kerosene shale' as it was then known—at Mornington was too poor to extract its oil content economically, by any available method. The site was abandoned, and the company was in liquidation by mid 1902.[13][14][15][16][17]

In March 1924, shares in the Standard Portland Cement Company Ltd. were offered for public sale. The company was “formed to establish works for the manufacture of Portland cement” at a location north of Clandulla village “and to acquire from Cement Products Ltd., all rights in limestone leases, freeholds, contracts, etc.”.[18] At the time of the share float the Standard Portland Cement Company reached an agreement with the NSW State government to supply 50 thousand tons of cement annually (at £2 17s. 6d. a ton), with supply to commence two years after the contract was signed.[19] An article published in October 1924 described the development of the cement works being built six kilometres north of Clandulla village (half-way between Clandulla and Kandos). The industrial complex and associated facilities for workers was to be called 'Charbon' (the French word for 'coal'). It was expected “the new works will reach the stage of cement production in about 18 months”. Limestone deposits for the cement-making process were “situated nearby on Carwell Creek”.[20] Over 150 men were employed during the construction phase.[21] The “first train load of cement” was despatched from the Charbon works in January 1927. It was reported that “the railway authorities” were constructing a platform near the Charbon works as Clandulla was considered to be “rather far away” to effectively serve the cement works.[22]

In late 1923, shares in a company called the Clandulla Cement Ltd. were offered for public sale. The company proposed to acquire “certain limestone and coal-bearing lands… at Clandulla and near Watson’s Cutting” (alongside the railway line south of Clandulla) in order “to establish Portland cement works and other enterprises”.[23] In January 1925, with the cement works under construction, Albert Dalwood, the chairman of directors of Clandulla Cement Ltd., stated in an interview that “the situation of the works is a unique one, owing to enormous deposits of all the requisite raw materials, lime stone, shale, coal and water being within half a mile of the factory site, providing exceptional facilities for production at low cost”.[24]

In August 1926, it was reported that the Great Western Cement Company “has taken over the Clandulla Cement Co.’s lands at Clandulla’. The company intended to “open up collieries and quarries, and to manufacture cement”, as well as constructing “a branch line of railway from the collieries”.[25] In June 1929 it was reported that “the proposed new town to be established on the Great Western Cement Company’s property at Clandulla” would be called 'Concrete'.[26] In March 1930 a reader's question about the Great Western Cement Company was published in the Truth newspaper asking whether the company was “a proper going concern”. The published answer stated that although the company was registered in 1926 and “over £150,000 capital” had been subscribed, “it is still in the non-producing stage”. The newspaper added that “it is about time the company got to work in the interests of its shareholders”.[27] The grand plans for a cement works south of Clandulla were eventually abandoned. By the end of 1930 the Great Western Cement Company had applied to lease 30 acres at Bunnerong in south-east Sydney in order to erect “works for the manufacture of carbon dioxide and lime products”.[28]