No 11 Clark St

The original house was a weatherboard and brick cottage. It was built around 1889 by the Wallarah Coal-mining Company to house its mine employees.

Mr and Mrs Fuller lived there until Mrs Fuller moved to Middle Camp. Joe Micallef came from Malta to Australia in 1924/27 to join his brother.

Joe and wife Mary took up occupancy of the house. There were 8 children: Bill (Popeye), John, Joseph, Mary, Thomas, Joe, Alfred and Charlie. Mother Emanuela died in 1934 and in 1936 Joe married Mary.

A verandah had been built across the back of the house to help accommodate the large family. There were chooks and a vegetable garden the family lived in the house till around 1950 when Sybil and Gorden Mascord moved in.

Mary and Jock Baker lived here for a time before moving in with Jock’s father in No 26 Clarke Street.

In 1964 the Coal Company ‘Coal & Allied’ subdivided part of its land and determined that this house and land would be purchased for 350 pounds by Mr J K Baker. This house was on a block of land slightly larger than those on either side are. The width at the front of the block is 56 feet 21/2 inches and at the rear it measures 60 feet and 11/4 inches. The length of this block measures 165 feet and 11/2 inches.

Jock and Mary Baker sold the house to Mr Moffat for $4000. The house was lived in while a new modern brick house was built behind in a Spanish style. (Many of the timbers of the old house were recycled into the new house).  When the new house was completed the original house was demolished.

Later this house was bought by Audrey and Ken Payne who sold in 2000.The house was bought by Kirk and Scott Baxter and was renovated extensively. The tiled roof was replaced in Colourbond, the arches removed and the outer walls were painted grey. Internal walls were removed and the ceiling was extended to make a very large open-plan living area. The house was sold in 2004 and is on the market currently.