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Pieces of the Past Teacher Resource Pack Primary Program | Stage 3 History

Pieces of the Past 1 Acknowledgements

The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre programs were originally designed for Harbour Youth Hostel (YHA) and Sydney Learning Adventures by education consultant Louise Zarmati. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr Grace Karskens and Dr Wayne Johnson. Sydney Learning Adventures is an initiative of Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. Materials within this resource pack may only be reproduced for educational purposes relating to a program booked with Sydney Learning Adventures. © 2010

Artefacts from the simulated excavation pit at The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre

Pieces of the Past 2 Contents

1. Introduction 4 2. Curriculum outcomes 5 3. Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority 6 4. Sydney Learning Adventures 7 5. Sydney Harbour Youth Hostel (YHA) 8 6. The Rocks Discovery Museum 9 7. Learning with us 10 8. Background information 11 9. Resources to photocopy 17 10. Glossary 22 11. The Rocks map 23 12. Bibliography and suggested resources 24 13. Contact and bookings 25

Top: Sherds of blue and white dinnerware found in The Rocks Section through George Cribb’s Well

Pieces of the Past 3 1. Introduction

Thank you for choosing to bring your class to a Sydney Learning Adventures education program. This Teacher Resource Pack is a practical guide to assist you in planning your excursion. It contains a curriculum links and outcomes table, background information relevant to the program, teaching suggestions and activity worksheets, a glossary for students and a resources reference guide. The Pieces of the Past program enables students to work as archaeologists, and to learn how doing so can tell us about the lives of people who lived long ago. Students will excavate artefacts from our simulated dig, take an exclusive access Big Dig site tour, then examine and discuss artefacts, paintings, photos and written documents to piece together evidence about the lives of people who lived in The Rocks during the 1800s. It is intended that students will gain a sound understanding of how archaeologists find out about the past.

Over one million artefacts have been excavated at The Big Dig site since 1994. Image courtesy of The Big Dig archive

Pieces of the Past 4 2. Curriculum outcomes

Key inquiry questions What do we know about the lives of people in ’s colonial past and how do we know? How did an Australian colony develop over time and why? How did colonial settlement change the environment? What were the significant events and who were the significant people that shaped Australian colonies?

Pieces of the Past inquiry question What can archaeology tell us about the lives of people who lived in The Rocks during the 1800s?

NSW Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum History K–10 STAGE 3

Topic & Outcomes Content Historical Concepts & Skills The Australian Colonies Reasons (economic, political and Concepts social) for the establishment of British Describes and explains the Continuity and change colonies in Australia after 1800 significance of people, groups, (ACHHK093) Cause and effect places and events to the development of Australia The nature of convict or colonial Perspectives presence, including the factors that Describes and explains different Empathetic understanding influenced patterns of development, experiences of people living in aspects of the daily life of inhabitants Significance Australia over time (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Applies a variety of skills of Islander peoples) and how the historical inquiry and environment changed (ACHHK094) SKILLS communication The impact of a significant development Comprehension: chronology, terms and concepts or event on a colony; for example, (ACHHS098, ACHHS117) (ACHHS099, ACHHS118) frontier conflict, the gold rushes, the Analysis and use of sources Eureka Stockade, internal exploration, (ACHHS102, ACHHS121) (ACHHS103, ACHHS122) the advent of rail, the expansion of farming, drought (ACHHK095) Perspectives and interpretations (ACHHS104, ACHHS123) The role that a significant individual or group played in shaping a colony; for Empathetic understanding example, explorers, farmers, - explain why the behaviour and attitudes of people entrepreneurs, artists, writers, from the past may differ from today humanitarians, religious and political Research leaders, and Aboriginal and/or Torres (ACHHS100, ACHHS119) (ACHHS101, ACHHS120) Strait Islander peoples (ACHHK097) Explanation and communication (ACHHS105, ACHHS124) (ACHHS106, ACHHS125)

