Governors' Domain and Civic Precinct listing

ASHA members will have been pleased with the announcement that a large section of central Sydney has been added to the National Heritage List as the Governors' Domain and Civic Precinct. (https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/governors-domain-civic-precinct)

The 100-hectare area includes Macquarie Place, First Government House site, Government House, the Conservatorium of Music, Parliament House, the Mint, Hyde Park Barracks, St James, Hyde Park, the Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Most of the sites and buildings have existing heritage protections but this listing defines and protects a large cultural landscape. The rarity and research potential of the archaeology of the area is specifically identified in the listing criteria.

The marshaling of the data collected from a wide variety of experts and contributors required for the nomination was undertaken by Context in Melbourne. Ian Jack was one of the participants and having just worked closely with him on the joint Heritage Council – Land & Property Management Authority centenary book on Macquarie’s Towns, he suggested I produce a set of historic map overlays to support the nomination, then called Colonial Sydney.

At the Fiftieth Anniversary meeting Mary Casey reminded us all of the important contribution to ASHA and to HA generally made by Ian. With the announcement of the listing it is good to reflect on the fact this his efforts are still bearing fruit.

Authors: Matthew Kelly and Alexandra Thorn (Curio Projects, Sydney)

When is a Brick not Building Material?

In 2013 AHMS Pty Ltd (now Extent Heritage) completed an archaeological excavation at 478 George Street in Sydney’s CBD known as the ‘Mick Simmons’ site-after the famous sporting goods store which traded there until 2 012.

The excavation yielded evidence of European occupation, from perhaps as early as 1813, through to the site’s last identity as the iconic sports goods store. During the usual post excavation artefact analysis several items, originally identified as building materials due to their size and form, were found to be anything but.

They are in fact ‘Bath Bricks’. They appear to be ordinary bricks, of similar dimensions and are usually impressed with maker's names. However, they are not building materials at all but are domestic cleaning items used for scouring floors, and other surfaces, cutlery and other household items (photo 1). The dust from a bath brick, for example, could be also used to create a substance known as ‘breeches ball’, for cleaning breeches and for shining boots. The altered bricks were also utilised as moulds for casting gears for machinery.

The bath bricks were manufactured at the small Somerset town of Bridgwater, already noted as a brick and tile manufacturing town. The first patent for the scouring bricks was issued in 1823 to John Browne and William Champion. The bricks consisted of a locally available mud, from the Parrett River, comprised primarily of alumina and silica particles, pressed into brick form, fired in a kiln to approximately 500-600°, wrapped in a paper cover and sold worldwide as a cleaning a scouring agent. Bath bricks were used worldwide, and another patent was issued in the US in 1865 to meet the desire to manufacture these ‘bricks’ directly for the US market. That patent notes that the US source material was discovered:

Port Arthur Convict Workshops Investigation

Since March 2020 the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA), in collaboration with Richard Tuffin, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of New England, have been undertaking an excavation of the Port Arthur workshops complex. Situated on the original waterfront since 1830, these workshops housed the trades-focussed activities undertaken at the penal station. Over 47 years of occupation, an evolving suite of buildings housed shoemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, turners and wheelwrights, the prisoners applying skills they brought with them or learnt whilst under sentence.

Despite the usual Covid-related hiccups - including the downsizing of our hand-picked crew of professional archaeologists - we are still investigating. Sylvana Szydzik, PAHSMA, and Richard continue to plug away at the site. The targets and scope of the work have had to be refined, though the research aims of finding out more about the processes and products of coerced labour remain the same.

The images are from the first day of the excavation

If you are interested in learning about the excavation and want to follow our progress, visit the site blog at: https://blog.une.edu.au/port-arthur-2020/