No 12 Clark St

This weatherboard house was built around 1889 by The Wallarah Coal-mining Company to house its mineworkers.

Mr and Mrs Hilliery are the first remembered tenants followed by the

Wiltshire family.

Mr and Mrs George Farraway moved into the house in the 1920s.Mr Farraway was a loco driver. They had three children. A son George and two daughters Enid and Lettie.

In 1964 the Coal Mining Company ‘Coal & Allied’ subdivided some of its land and determined that this house and land was to be purchased for 350 pounds by Mr Len Jones. The width of the land is over 54 feet at the front and more than57 feet at the rear. The length of the land is 165 feet.

Letty, a daughter, was born in this house in 1926 and married Lennie Jones who had lived next door in his teens. After their marriage, they moved to Nords Wharf for 12 years before moving back to the house where they brought up their two daughters Diane and Fay and looked after old Mrs Farraway. The house was renovated internally to provide a third bedroom. To do this the kitchen was moved to the area of the back verandah.

In 2004 the wooden piers supporting the house had rotted and had to be replaced as the house was dropping. Verandah slats were also renewed.

After Lennie’s death Lettie continued to live in the house until 2007 when she moved to Swansea and the house was sold.