Coalfields Museum

The Coalfields Museum comprises an historic collection which is making good use of the district’s old Roads Board building. The display of old machinery and vehicles behind the smart brick building is just a mere suggestion of the wondrous historic collection housed within the main building and the old workshops at the rear. Stepping into the building is like entering into a props department of a film studio, with a plethora of items from yesteryear. A display of historic photographs greets the visitor in the first room and,, after passing through this introduction, the fun of this collection really starts. Items from a typical drawing room occupy the next room, beautifully presented in well-lit glass cabinets. Take the walkway to the old workshop, which houses an informative Mining Museum telling the long history of coalmining. Beyond the coal mining display, themed areas display items relating to sport, domestic life, communications, medical care, clothing, retail, war service and the more recent history of the 1964 floods. One of the sports featured here is competitive cycling which has a long history in this area. Look out for the early model electric bicycle! A visit here is an immersion in Collie’s history, after which you’ll be looking forward to crib. What’s crib? You’ll have to go into the mining display for the answer!