South Maitland coalfields

It was discovered by Lieutenant-Colonel William Paterson's party when they were engaged in an exploratory visit to the Hunter Valley during July 1801.

Mention has been made that coal was being mined in the area during the 1840s, and about 1850 an outcrop in the vicinity of Mount Vincent was reported to the authorities.

The potential wealth of the coalfields was brought forward in 1886 by Professor Tannatt William Edgeworth David who located an outcrop of first grade coal at Deep Creek, near the present township of Abermain.

This gentleman was instrumental in having the whole coal-bearing area, estimated at 20,000 acres (81 km2), reserved for mining purposes.

This railway was in fact a considerable number of lines which all, at some point, merged, but had different original ownerships.