Mine Manager’s Residence
Mine Manager’s Residence: (32° 55′ 31″S, 151° 44′ 27″E) AA House, located at 195a Denison Street, Hamilton, is one of the earliest surviving colliery structures in Australia and one of Newcastle’s oldest buildings. Visits can be arranged but strictly by appointment — contact Council’s Facilities Management Unit (+61 2 4974 2000). About 3 km due west of the Newcastle Main Railway station and the Great North Walk.
The Great North Walk Companion extract- pages 202-203
Mr D. Ryan, 7 September – 24 October 1926 — notes from visit
Site Survey by D. Ryan
Stanford Merthyr colliery is 22 miles by rail from East Greta Junction;
Travelled seven miles by horse from Cessnock;
(some of the workers are from the mining areas of Britain: England and Wales.)
New township subdivision of quarter-acre blocks at the junction of Millfield and Congewai Roads;
Town will be named Paxton for one of the directors of the company;
(sighted a remarkable young lady in the church on Sunday.)
The seam of coal has been proved good at 250, 350, 850 and 1500 feet;
Water supply is from a creek, named either Ellalong or Congewai, a few hundred yards distant;
There are many spellings of Ellalong viz. Elalong, Elalng, Blelang, Eualang — these seem to be local not Welsh names;
Seam dips west and ranges from seven feet nine inches to eleven feet six inches in thickness;
(the aforementioned young lady in the church plays the organ and sings as an angel.)
Mr D. Ryan, 29 March – 2 May 1927 – following a second visit to the mine site
Revision Notes (DR)
Tested coal is excellent supporting the company owners’ claim this mine to be the most valuable on the field;
Galvanized iron building: storerooms, blacksmith’s shop and horses’ stables
(offered personal employment on degree completion — managing a large number of men.)
Ballast for new rail embankments provided by a 22-bullock plough;
Sinking the main shaft in 1922–23 was slowed by water ingress;
(Happily stayed on after the service in the church on both Sundays.)
Coal retrieval in process at a moderate rate and at times considerable;
The company proposes to open another colliery, Stanford Merthyr No 3 about a mile and a half up the valley;
Provision is to be made in the railway scheme.
(My angel is both modest and angelic. Her name is Isabelle, or Isabella, Church)
