The Future of Parramatta’s Past. An Archaeological …

1 The Future of parramatta s Archaeological Zoning Plan,1788-1844 Volume 1. Higginbotham& Paul-Alan Johnson (Maps).THE Future OF parramatta 'S PASTAN Archaeological ZONING PLAN1788 TO 1844 VOLUME 1: TEXTE dward Higginbotham, CambridgeConsultant Archaeological Services13 O'Connor StreetHABERFIELD NSW 2045(02) 9716-5154 Paul-Alan Johnson, , , , of ArchitectureUniversity of New South WalesTHE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES1989 (Reprinted 2010) Archaeological ZONING and 32 THE HISTORY OF parramatta , 1788 TO agricultural establishment, 1788 to foundation of the town, Town Leases, 1796 to development of the town under Macquarie, 1810 to leases in buildings in parramatta , 1788 to general development of the town 173 THE CONTRIBUTION OF HISTORICAL buildings, 1788 public and economic issues relating to the development of as a "gaol town", 1790 to convict occupation to free enterprise, 1796 to development of the town by free persons.

2 1823 364 THE Future OF parramatta 'S Importance of archaeology in New South Wales; the relationship ofthe archaeologist to the conservation of Archaeological of Archaeological of an Archaeological zoning plan: recommendations for archaeologicalsites, groups 1 to 44 Group 44 Group 45 Group 45 Group for procedures to be adopted by 46 APPENDIX 1: THE MAPS AND THEIR 47 Base Map and Inventory of Sites (1C and 1N).. Map (2C).. Map (3C and 2N).. 481823 Map (4C and 3N).. 491844 Map (5C and 4N).. Map (2C).. Map (3C and 2N).. 511823 Map (4C and 3N).. 521844 Map (5C and 4N).

3 53 The alignment of George 53 The position of 54 APPENDIX 3. THE METHODOLOGY OF THE SITE 57 Published 57 Unpublished 59 MAPS, 1-5C, AND 60vPREFACEThis document was first prepared as a draft in 1987. It has been substantially editedfor publication, but the text has not been updated to include the results ofarchaeological excavations completed since that date. The text of this report wasprepared by E Higginbotham, except for appendix 1. The maps, 1-5C and 1-4N, weredrawn by P-A by the Department of Planning in with the permission of the NSW Heritage Branch in authors would like to thank the Faculty of Architecture of the University of NewSouth Wales, and the Department of Planning, for funding this report was read in draft form by parramatta City Council, the Department ofPlanning, , Meredith Walker, Richard Mackay and Dr.

4 Carol Liston. Theircomments and assistance were gratefully received. A special note of thanks is due toHelen Temple, Meredith Hutton and Tracy Ireland for their authors would like to thank the State Library of New South Wales for permissionto publish various illustrations. All the photographs in the inventory, volume 2, weretaken by E. Future of parramatta s Past_____11 THE Archaeological ZONING PurposeThe Archaeological zoning plan of parramatta has been prepared to assist all thoseinvolved in conservation by identifying Archaeological sites within the City andexplaining the reasons for their value of parramatta as an Archaeological resource has been recognised onlyrecently.

5 This has come too late to save some important sites from destructionwithout prior Archaeological investigation. With the rapid redevelopment of thecentre of parramatta since the 1960s, the need to undertake such a study has becomeextremely was first settled by the British in 1788, and was founded as the secondtown on the Australian mainland in 1790. The cities of Sydney and parramatta arethe most important of a very small number of locations where archaeologicalevidence may make a substantial contribution to the study of the formative years ofthe penal colony and the beginnings of urban development in Australia. Theestablishment of a penal colony in New South Wales was a unique experiment withinthe British Empire; there is no other instance of the British establishing a colonyprincipally for the reception of convicts.

6 For this reason alone Archaeological sites inParramatta are of international significance. (This interpretation of the reasons forcolonisation has formed the heart of a heated debate among historians for manyyears. It is not intended to review these arguments here, other than to indicate thelikelihood that several factors may have resulted in the decision to colonise, the mostobvious result being the settlement of convicts in New South Wales).With the redevelopment of parramatta proceeding apace, we cannot continuedestroying this aspect of our Australian Heritage. These sites have to be investigatedprior to development, so that the material evidence, the artifacts, and the informationthey hold may be saved for all the planning needs of the community have to be accommodated.

7 It is no longerappropriate for redevelopment to proceed at the expense of other community the historical archaeologist and the developer have to reach a compromise, sothat neither is disadvantaged. The Archaeological zoning plan of parramatta willThe Future of parramatta s Past_____2provide the means whereby this balance can be achieved so that development maynot be hindered by the need to conserve Archaeological ScopeAn Archaeological zoning plan may be described as a survey which discusses theimplications of planning and development on the conservation of Archaeological such studies have been undertaken for towns and cities in Europe and theUnited States.

8 One of the most exemplary early publications in this area was entitledThe Future of London's Past, published by Rescue in 1973 (1).In New South Wales the heritage study duplicates many of the functions of thearchaeological zoning plan. While heritage studies embrace all aspects ofenvironmental heritage (2), this study concentrates on the period 1788 to 1844 withinthe original town boundaries. In consequence this study does not include:1. Archaeological sites on land grants as opposed to town sites of industrial Archaeological significance from the 1840s study commences with the settlement of the area by the British in 1788 andconcludes in the 1840s.

9 This decade marks the end of convict transportation to NewSouth Wales. The town of parramatta expanded rapidly from the 1810s, through the1820s and 1830s until the depression of 1840-41. As a result, development stagnateduntil the late 1840s, but was boosted with the influx of capital after the discovery ofgold in 1851. Between 1850 and 1890 the centres of parramatta and Sydney werereshaped with more substantial Victorian buildings and denser concluding date of 1844 was chosen as it coincides with the publication of animportant map of parramatta showing buildings and property boundaries (3). Thismap accurately records the extent of the town up to the 1840-41 depression, marksthe end of the convict system in New South Wales, and provides a benchmark againstwhich the Victorian development of the town can be second reason for concluding the study in the 1840s rests with the contributionthat archaeology can make to Australian history.

10 Where comparative physicalevidence is scarce and where historical information is limited or heavily biased, as isThe Future of parramatta s Past_____3the case until the 1820s and 1830s, Archaeological evidence is of great the extent of documentation and other comparative information often meansthat the need to resort to Archaeological excavation is diminished for later Format and MethodologyThe Archaeological zoning plan is divided into three components, a discussion of thepresent state of knowledge of the history and archaeology of parramatta , an inventoryof Archaeological sites with distribution maps, and finally an evaluation of the variousapproaches towards the conservation of Archaeological sites in the initial section involved extensive historical research and interpretation ofarchaeological sites already excavated.