The Big Miner's Lamp
Height
Unknown
Year Built
Address
Bowenfels, NSW 2790
The Lowdown
The Big Miner's Lamp illuminates Bowenfels with a tribute to the coal mining industry that transformed this region into one of Australia's most important industrial areas. Standing in the shadows of the Blue Mountains, this oversized carbide lamp honours the generations of miners who worked the Western Coalfields from the 1860s onwards. Lithgow and its surrounding villages including Bowenfels became the engine room of New South Wales industry, providing coal for railways, iron smelting, and power generation. The Big Miner's Lamp serves as a memorial to both the industry and the mining families who built these communities.
Did you know?
"Carbide lamps were used underground because they were safer than open flames"
History
The Western Coalfields around Lithgow were opened up in the 1860s following the extension of the railway across the Blue Mountains. Coal mining rapidly transformed the region, and by the early 1900s, Lithgow had become an industrial powerhouse with coal mines, iron smelting, and small arms manufacturing. Bowenfels grew as a mining village serving the nearby pits. Carbide lamps like the one depicted were essential underground equipment, burning calcium carbide to produce acetylene gas for illumination. The Big Miner's Lamp honours the tough men who worked in dangerous conditions to fuel Australia's industrial growth.
More Fun Facts
- •The Lithgow region produced coal from over 100 different mines
- •Carbide lamps were used underground because they were safer than open flames
- •Lithgow's Small Arms Factory made the Owen Gun during WWII
- •The Zig Zag Railway nearby was an engineering marvel of 1869
- •State Mine Heritage Park preserves the region's coal mining history
Visiting Tips
- 💡Visit the State Mine Heritage Park for underground mine tours
- 💡The Zig Zag Railway offers heritage steam train rides
- 💡Lithgow has excellent heritage walking trails
- 💡Continue to the stunning Blue Mountains National Park nearby
Opening Hours
Outdoor sculpture accessible at all times.
More Big Things Nearby
Big Apple (Tallong)
The Big Apple in Tallong, NSW, is a hyper-realistic fibreglass apple sculpture built in 1988 by Carl Zeschke, celebrating the region's rich apple-growing heritage dating back to the 1900s.
Big Golden Guitar
A 12-meter tall fibreglass guitar monument celebrating Tamworth's status as Australia's Country Music Capital, opened by Slim Dusty in 1988.
Big Lizzie
Australia's largest traction engine at Red Cliffs, VIC, a working piece of pioneering history.