Pieces of the Past 5 3. Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority owns and manages some of New South ’ most significant assets, including Sydney’s heritage and cultural precincts at The Rocks and Darling Harbour. With more than $1.5 billion in assets, and around 240 employees, the Authority manages significant commercial and retail leases, provides security, cleaning, building maintenance and other facility management services, and cares for the public domain and more than 140 heritage items. The Authority also operates education, tourism and marketing services and holds significant events in The Rocks and Darling Harbour each year. Between them, these two precincts attract more than 40 million visitors annually. The Authority also owns sites at White Bay Power Station, Rozelle Rail Yards and Ballast Point, and manages other major waterfront assets around Sydney Harbour on behalf of other agencies. Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority was formed in 1999 under the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Act 1998 to consolidate the work and functions of City West Development Corporation, Darling Harbour Authority and Authority.

George Street, The Rocks. Copyright Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Pieces of the Past 6 4. Sydney Learning Adventures

Sydney Learning Adventures (SLA) is an initiative of Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. The vision of Sydney Learning Adventures is to create quality educational experiences that are enriching, diverse, accessible and sustainable. Since 2002, Sydney Learning Adventures has been bringing the histories of Sydney, and Australia to life for thousands of students every year. Designed for all stages of learning from kindergarten to year 12, SLA’s curriculum-linked programs provide an interactive, multi-layered learning experience. All programs are developed by teachers and implemented by SLA’s dynamic guide team.

Students engaged in the artefact mapping activity at The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre

Pieces of the Past 7 5. Sydney Harbour Youth Hostel

Youth Hostels Australia (YHA) worked in conjunction with the The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre site’s owners, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, to The YHA’s Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre includes construct a youth hostel on the Cumberland and Gloucester two purpose-built classrooms, with clear views across the Streets site. The innovative architectural design of this foundations of houses and backyards built by and for convicts ‘floating’ building preserves the important archaeological and free settlers. Each classroom has the capacity for up to remains of the site. In addition, the YHA is committed to 30 students to learn first-hand about the work of archaeologists providing first-class interpretation and education programs on the only authentic archaeological dig open to the public in for school students and the public, to encourage people to Sydney. explore the heritage of The Rocks. Sydney Learning Adventures, in conjunction with YHA, Sydney Harbour YHA stands above remnants and artefacts conducts a range of exciting education programs from The Big dating back to the earliest days of European settlement. Dig Archaeology Education Centre. A simulated dig, set into The hostel is raised off the ground on pillars, allowing public the original archaeological remains of a small terrace house access to the archaeological site along the re-established now located inside the Education Centre, provides Stage 1, laneways. Interpretation panels, historic streetscape images, 2 and 3 students with the opportunity to excavate artefacts interpretive brochures and special interpretation spaces within recovered during the original 1994 archaeological dig. selected excavated building footings have been incorporated into the structure. Original artefacts are displayed in museum cases positioned near their original find-spots. During the planning of the hostel, the YHA realised that many groups visiting the Big Dig site would be from outside Sydney, and that it was important to provide affordable hostel accommodation for school groups; for this reason a special wing was added to the hostel to accommodate up to 38 students and their teachers.

Sydney Harbour YHA

Pieces of the Past 8 6. The Rocks Discovery Museum

The Rocks Discovery Museum, housed in a restored 1850s sandstone warehouse, tells the story of The Rocks from pre-European days to the present. It is home to a unique collection of images and archaeological artefacts found in The Rocks, and has exhibits that are highly interactive, using touchscreens and audio-visual elements to bring the history of the area alive. An interactive journey of discovery through four exhibits includes stories of the traditional land owners, the establishment of the English colony, and the time when sailors, whalers and traders made the area their home, through to the union-led protests in the 1970s which preserved this unique part of Sydney. We suggest a visit to The Rocks Discovery Museum to compliment any Sydney Learning Adventures program. Entry is free; however bookings are essential for self-guided school groups. For more information and bookings please call (02) 9240 8680 or visit therocks.com.

