This weatherboard and galvanised iron cottage was constructed between 1908-1915. The Wallarah Coal-mining Company built this cottage to house its mineworkers.
Alec Boyd lived in this house after the First World War with his wife Amy whom he brought home from England. There were two sons Reg and Eric and two daughters Joyce and Lil. One of the boys played the trumpet in one of the two bands that the town produced. There used to be a rotunda near the top of the hill that separated Main Camp and Middle Camp.
Amy’s sister in law, Betty Boyd, lived opposite in No 15 Flowers Drive.
There was a well near the side bedroom window on the northern side.
In 1964 the coal company ‘Coal & Allied’ subdivided some of its land. The company determined that this house and land be purchased for 400 pounds by Mrs A Boyd.
Amy’s favourite colour was lilac so the colour of the house and many of its decorations reflected this. Amy also liked fruit trees and planted between 12-14 up the side of the house. Amy is buried in the Catherine Hill Bay Cemetery.
The next owner removed the fruit trees, built a midway fence and a flat at the back of the property to live in,and rented out the house. The next owners used the house as a weekender and the flat as a garage and artwork storage.
The current family bought the house in 1993 and live there fulltime. They repainted the grey and turquoise trim , white and green. The leaking roof was replaced with light green metal. In 2003 the exterior boards were replaced with western red cedar and the front verandah restored, retaining the central steps.
In the 2007 storm, the roof of the flat collapsed, and was replaced with a pitched roof to match the house, and solar panels.
The fruit trees are back, along with many native trees and bushes.At the rear of the block is an arboretum, kindly mowed by neighbours.