THE
FIRST SETTLERS
AND
A COAL MINE IS STARTED
It was in the early years of the mid-nineteenth century, the first
bushmen and teamsters worked,cutting
and drawing timber for the mines at Wallsend and Minmi.
The first settlers followed about the same time into this virgin
land known as Slatey Creek, Parish of Teralba. Some early maps show
the area as Sandy Hollow.
The first settlers as known were - Joseph Notley, Richard O'Donnell
and James Lord. Notley and O'Donnell took up grants of land at this
time.
The following people are the ones who also selected land at that
time: T. Garret and Edward Greville, J. Humphrey, Mary Lane, Mary
P. Lane. These people apparently formed themselves into the Teralba
Estate.
It appears that James Robert Millar Robertson of Sydney and Robert
Barclay Wallace of Newcastle, Merchant, bought the land from The
Teralba Estate of 2,953 acres or joined in some agreement with them
to act as the Vendors to sell to a company being formed in Sydney.
A number of people grouped and agreed as follows:
We the following people who have subscribed and are desirous of
being formed into a Company of association and we respectively agree
as follows:
It is agreed as shown to take the number of shares in the Capital
of the Company set opposite our respective names dated the thirteenth
day of July, one thousand, eight hundred and eighty five.
WEST WALLSEND
It was reported in the Wallsend
and Plattsburg Sun, dated 30th July , 1887, that 200 allotments
of land, each 1/4 acre, and a frontage of 66 feet would be offered
for sale at the township of West Wallsend on Saturday, 12th August,
1887 at 12 o'clock.
The Auctioneers, J. Creer and
Sons, will be on the ground at West Wallsend. The terms are one
quater cash and the balance over 6 or 12 months without interest
or longer then 12 months, two or three years with the interest of
6%.
The Sun further stated that
West Wallsend with its new Colliery is destined to become one of
the largest prosperous towns in the district and is easily reached
by way of Minmi, via Wallsend, West Wallsend is 2 1/2 Miles from
Minmi.
Miners, Teachers and spectators
buy at this first sale.
THE WEST WALLSEND
PUBLIC SCHOOL (1889-1940)
In 1888 the residents of West Wallsend approached
Mr. Thomas Evans, The Colliery Manager, for his help to have a school
established.
Inspector McCormick reported the following:
West Wallsend is a newly formed Colliery Township, located two
and a half miles from Minmi. A valuable seam of coal exists there
and all the necessary works including a railway, for carrying on
an extensive business have been completed .... I recommend that
a Public School be established at West Wallsend.
The application was approved on llth September,
1888. Tenders were called and Mr. Charles Davis, who tendered  935,obtained
the work to build. The land was purchased for 100
from the coal company.
On llth November, 1889 the architect reported
the building completed and Mr. Walter Jarvie was appointed as teacher.
By December the attendance had increased from 58 pupils to 86 and
another teacher, Miss Catherine Hindman commenced duty in January
1890.
Mr. Jarvie moved into his new house in the
school grounds in April, 1892. Mr. John Fry had won the contract
to build the residence at a cost of 900.
As the school attendance increased three
additional teachers were appointed. In June 1890 when the attendance
had risen to 101.8 Mr. John Walker was appointed and this was followed
( in April 1892 by the appointment of Miss Amy Cook and then in
July 1893 by a third teacher.
Strikes and slack work made it difficult
for parents to pay their school fees and many fees were cancelled.
Early in 1894 a weather shed was built by Mr. N.A. O'Leary, the
cost being 54.10.0.
In 1898 Mr. Johnston of West Wallsend carried out repairs to the
school building costing 75,
and the residence was repaired at a cost of 22.5.0.
In 1899 another teacher was appointed as
the enrolment was now 285. This meant that the staff now comprised,
The Headmaster, two Assistants and three Pupil Teachers. Also in
1899 additions costing. 423
were made to the school by Mr. Tyler and in 1902-1903 further additions
were made by Southon Bros. The town now had laid on water supply
and these builders were paid 38
for the water being laid into the school.
In 1904 the school enrolments had increased
necessitating further additions costing 320
and a separate infants department was formed in January 1905 with
a Miss Tawyer appointed to it. An application to convert the school
from a Class 2 to a Superior Public School was refused.
In December, 1905 more repairs to the school
residence by Joseph Mitchell cost 65,
and again in 1907, Mr. Joseph Head was paid 166.
for repairs and alterations, and Southon Bros. erected an additional
room to the residence which cost 64.
Due to other collieries opening, the school
enrolment grew necessitating three new class rooms for which Mr.
S. O'Brien was paid 1,810.
However there was still overcrowding and the Presbyterian Church
Hall was used as a temporary classroom.
The town was growing and married teachers
could find no houses to rent. In early 1910 the enrolment was 488
in the Primary Section with an average attendance of 400. Classes
were overcrowded and Inspector Walker advised the appointment of
another Assistant, making 10 teachers.
First Public School West Wallsend
opened November, 1889.
THE WEST WALLSEND
CEMETERY
The West Wallsend Colliery was now hauling
coal and a sub-division of land had taken place and people were
building on their lots. A town improvement committee had been formed
in 1889, and one of the first items on the agenda was a request
for land for a cemetery. Funerals had to go to Minmi, or onto Wallsend.
