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.
This 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. 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 .
Coal &Allied have sold all their lands at Catherine Hill Bay to Wallalong Lands Pty Ltd. This house is currently rented.