established
c. 1878
Our little cottage was built as a part of the first European settlement of Katoomba, to service the miners who worked for John Britty North’s mining establishment in the Jamison Valley.
Mining started in the Valley in the early 1870s, originally under the name Katoomba Coal Mine. With the discovery of a kerosene seam this name was later changed to Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Co Ltd. Part of the mining infrastructure involved building weatherboard cottages for the miners to live in, as there were more than 100 men employed by the mines by 1878.
The miners settlement was at Katoomba Falls, and our katoomba slow was one of these original cottages, originally located in South Katoomba.
From the early 1880s onwards, Katoomba began to develop a more established township around the Railway Station and the newly constructed Great Western Hotel (now the Carrington). Within the decade the mines had closed due to a depletion of the coal and kerosene shale oil seam. From 1890s the miners cottages were gradually removed from South Katoomba and relocated closer to the township.
Our cottage was one of the many cottages purchased by Patrick Mullaney in 1895, and relocated to the land he owned in Leichhardt and Clissold Streets. Patrick was the mayor of Katoomba, as well as the owner of Mullaney’s Emporium, and purchased the cottages to house his workers from the Emporium. He relocated so many of the miners cottages to these streets, such that the area became known as “Paddy’s Town”.
We are so thrilled to be able to share this little piece of mountain history with our guests.
We look forward to your stay.