The hearse, drawn by two horses, over a rough bush road took all
day to have a funeral.
A deputation from the town improvement committee
met the manager of the mine and asked for a grant of land, near
the town, for a cemetery. He listened sympathetically to the request
and passed it on to the Directors of the Coal Company and they agreed
to the request.
Later a survey pegged out four acres, two
roads, twenty perches (near two hectares), the mine company selected
six men who agreed to be the Trustees for the Cemetery. The Title
Deed was drawn up and in part as follows:
"This indenture made the fourth
day of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety, between
Andrew Henderson of West Wallsend in the Colony of New South Wales,
overman, Austin Lionel Bennett Brain, of the same place, colliery
clerk, Thomas Chapman of the same place, miner, John Hunter of the
same place, check weighman, Aaron Walters of the same place, store
keeper, and John Archibald Neilson of the same place, mining engineer,
(hereinafter called the said Trustees) of the one part, and the
West Wallsend Coal Company Limited (Hereinafter called the said
company) of the other part, whereas by a certain memorandum of transfer
dated the twenty fifth day of November, onethousand eight hundred
and eighty nine, certain lands comprising four acres, two roads,
and twenty perches and situate in the parish of Teralba in the County
of Northumberland and more particularly described in the said transfer
and being part of the land comprised in Certificate of Title dated
7th August, 1889, Registered Volume 934 Folio 191 was transferred
by the said company to the said trustees (with certain reservations
as to mines and minerals, with the intent that the said land should
be held by the said trustees upon their trust for the interest and
purpose hereinafter declared and contained)".
The Title Deed is large and lengthy and states-inter-alia-
the land is to be used for the internment of the dead of any religion,
or denomination. The trust had to keep books and the surplus money,
to be used to improve the cemetery. A balance sheet had to be presented
to the mine manager of the coal company following the 31st day of
January, every year. If any trustee moved away or died or was incapable
of doing his duty, he was to be replaced by another trustee. These
contions were to continue and it shall be lawful for the West Wallsend
Improvement Committee to continue until the Proclamation of West
Wallsend as a municipality and upon such being done for the municipality
to appoint new trustees if necessary. Each trustee had to sign and
have his signature witnessed; then the common seal of the West Wallsend
Coal Company was affixed. This was done on the fourth day, February,
1890. Signed by Mr. J. Maitland Paxton, manager of the coal company,
and near the seal, the signatures of two directors, Henry I. Withers,
and John Dalglish.
So Westy had a cemetery from 4th February,
1890, and it was a private cemetery owned and controlled by a trust
for the people. This was the case until the Wran State Government
issued a notice that all public cemeteries be taken over and controlled
by Local Governments.
The coal company changed hands and over the
years the trustees had died or moved away and were never replaced.
The cemetery books' were left at Jimmy Johnston's shop, near the
Post Office as he was one of the undertakers of the town, and Mr.
William Gregory handled the Record Books during the time he worked
for Johnston and in retirement until his death. Then Mr. Ben Lowe
left the books with T. Reynolds and asked him to look after the
books and keep the records until a new cemetery trust was appointed.
This never eventuated.
Later the book's were handed over to the
Lake Macquarie Shire council in 1969, when the cemetery came under
Council's control.
It was not compulsory for this cemetery to
be handed over as it was given to a trust, but T. Reynolds thought
it was wise for the Council to have control of the cemetery as the
Council's property still belongs to the people.
THE WEST WALLSEND
POST OFFICE
It appears that the first Post Office at
West Wallsend was in No.72 Carrington Street, now Allen's building.
During its first years of existence the Post Office experienced
a quick succession of Postmasters. The first, Miss Blanch Clinton,
was appointed on 1st July, 1888, and was followed on 27th August,
by Mr. Alexander McKinnon. On 1st January, 1889 Mr. McKinnon was
replaced by Mrs. Millicent Woods, who was employed on the same salary
and on 8th January of the same year her husband, Henry Woods was
appointed as her assistant. Henry known as 'Plug' Woods because
of his wooden leg was the letter carrier for many years, delivering
first by horse because of the rough conditions of the streets and
later by horse and sulky.
Business increased and in 1891 a money order
office was started and in the same year a telegraph station was
opened.
On 12th February, 1900, Mr. James Johnston
was appointed as Postmaster on a salary of 100
a year but because he lived on the premises 20
a year was deducted from his salary as rent. James Johnston was
still Postmaster when the new brick Post Office was opened on 23rd
August, 1906 on the corner of Carrington and Hyndes Streets (Lot
1, Section G). The same brick Post Office still operates on this
site (Post Code 2286).
The new brick Post Office cost 1,054
to erect and it was built from bricks made at the Reynolds Family
Brickyard. The yard, operated by father Tom and Sons, Charlie, Arthur
and Walter, was situated just south of the West Wallsend Cemetery.
The brickyard clay hole, later became the Westy Garbage Dump.
Plug Woods married Millicent Gardiner, they
had the house built on the corner of Carrington and Robertson Streets,
West Wallsend, Now No.12, to which they retired.
Partly from Records of the Postal Authority
and the Author.
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