This weatherboard and galvanised iron cottage was built between1908-1915. The ‘Wallarah Coal-mining Company’ built this cottage to house its mineworkers.
The Cales family lived there first and then went to the boarding house. The Robertson family from Federal City then moved into the house. There were three boys and a girl. David, Donald and Jack. The girl was Gloria. By 2012 Donald is the only one still living.
The Robertson family moved from Federal City when Don was about 6 or 7. Don left to go to Teachers College in 1938. Mother was a strict Methodist and the children had to go to Sunday School every Sunday. She did not want her boys to go into the mine. Don and his older brother went into Newcastle to School . David did not want to go to tertiary studies and stayed in the Bay as an engine driver.
Flo, originally from Wyong married the oldest of the Robinson boys, David, and still lives in this house with George. There were two children to this marriage Catherine and George. Catherine was named after the town, as she was a child of the town. When David died, Flo remarried and became Mrs D’Arcy. Brian and Flo D’Arcy had two daughters, Kayleen and Lesley Joy.
In 1964 the coal company ‘Coal & Allied’ subdivided some of its land. The company determined that this house and land would be purchased for 400 pounds by Mrs F D’Arcy.