The Rocks Discovery Museum

Pieces of the Past 9 7. Learning with us

Our interactive programs are designed to stimulate students’ It is this approach to teaching and learning history and interest in, and enjoyment of, exploring the past, whilst our archaeology that forms the basis of our education programs. hands-on approach to learning helps them to develop a critical We hope that students who participate in our programs are understanding of the past and its impact on the present. so impressed by their visit that they’ll ask their parents to bring them back to The Rocks; or maybe even one day Experiencing the past… bring their own children to visit and explore the area. ”When I touch things that belonged to people who lived Integrating our experiential learning programs into a centuries ago I feel shivers up and down my spine; I feel really teaching unit will provide kinaesthetic, haptic and sensory connected to them.” learning experiences that have a profound effect on This is a common reaction for students when they visit students’ long-term memories and increase their an historic place like The Rocks, or handle ‘old things’. understanding of history. A tactile, sensory handling experience can awaken a child’s Pre- and post-visit classroom activities have been designed inquisitiveness and sense of wonder, as well as giving them to familiarise students with relevant terms and concepts and an emotional link to the people who owned, made or used consolidate their learning experiences with us. These the artefact. activities can be downloaded from our website: We want children to feel not only physically connected to the sydneylearningadventures.com.au. past, but connected to the present, to their own immediate experience when they visit The Rocks; research has shown that emotional connections can have a profound effect on long-term memory and learning. Children’s memories of an experience can be triggered by visual, aural and olfactory stimuli, as well as by memories of the social interactions that took place on the day: of the fun of being there with friends, what they ate on the day (“we went to McDonald’s”), and, most importantly, if they liked the educator. Quite often they will connect what they remember about the history of a place to their memory of “that nice lady who told us all about the Gadigal people” or “that archaeologist who dug up the shark’s bone”. Students examining artefacts at The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre

Pieces of the Past 10 8. Background information

All of Sydney Learning Adventures’ programs incorporate purposes; most engraved and painted images, for example, visits to significant historical archaeological sites in The Rocks are on rock platforms on ridge tops with views of the precinct. A great deal of the enduring evidence of Sydney’s surrounding country, well away from permanent water sources. early colonial and Aboriginal heritage is preserved in the land Three Aboriginal sites have been identified near The Rocks— and foreshore areas here. Some of the richest archaeological one in Cumberland Street, another at Moore’s Wharf (Bond sites are located in Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, Street), and a third in Angel Place (George Street); it is likely Foundation Park and Dawes Point (Tar-ra) Park, and artefacts that others were destroyed by urbanisation. and remains of structures uncovered at these sites reveal a wealth of information about the area’s early inhabitants and Gadigal knowledge was passed on orally and through their lifestyles. ceremony, dance, songs and stories; sadly, with the great loss of life and social upheaval caused by the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal inhabitants of The Rocks much of that knowledge was also lost. The earliest It is important to acknowledge and pay respect to the documentary evidence we have of the Gadigal people is in the traditional owners of the land upon which this excursion takes letters, diaries, drawings, paintings and official records of the place. The Aboriginal people who lived in and around The —records which are not only far from complete, but Rocks area at the time of first contact with the British are the are perspectives on a culture that the new settlers did not Gadigal clan of the nation; their land stretched from South understand; much of the Gadigal way of life would have also Head to Darling Harbour, along the south side of the city. been hidden from these strangers. It is not known for certain how long the Gadigal and their ancestors had been living here. The oldest archaeological sites in the Sydney region are around 15,000 years old—more than four times older than the Pyramids of Egypt; however, it’s likely that the area was occupied long before that—up to 50,000 years ago—but these older sites were probably flooded by rising seas. Most archaeological sites in Sydney that date from before British arrival are near the harbour, suggesting that for the Gadigal people life was centred on the water. However, all areas of the land were used at different times and for different

Sydney Cove as the first colonists would have seen it. View of the Entrance into the Harbour of , by ‘The ’, circa 1788-90. Image source: the Natural History Museum, London.

