Herald librarian Grahame Marjoribanks found these interesting prints in the newspaper’s ‘‘Waratah’’ suburb file. They aren’t dated, and the only information on the back of the photos is the word ‘‘shantytown’’.
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The date is unclear. My guess is sometime in the 1950s, but I wouldn’t like to bet. Can any readers shed light on where in Waratah these homes were located, and on what date the photographs might have been taken?
All comments welcome.
Reader Brian Andrew’s expertise on coal and coalmining history helped him date last week’s photo of Hexham.
Brian wrote:
The date is after 1908 and before 1921. Since the wagon is for Richmond Main Colliery that commenced in coal production in 1914, it’s more likely to be around 1914-1916. The wagon was bought from Stockton Colliery after it closed in 1908 for the Richmond Main Colliery project that it was intended to develop at the time but was stopped.
The last ship to be loaded at the staithes shown was the MV Stephen Brown, on November 1, 1967.
The MV Hexham Bank was the last ship to be loaded at the Peko Wallsend loader in November 1971. (On western side of bridge).
The very last ship to be loaded with coal at Hexham was the MV Camira, which was loaded at the Coal & Allied shiploader (previously R W Millers’s shiploader on the eastern side of the bridge) in May 1988 (have date somewhere but loaded at night time). Its last load in daylight was May 2, 1988.
