New Oakleigh has hit the end of its productive life and will cease mining operations on Friday, New Hope Group’s chief operating officer Bruce Denney said.

The company has been working closely with about 30 staff members at the site to find other positions within New Hope where possible, he said.

Some staff will be retained at the Rosewood site following the closure of New Oakleigh’s coal operations to continue rehabilitation work, which will take some years to complete.

Ipswich rose to prominence as the railway and manufacturing hub of Queensland in the early 1900s because of its readily accessible coal deposits.

The collieries supplied coal for gas production, the state railway workshops in Ipswich, steamship bunkerage, electricity generation and local industries.

The company, which formed in Ipswich in 1952, will continue its strong links to the Ipswich community through its nearby Jeebropilly mine, Denney said.

“The people of Rosewood and Ipswich have been very supportive of New Oakleigh, which has been a significant economic spur to the region since its beginnings in the early part of the last century,” Denney said.

“New Hope’s high proportion of long-term staff members also have very fond memories of this area’s coal mining history and in particular, the New Oakleigh site.”