A Look into the Past - Ham’s Beach
Ham’s Beach is the section of coastline between Caves Beach and what is now known as Frenchman’s. The beach is named after the Ham family, who lived for many years on the nearby hill overlooking the beach.
William Henry Ham, his wife Maria and their large family of twelve children arrived in the area in 1889. William was a tin miner from Cornwell, England who spent time in South Australia and Victoria before moving his family to Newcastle, then later Lake Macquarie.
After William gained employment in a nearby quarry his family set up residence, building a large house overlooking the coast, which he named ‘Belleview’. Most of the quarry workers at the time had settled in the nearby Monkey Town camp, now known as Pelican Flat.
William was also a lay preacher of the Primitive Methodist faith, holding services at both Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay. Many descendants of William and Maria Ham are still living in the Swansea, Caves Beach and Catherine Hill Bay area today.
Sourced from ‘What’s in a name’ by George and Noelene Boyd.
Published by the East Lake Macquarie Historical Society.
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