Pieces of the Past 11

The First Fleet First Contact On 13 May 1787, over 1,500 men, women and children in 11 Although Sydney Cove was the site of the first European ships set sail from Portsmouth, England; 252 days later they settlement of Australia, the area surrounding what the arrived on the east coast of what is now known as Australia. Europeans called Port Jackson was already home to thousands of people, the original inhabitants, the Gadigal. Led by Captain , this historic convoy, now known as the First Fleet, carried convicts, as well as officers, crew, Captain Arthur Phillip, as the colony’s first Governor, was marines and their families, from Britain to a distant and little given instructions to “open an intercourse with the natives, known land on the far side of the world. and to conciliate their affections”. He attempted to maintain friendly relations with the local Aboriginal people, referring to The fleet consisted of two Royal Navy ships, HMS Sirius and the settlers as ‘guests’ and ensuring that their ‘hosts’ were fed HMS Supply, escorting six convict transports, the Alexander, from government stores; however, on the question of land Charlotte, Friendship, Lady Penrhyn, Prince of Wales and ownership there was no compromise. The cultural beliefs of Scarborough, and three store ships, the Borrowdale, Fishburn the military officials who ran the British colony presumed the and Golden Grove. superiority of white Christian ideals. Most of the newcomers From Portsmouth the First Fleet travelled via Tenerife and Rio didn’t, or couldn’t, understand Aboriginal law and customs; de Janeiro to the Cape of Good Hope, its last port of call they were convinced that they had a God-given right to bring before striking out for ‘Terra Australis’. It arrived in what is now ‘civilisation’ and contemporary European methods of land known as on 18 January 1788, but despite Sir management to the new colony, a place which they ’ glowing initial report the bay proved unsuitable considered to be ‘the ends of the earth’. for permanent settlement, as it lacked a supply of fresh water. Despite Governor Phillip’s instructions, it appears that On 26 January the fleet moved to a new anchorage slightly although a number of important figures from the local tribes further north. The new site had everything these first settlers were ‘cultivated’ by the early settlers, many settlers simply needed: deep water close to the shore, shelter and fresh wanted the Aboriginal population out of the way. In his book water (the ). Phillip named the site Sydney Cove, Anchored in a Small Cove (1997), historian Max Kelly after the then British Home Secretary Lord Sydney. Today this describes how, within months of the First Fleet’s arrival, the date is celebrated as , marking the beginnings Aboriginal people of the region had become “fringe-dwellers of European settlement. in their own land”. In addition, Indigenous Australians had no resistance to diseases brought by the settlers, and it is estimated that within a year nearly half the Aboriginal population of the Sydney area had died of smallpox.

Top left: Watercolour of the First Fleet sailing into Top right: View of Sydney Cove, New South Wales Botany Bay by William Bradley, from his journal by Edward Dayes, 1804. From an original drawing A Voyage to New South Wales, circa 1802. Image (now lost), probably by convict Thomas Watling. courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of Image courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State New South Wales Library of New South Wales

Pieces of the Past 12 As historian Grace Karskens points out in her book The and along the River, is complex and largely untold. Colony: a History of Early Sydney (2009), the Aboriginal Researchers have begun to unravel some of the mysteries people of Sydney did not disappear entirely from the and piece together some of the stories; symbolically, these landscape; even after their decimation through disease they tales are dispersed throughout the city’s landscape. came back into the new town and mixed with the settlers. Shell middens that marked the site of significant and long- However, as European settlement spread outward from term dwelling places have been removed; the first Europeans Sydney Cove the Aboriginal population in the region was quickly discovered they were an valuable source of lime for massively reduced, and little physical evidence of their the simple mortars they needed to hold together their own occupation of the land remains. dwellings; in some parts of The Rocks this early ‘cement’ Nowadays Australia recognises Indigenous Australians’ prior can still be seen between the sandstone blocks of the houses ownership, and the nation is on a journey of reconciliation and and stores. These remnants, and our knowledge of the sites healing. Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority has been involved where Indigenous rock carving or painting is found, are in attempts to preserve the memory of the Gadigal people, a quiet reminder of the more than 20,000-year association through archaeological work in The Rocks and other areas. between Indigenous Australians and Sydney Harbour’s foreshores. The history of Indigenous involvement in the growth of the , as it spread north and west around the harbour

