With a few exceptions, the majority of the houses here were staff houses. None of these houses were ever placed on title and remained the property of the mining company.
There were three houses on the right side of the road going west which were not staff houses.
The first was occupied by Mabel and Bob Jones
The second was occupied for a time by Hugh and Bessie Slaven and their children Barbara and Jimmy.
The third house was occupied by Mrs Warren (nee Walton) who lived there for many years. Whilst walking on the beach one day (she couldn’t swim) she met her husband to be, whose father was the Pit Deputy. This family occupied the house further west on the bend of the then Pit Road.
He was the ambulance officer in the pit.
The young couple proceeded to have a number of children rather quickly, the young wife giving birth in her mother-in-law’s house across the road.
Her husband died when she was pregnant with her sixth child.
A benefit was held for the family at the Knickerbocker Hall and townsfolk offered to take and raise the younger children.
Mrs Warren kept her family together even though there was no electricity, no running water and so many nappies to wash. She was helped by Mr Warren, a miner, who would call in on his way to the pit and carry the heavy buckets. They later married and had a son, Joey Warren, who lives still in Sawmill Camp.
This house was rather special as the mine management for a few years allowed water to be piped to a number of ponds in which fish and eels were kept. Mrs Warren also had a lovely garden.
The next occupants were Frank Woodbury, wife June and daughters Virginia and Tamara. After Frank died June continued to live there for many years.
A house on the left side of Pit Road was occupied by the George and Audrey Faraway and their daughters Yvonne and Lynette. George was a clerk at the mine office. Audrey was from Mine Camp, her maiden name was Adams. This house was connected to Moonee water supply for the bathroom and the Faraways had a large water heater in the bathroom and the luxury of a bath full of water.
Up the road a little way and off to the left stood three houses facing the pit. These were occupied by ? next Glanffird Williams, the pit deputy his wife, son Allan and daughter Darra were in the next one and Agg and Oswald (Ossie) Jones occupied the end one. Agg had been a Waterman whose family had lived in Slack Alley. Ossie worked as a Fettler at the pit.
The Hall family (son Milton) lived in a house almost opposite these houses and opposite the Engine room. The Donne family also occupied houses here at various times.
Neil Boshell was the Assistant Engineer at the Pit in the year’s around1949/50’s lived in a larger, well presented house further up the hill with his family. A son and daughter both attended the school.
Another family also lived in this area for some time by the name of Elliot. Mr Elliot was the assistant engineer and had two children Colin and Marilyn. Marilyn was enrolled at the Bay school in 1958.
Morrie Alexander, the Electrical Engineer lived at the top of the road on the right in a substantial house which looked back down at the pit and surrounding areas with lovely views. Morrie and wife had 2 daughters Fay and Judy.
Margaret and Tommy Neilson, son Gary, daughter Vicky, lived in the house opposite Morrie Alexander in the 1960’s. This house was well built and had wonderful views of Middle Camp and Federal city. Although this area was prone to bushfires and the Neilson’s had several close calls when the fire came too close. Sadly this house has also been demolished
In the late 1970s Coal & Allied replaced a number of staff houses with new large brick houses.
Three new staff houses were built.
The largest house was for the Mine Manager.
The house where the former Deputy’s house had stood was occupied by Mr and Mrs Thornton. Jack Thornton was the Jetty Master.
Formerly Mr Thornton had been the Pay Officer and then for 10 years following he had been the Weighbridge Officer and lived in the house near the sidings east of the Bowling Club, close to the rail line. (Mrs Thornton complained of the coal dust on her curtains).
The cyclone of 1974 which destroyed the Jetty also impacted on their house so badly that it had to be demolished.
Mr and Mrs Thornton declined to live in the Jetty Master’s House, formerly the Surveyor’s House and were offered a new brick house in Pit Road.
Mrs Thornton declared that she would not live in Pit Road so the name was changed to Colliery Road. Both of the Thornton’s were great community workers, Jack as secretary for the Bowling club for many years and Phyl was a tireless worker for the Methodist/Uniting church.
The other new house was occupied by a staff member, Mr Halvorson and his family.
By the 1990s these former staff houses were rented to non- mining families by Coal & Allied