The Wallarah Coal-mining Company never owned this house. The land was in private ownership and had been sold by the New Wallsend Company in1875 when the area was known as the township of Cowper. J Taafe is the name that appears on the Plan of the Township of Cowper on the New Wallsend Coal Mining Co’s Estate Catherine Hill Bay. Co Northumberland 1875. The land was never sold back to the Wallarah Coal-mining Company and the house was built sometime after the houses were built in Clarke and Lindsley Sts
Emmalin’s bus was based there. Jack Hancock drove the bus and lived in the house. He married Pearl Wheatly. There was also a taxi (a Desoto car) which was driven into ‘Shitty Gulf’ for insurance reasons. When Emmalins sold out Mr Hancock drove Government buses. “Shitty Gulf” was so named as it was the repository for the toilet cans. The company ‘night cart’ truck would reverse up to the gulf and the contents of the cans was tipped into the gulf.
In the late 30s Don Robertson was a passenger on the Emmalin bus from the Bay driven by Jack Hancock. “As kids we used to stir Jack up to make him drive faster. In those days the entrance to the Bay was via Mine Camp, around the seven bends (very tight bends and a gravel road). Scratchy Jack, as we called him responded to our coaxing and we had many hairy rides around those dangerous bends. How we stayed on that road I’ll never know. Jack was a very keen fisherman and frequently fished off the rocks south of the jetty at night. One night he was with a friend fishing. His friend’s line snagged on the rocks. When the line broke the sinker flew up and chopped one of his eyes out, so he was left one eyed for life. What luck!!. At the time I was attending High School in Newcastle in preparation for Sydney Teachers’ College in 1938-39.”
Jim and Bett Hampson later lived in the house and then Bill and Mavis Wheatley. Bill’s nickname was Weary and when asked how he had come by this name it was said that he’ just sat around.’
They had two children, Billy and Mary; Mary now lives in Cams Wharf. When the parents died the children sold the house.
The house burnt down in 2004 after being rented for many years. A new house has been built.