This weatherboard and galvanised iron cottage was constructed between 1914-1917. The ‘Wallarah Coal-mining Company’ built this cottage to house its mineworkers.
Mr James and Mrs Brown with their three daughters Daisey, Linda and Edna were the first tenants of this house. He was a deputy at the mine.
The Harris family were the next occupants.” Mrs Harris was one of Kate Aubin’s daughters and had a large family. Her sister Emily Robertson took on a lot of the caring responsibilities for the children especially during times of sickness. One daughter, Dorothy married Percy Prichard, Mavis married Bill Hughes and Bessie married Hugh Slaven and all three lived for years in the Bay. Albert Harris had a house in Sawmill Camp and we often went up to his place to listen to Test Cricket on his radio which was relayed from England by thousands of miles of landline.”
Nettie and Jack Newton and their family were the next tenants. There were many children; Colin, Melba, Jackie, Gwen, Barbara?
Mavis and Bill Hughes were the next family. Mavis had lived in the house before with her father Albert Harris and family. They had three children Dawn, John and Robyn.
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 Mr W Hughes.
Mavis and Bill sold the house and moved to North Lambton in the 1970’s to Yvonne? an artist who installed some lead light windows, French doors and a tower on the side but later sold and moved to Cooks Hill.
The house was sold to a vet and his wife but with the birth of a second child they again sold, as they needed another bedroom.
The house was purchased by Laurie and Irene Wong. Irene lived here permanently for about 6 years and then on sold.