Supplied by Mr Jepson 9/2/66
The name “Marmong” is believed to be of Aboriginal origin. Several meanings have been suggested, including “low water” and “swampy water,” but no definitive translation has been established. It refers to the point south-east of Quigley Point, Booragul. It helps to provide shelter from the south to a bay used to anchor small craft and, as the water in the bay is of good depth, this facility is availed of by the boating fraternity. Marmong Creek runs into this bay through swamp land.
In early years a trestle footbridge gave access to the Point, but this has long disappeared and communication is by causeway and culvert built across the mouth of the creek.
An interesting point concerning this cropped up some time ago when land surrounding the swamp was to be sold to the water’s edge, but the authorities would not allow this as it was, they pointed out, still part of the lake only cut off by human agency. In the early days of the Quigley occupation of the land, a sawmill and loading gantry stood on the Booragul side of the bay and timber was loaded into small ketches or sailing boats.
The village now known as Marmong Point did not come into existence until the land was subdivided and sold.
The purchasers being Messrs. Brady and Walker, both at that time members of the Police Force.
The first settler in the early days, 1888 onwards, was Richard Hepplewhite, who lived in a primitive dwelling about halfway along the Point and beyond the present shipbuilding concern. His wife was of foreign extraction and the family consisted of James, Thomas, Richard Jnr., Louise, Mary and Martha. Some of their descendants still live in the Teralba district.
It must be remembered that in the early days transport was only by foot or, for the fortunate ones, by riding horse as roads were non-existent. The Point therefore seemed a long way from the nearest town, Teralba, and the only dwellings existing between were the Quigley Homestead with a cottage above it, James Beck’s home near what is now called Aspinall Street, and a small cottage off Toronto Road in First Street. This latter house was reconditioned and is now No. 52 First Street.
Before the subdivision, land was leased to a Chinese man (Jimmy Ah Him) for a vegetable garden and, with the assistance of other Chinese, this was carried on for some years. Before being financially able to use a horse and cart, Jimmy carried his produce around with two baskets on a bamboo pole. Like most of his compatriots, Jimmy was a confirmed gambler and was often in low water as a result of this. On one occasion one of his countrymen, to whom he apparently owed money, accompanied him and the only English he seemed to be able to speak with much vehemence was, “You pay me,” to each customer. Jimmy also was, unusual for a Chinaman, a visitor to the local hotels. Unfortunately, he had a brawl with some ruffians on the way home in the train from Newcastle and, as a result, lost the sight of one eye. Most traces of his garden have long since disappeared. Another leaseholder on Marmong was John Casey, who worked as a miner in Pacific Colliery, but eventually left and built on Rhondda Road.
Some years after the establishment of the two leaseholders mentioned above, Thomas Williams erected a dwelling near the waterfront but later demolished this and moved to Catherine Hill Bay, where also some of the Hepplewhite family had gone.
Nowadays Marmong is well known but in the early days it seemed far removed from the activities of the district and has always been popular, first as a fishing spot and later as a sailing club rendezvous.
The Post Office was first opened by John Woods, a Sulphide employee, and was also joined up with a mixed business. Another store opened later and ran for a few years, operated by William Kyle, a Pacific miner. Later the present General Store was opened by the Coates family.
The Marmong Point land is fortunate in one way, that the Great Northern Coal Seam does not underlie it and the other seams, for instance, Young or South Wallsend and the Borehole Seam, lie at a depth below, probably in the case of the Borehole 1,000 ft. or more, and would, if mined, have no effect on the surface for building sites.