By: Georgina G GE4th Mar 2018 11:28PM The Southern Coal Company's coal mine at Mt Kembla. The mine manager Mr Pringle is the man in the white cap in the foreground at right.

The Illawarra Mercury reported on the 21st of June 1888
"About two months ago, Mr. H. A. Pringle, who was specially selected for the position of manager of the company's operations here arrived in this colony, having with him Mr. Robert Wragg and Mr. James Crowder, the former to carry out the surface works of the company, and the latter the underground operations.
Mr. Pringle lost no time on his arrival in entering with vigor upon the carrying out of the important duties devolving upon him. The company's property being situated on the south, south-eastern,
and western slopes of Mount Kembla, as well as including the main part of that mountain itself, some very, rough and rugged country had to be cleared at the outset. - Not only is there practically no road to the place, but the company's land is steep, and bestudded with stones of all shapes and sizes, with here and there huge boulders that have fallen from the majestic mountain above in the course of ages. And all over the locality
there abounds a perfect jungle of the thickest and most luxuriant of Illawarra vegetation, including brushwood vines and other such growth. This had to be cleared away before a base of
operations, so to speak, could be secured.... "