Map of Sydney Cove Port Jackson, from a drawing made by convict Francis Fowkes in 1788. Image courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales

Pieces of the Past 13 Development of The Rocks—timeline This timeline provides snapshots of the development of The Rocks from 1788 to the 1970s.

Year Event / Development 1788 26 January The First Fleet, commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip, arrives in Sydney Cove carrying 736 convicted prisoners ‘beyond the seas’ to the far-flung continent of Australia. The convicts have been exiled by the British Government in the hope of relieving overcrowded conditions in many of Britain’s jails. Survival in the infant convict colony is not easy, and the convicts and their jailers rely heavily on Britain for food, supplies and instructions. April Convict Francis Fowkes, transported to Sydney Cove for stealing a coat and a pair of shoes, probably drew this first sketch map of the colony. Believed to have been created approximately three months after the First Fleet landed, it shows a rudimentary settlement heavily reliant upon the supply of fresh water afforded by a permanent creek, which later became known as the Tank Stream. Fowkes draws a settlement sprawled across the cove and comprised of tents housing convicts and soldiers, a bakery, a stone quarry, a farm, garden plots, and a store to hold the food supplies brought from Britain, Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope. His map also shows the locations of Governor Phillip’s residence, and of shingle cutting convict chain gangs. From the sketch it is apparent that the physical appearance and ecology of Sydney Cove are already undergoing changes. Governor Phillip is concerned that the changes should be orderly—an extension of the British ‘civilising’ influence prevalent at the time. However, most of his grandiose plans are never realised due to a combination of factors, including lack of labour and scarcity of building materials. 1792 The western slopes of Sydney Cove are now lined with rows of convict-built, timber-framed, thatched or shingle- roofed dwellings which, initially following the contours of the natural rock ledges, are described as being ‘on the rocks’; this area is still referred to as ‘The Rocks’ over 200 years later. 1810 The streets of The Rocks have been formally named, although the locals have nicknames for many of the alleys and laneways. As the colony grows larger and becomes more economically viable, modest sandstone houses slowly replace rough convict-built huts, and a few mansions are even constructed for the more prosperous residents. Many of the inhabitants of The Rocks are convicts who were either tradespeople or Irish political prisoners before being transported. Some are savvy enough to take advantage of the burgeoning business opportunities offered by the growth of the settlement; free settlers are also being encouraged to migrate to Australia and make the most of the opportunities offered in the new colony. 1840s–90s The area changes considerably, with large plots of land subdivided, and rows of commercial buildings constructed along George Street. Many public houses and terraces are built throughout the area. In the second half of the 19th century, as the density of the dwellings increase, overcrowding, sub-standard dwellings and inadequate sanitation result in slum conditions. The Rocks becomes notorious as the haunt of ‘The ’, larrikin gangs of mischief-makers who beat and rob unsuspecting passers-by. 1900 The bubonic plague reaches Sydney, carried into port by fleas on shipboard rats. Only three of Sydney’s 103 plague deaths occur in The Rocks; however, the rest of Sydney considers it a disease-ridden slum, and for four months it is barricaded whilst its buildings are cleansed, fumigated and disinfected. 1901–20s In an attempt to eradicate the plague, The Sydney Harbour Trust, acting on behalf of the State Government, is formed to manage the wharves and land between Sydney Cove, Darling Harbour, Millers Point, Observatory Hill and The Rocks. A proposed waterfront clean-up aims to create a ‘working man’s paradise’, and more than 900 houses, commercial buildings and wharves are demolished, at a cost of one million pounds; however, the original vision for the redevelopment of The Rocks is never fully realised due to the outbreak of World War I. After the war, redevelopment resumes at a much slower pace—effectively saving much of what is now left of The Rocks from wholesale demolition. 1923–32 The construction of changes the face of The Rocks dramatically, as whole streets disappear under its southern approach. However, construction of the bridge creates much-needed employment for many families in the area during the depression years. 1970s Public protests culminate in trade unions imposing a series of ongoing ‘Green Bans’ in The Rocks, halting development and saving the area from complete demolition. The Rocks precinct is subsequently revitalised, and the remaining buildings preserved, and it is now recognised as being of great national archaeological and historical significance.

