In 1975 young hippies Doc & Carol McDermott moved down south and bought a coffee rock cottage in Smiths valley. They had power but no scheme water.
Doc – In the early 70s I met two NZ girls on Smiths Beach. There were renting the stone farmhouse (north of other farm houses) in Smiths Valley. I wanted to live in the region, so I bought the cottage off the Mining Company. The property was over grown with weeds when we moved in.
Photos: 1975 McDermott’s coffee rock cottage in Smiths Valley. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Doc –Our coffee rock house was built by Merv Smith in 1924. Merv was a member of the Smith family that the local beach was named after.
Photos: 1975 McDermott’s coffee rock cottage in Smiths Valley. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Photo: 1975 Doc & Carol with their hound at the cottage. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Doc – The cottage was built amongst the trees and had a dirt track winding around the house. Entry to the dirt track was from Caves Road to the north. A wooden bridge near the house burnt down in a bush fire in the 70s.
Photos: 1970s. Carol & hound and the site of former wood bridge. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Photos: 1970s Carol working in the garden with the chooks. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Carol – Doc was surfing back then. He’d been following in his brother Richard’s footsteps and came down south with him and his mates while in Subiaco Primary School. He came down all through his teens with Rowie, Horny, John Fox and Gary Daniels.
Photo: 1970s Doc relaxing on the verandah with his hounds. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
In the 1980s Doc & Carol replaced the tin roof on their cottage.
Doc still surfs in the SW (and beyond) on his single fin surfboard.
Photo: 2010 Doc leaving the surf at Yalls. Bruce King pic.
Footnotes:
In the 1990s Doc & Carol McDermott ran the Mulberry Lane Garden Nursery on the property.
In the 70s Swiss Chef/surfer Hans Kopp’s Lobster Pot restaurant at Smiths Beach turn-off was made of mud brick.
Coley Road was built about 1979 (Coley Road runs off Caves Road & is located south of the McDermott’s place). Local residents Dave and Kate Scholes were required to put in Coley Road and provide access to new blocks further up the hill when they sub divided their property. Dave had so many arguments with the Shire and the road ended up costing him so much that he thought it should be called Scholes Road.
In 1975 young hippies Doc & Carol McDermott moved down south and bought a coffee rock cottage in Smiths valley. They had power but no scheme water.
Doc – In the early 70s I met two NZ girls on Smiths Beach. There were renting the stone farmhouse (north of other farm houses) in Smiths Valley. I wanted to live in the region, so I bought the cottage off the Mining Company. The property was over grown with weeds when we moved in.
Photos: 1975 McDermott’s coffee rock cottage in Smiths Valley. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Doc – Our coffee rock house was built by Merv Smith in 1924. Merv was a member of the Smith family that the local beach was named after.
Photos: 1975 McDermott’s coffee rock cottage in Smiths Valley. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Photo: 1975 Doc & Carol with their hound at the cottage. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Doc – The cottage was built amongst the trees and had a dirt track winding around the house. Entry to the dirt track was from Caves Road to the north. A wooden bridge near the house burnt down in a bush fire in the 70s.
Photos: 1970s. Carol & hound and the site of former wood bridge. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Photos: 1970s Carol working in the garden with the chooks. Photos courtesy of Doc & Carol.
Carol – Doc was surfing back then. He’d been following in his brother Richard’s footsteps and came down south with him and his mates while in Subiaco Primary School. He came down all through his teens with Rowie, Horny, John Fox and Gary Daniels.
Photo: 1970s Doc relaxing on the verandah with his hounds. Photo courtesy of Doc & Carol.
In the 1980s Doc & Carol replaced the tin roof on their cottage.
Doc still surfs in the SW (and beyond) on his single fin surfboard.
Photo: 2010 Doc leaving the surf at Yalls. Bruce King pic.
Footnotes:
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