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EARLY LIFE

Charles McDermott King lived, until his mother's death, with his parents in Darlinghurst in King's Lane, named after the family. King's Lane ran off Oxford Street.

MARRIAGE

Charles met Ada Jane Edgell at Manly through her brothers' and sisters' friendship with Margaret Ellen King and Eliza King (Charles' sister). Charles was seventeen years older than Ada.

WORKING LIFE

After their marriage in Sydney, they moved to Katoomba where Charles was a miner / driver with the Australian Kerosene Oil Company, mining shale. He worked hard and became first engineer of the company.

Ada Jane taught him to write, although he could read before he met her.

Charles lost an eye about twelve months after his marriage to Ada. He was putting in a pane of glass for a friend. A slither of glass entered his eye. After a few days it worsened and it became necessary to have the eye removed.

In 1906, Charles and Ada, with their family, moved to Bulahdelah and lived in the Company's home on the Alum Mountain.

Charles worked for the Australian Alum Company until an accident, which injured his back. At that time there was no accident compensation or pension, so Ada resumed her profession as nurse / midwife to support the family. She continued to work until she had her first stroke, after Charles' death.

A KIND, MULTI-SKILLED MAN

Charles McDermott King was a quiet, kind man. However, he was very strict and always ate his meals alone, not with the children. He was exceedingly clever with his hands and could work adeptly as a carpenter, blacksmith, slate worker, machinery expert or builder.

*Source of material above:  Belva Whitton (nee King).

RECOGNITION FOR A LIFE'S WORK

On his retirement, due to his back injury, the Australian Alunite Company presented him with an engraved silver teapot, in recognition of the quality of his work. 

The inscription on the teapot reads: -

To Charlie King

From the director.

In recognition of long & faithful service

As an employee of the

Australian Alum Company Ltd.

May 1926.

The teapot is still in existence, having been handed down in the style of the English laws of primogeniture and is now in the care of a male descendant.