Pieces of the Past 14 The Big Dig site—1994 to the present What is archaeology? Following the outbreak of bubonic plague in The Rocks and The term ‘archaeology’ is derived from the Greek words public protest against ‘slum’ housing conditions, the NSW ‘archaeo’ meaning ‘ancient’, and ‘logos’ meaning ‘the study government resumed almost all the land in The Rocks, of’; it is the study of objects from past human societies. including the Big Dig site between Cumberland and Gloucester Through archaeology we can gain some understanding Streets, and between 1902 and 1915 they demolished all the of how people lived in the past. buildings. The land was then used for a variety of purposes, Historians and archaeologists including light industry and as a parking lot. Historians study and interpret written records that document In 1994 Sydney Cove Authority engaged a team of significant cultures and events from the past. However, written archaeologists to undertake an archaeological investigation records are not always accurate representations, and of the 2,675 square metre Cumberland Street site. During frequently leave significant gaps in information. They often the six-month dig the site became a popular attraction present the subjective viewpoint of their author, which has affectionately known as ‘The Big Dig’; hundreds of been moulded and shaped by a host of both internal and Sydneysiders came to watch, with many volunteering to dig. external factors, including the life experiences, gender, Evidence of the lives of people who lived, worked and died knowledge, values and attitudes of the author. These factors, in this small neighbourhood for over two centuries was slowly in turn, are influenced by the prevailing beliefs and social and painstakingly uncovered. The remains of more than traditions of the era when the author was writing. For example, 40 houses and shops, and hundreds of thousands of most surviving historical records were written by literate, elite artefacts used in the daily lives of the inhabitants of The men, whose opinions usually represent the values and Rocks, have since become an important resource for the attitudes of a minority within the population. study of Sydney’s colourful past. Archaeologists use artefacts and other evidence from the In 2008 additional archaeological excavations took place material culture of past societies to interpret and record history. before construction of the Sydney Harbour YHA could begin, Archaeological evidence is the only source of information and further excavations are planned. available concerning human life and society before people developed writing approximately 5,000 years ago. Moreover, archaeological findings based on the interpretation of artefacts ensure that many aspects of daily life are examined and interpreted, giving a more holistic idea of what life was like across all social spectra. Historical archaeology is a term hotly debated by academics in historical and archaeological circles. However, it is generally accepted to refer to ‘the study of remains from any historic period’, with ‘historic period’ referring to those periods which have generated written records. In this sense, historical archaeology represents a partnership in which written records are used to extend or confirm archaeological observations, or in which the validity of written records is tested through archaeology.

