History Week Talk at the Library : The History of Glen Davis Australia’s 1st Attempt at Producing Petrol from Oil Shale

Lithgow Library invites you to come along on Saturday 23 September 2023, at 10.00am for a History Week talk with special guest speaker Graeme Pike. This talk will discuss the History of the Oil Shale Works in Glen Davis, where Graeme is a tour guide.

The Glen Davis shale oil works operated from the late 1930’s until 1952 and has since been repurposed as a tourist destination. The extraction plant was developed for Australia’s first attempt at producing petrol from shale and became a massive project during World War II. The site is a fascinating piece of the nation’s history, right on Lithgow’s doorstep.

The talk will cover the rise and fall of this project and what effect this had on the local community. Graeme will also have copies available to purchase on the day of the book Glen Davis: A ghost town and its people 1938-1954 by Leonie Knapman, who conducted extensive research into the community.

History week events are always popular at the library, and this is one not to be missed. The talk is free, and no bookings are required. Light refreshments will be available. For more information on this event and other library events, head to the library website at https://library.lithgow.com/ or follow Lithgow City Council Libraries on Facebook.