Aerial photo © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 1954
The Wallarah Peninsula between 1954 (photo on right) and 2025 became urbanised and mining and agriculture almost ceased. This will continue rapidly in the next decade with plans approved for housing in the area to the East of the highway.
The urban development of Caves Beach was largely the result of local hotelier, mine owner and developer, Art Mawson. He owned coal mines with entrances either side of the Pacific Highway, near the present roundabout and wanted to develop Caves Beach as a coastal tourist town. He built a hotel at Caves Beach and began a subdivision.
To expand his coal mining activities in the 1980s he joined with Japanese Partners to form the Silver Valley Mining Company. This was to build a mine on the former Yondaio youth camp and access the Fassifern Seam. The coal was to be transported via a breakwater built from the coast out to spoon rocks. The venture never gained government approval.
You can see many of his business ventures in a silent film on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKJNpDhqnPc&t=6s
or search Youtube for "Development of Caves Beach, NSW, Australia".