Top left: Chinese ceramic fragment found at the Big Dig site Top right: Denture, circa 1850–1900

Pieces of the Past 15 Why is conservation of the past important? Archaeological sites in The Rocks Conservation of the past helps to contextualise our cultural Much of Sydney’s early colonial and some of its Aboriginal heritage and provide an explanation of our identity and place heritage are preserved in the land and foreshore areas of The in the world. It also enables us to apply knowledge and Rocks. Some of the richest archaeological sites are located understandings from the past to the present and future. in Cumberland and Gloucester Streets, Foundation Park and The conservation and preservation of written and oral Dawes Point (Tar-ra) Park. Artefacts and remains of structures communications, as both primary and secondary sources, uncovered at these sites reveal a wealth of information about provides clues about the roots of modern ways of life. the area’s earlier inhabitants and their lifestyles. When all this Archaeology also provides a tangible connection with the archaeological information is combined with detailed historical past, as it is concerned with material culture. Archaeology records held in a variety of national and state institutions, such is about seeing, holding, touching, feeling and experiencing as the State Library and the Museum of Sydney, it provides a things made and used by previous generations. It is vitally fascinating snapshot of the lives of Sydney’s earliest inhabitants. important that archaeological and historical fragments attesting to the past survive, as they will help to inform future generations about the cultural heritage of their ancestors.

Students at The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre

Pieces of the Past 16 9. Resources to photocopy

Pre- and post-excursion activity suggestions

Pre-excursion activities Excursion Post-excursion activities 50 minutes or less Pieces of the Past program 1 to 2 lessons 2 hrs

• View ‘The Rocks Beneath Our Feet’ • Simulated excavation • Tell the story of the life of one person video (10 mins) you learnt about who lived in The Rocks during the 1800s. Present it to • Exclusive access site tour the class in oral, written or visual • Discuss inquiry question: ‘What can form. archaeology tell us about the lives of OR people who lived in The Rocks during • Hands-on artefact analysis the 1800s?’ • Describe the evidence archaeologists found for one of the businesses that • Interpretation and discussion of operated on the Big Dig site in the findings 1800s: a) Butcher b) Baker c) Candlestick maker OR • Imagine you are a person who lived on the Big Dig site in 1900, just before the houses were demolished. Describe what your house was like, inside and out.

Girls playing on Cumberland Street, beside the Big Dig site, circa 1900

Pieces of the Past 17 Convict—George Cribb George Cribb was transported for 14 years for being in possession of forged bank notes. 1808 George arrives in Sydney aboard the ship Admiral Gambier. Fanny Barnett is transported the same year on a different ship, the Speke. 1811 George and Fanny marry at St. Philip’s Church. 1813 George buys up so many allotments that he owns approximately half of the Big Dig site. 1814 Having found out that his first wife, Martha, is intending to join him in the colony, George gives Fanny three hundred pounds for her passage and living expenses Families who lived on the Big Dig site to leave the colony. The following notes consist of dates and key events in the 1815 Fanny departs Sydney on the ship Indefatigable, but lives of three convicts, and their families, who lived on the dies on the journey in Batavia (now called Jakarta) from Big Dig site. malaria. In the same year, Martha arrives in the colony to live with George. Convict—Anne Armsden 1817 Business is flourishing, and George builds a small 1787 Anne is convicted of stealing a bundle of cloth from a butcher shop next to the house, advertising its opening woman during a highway robbery. She is originally and selling of the “finest meats of every description”. sentenced to death, but is reprieved and her sentence He also builds a pub next door called the Turk’s Head. changed to 14 years’ transportation. 1818 Martha (Mary) dies. George then marries a widow and 1790 She arrives in Sydney on the ship Lady Juliana, and is publican Sophia Lett, who moves into his house with sent on to . her five children. 1795 Anne has met and married George Legge on Norfolk 1824 Through reckless dealing George is forced to sell up all Island; they are allocated land in The Rocks, where they of his property in The Rocks. build a house. 1827 Sophia dies aged 43. 1805 The couple are given permission to return to England, but the ship’s captain refuses to take women on board 1830 George is charged with cattle theft at Parramatta Court. during wartime. 1833 George, aged approximately 55, tries another butcher 1807 In June George Legge drowns when his boat capsizes business, placing an advertisement in the local whilst fishing in Botany Bay. He is dragged down by the newspaper which offers “ready cash for fat cattle” weight of his coat; his Aboriginal companions try to and appealing for orders from his “old and numerous help him but are unable to; they survive and deliver the customers”. bad news to Anne. A week later George’s hand is found At age 64 George was described as “an old man well known in the stomach of a shark, and in July, the rest of his in the slaughtering line” and “a most noted character”. We body is discovered by some other Aboriginals. don’t know where he lived after this, where he died or was 1810 Anne marries the baker George Talbot at St. Philip’s buried. Anglican Church. 1834 Anne Armsden and George Talbot are admitted to the Benevolent Asylum. 1835 Anne dies. 1837 George dies.

A Government Jail Gang by Augustus Earle, 1830—convicts in Sydney‘s Hyde Park Barracks in the 1800s. Image courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pieces of the Past 18 Free Settlers—Foy family 1910 William Foy, 15, falls 15 ft off a wall; a few weeks later his father James Foy, 67, falls 14 ft into the hulk of a ship. 1883 James Foy and Margaret McCann marry in Brisbane. 1915 Hugh Foy (son), aged 26, enlists to fight in WW1. He 1884 Margaret Foy (daughter) is born. is wounded and hospitalised in England. 1886 James Foy (son) is born. 1917 William Foy, aged 22, enlists to fight in WW1. 1889 Hugh Foy (son) is born. 1918 Hugh Foy returns to Australia and is discharged from 1890 Family moves to Carahers Lane. service due to his injuries. Private William John Foy, 1892 Marion Foy (daughter) is born. aged 24, is killed in action. 1895 William John Foy (son) is born. 1924 James Foy (father) dies aged 69. 1896 James Foy (son), aged 10, is involved in a 1947 Margaret Foy (mother) dies aged 80. gunpowder accident. 1964 Hugh Foy dies aged 74. 1899 Iris Foy (daughter) is born. 1969 Margaret (daughter) dies aged 85. 1901 Family moves around the corner to Cribbs Lane. 1974 Marion Foy dies aged 79. 1902 James Foy (son), who was working as the local The date of Iris Foy’s death is unknown. paper boy, dies of bubonic plague. 1903 Family moves to a house and shop on Cumberland Street. Margaret takes over the confectionery shop. 1906 James Foy 2nd (son) is born. 1907 James Foy 2nd (son) dies.

Caraher’s Lane c.1900 Copyright Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Pieces of the Past 19 Free Settlers—Berry family 1857 Jane Share moves away from the site. 1823 The Berry family arrives from England. Father 1863 Robert Berry’s daughter Kezia dies giving birth Zachariah Berry is a retired musician in the army. to her first, stillborn child. 1830 The Berrys’ daughter Jane marries Thomas Share. The Berry family then leaves the site. They build a brick hotel on Cumberland Street called 1915 The two buildings built by the Berry family are the Plymouth Inn. demolished. 1841 The Berrys’ son Robert marries Harriet Fry. Jane and Thomas convert their pub into a bakery with table, troughs, baker’s tools, scales and weights, and give it to Robert and Harriet for their wedding. Jane and Thomas Share buy land on Cumberland Street adjacent to the bakery and build a new Plymouth Inn. 1844 Robert’s younger brother John dies from an epileptic seizure in the bakery. 1849 Robert Berry’s wife Harriet dies, leaving behind 3 young children: Kezia, Mary Charlotte and Zachariah. Jane’s husband Thomas Share dies in the same year at the age of 50. 1855 Robert Berry marries Ann Norton and they have 5 more children. A Government Jail Gang by Augustus Earle, 1830—depicting convicts in Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks. Image courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pieces of the Past 20 Pieces of the Past: Artefact activity

Name:

Artefact 1 Artefact 2 Artefact 3

Draw a quick sketch of the artefact

What is it made from? wood / metal / stone / ceramic / bone / shell

Is it complete? Is it broken, snapped, cut or worn away?

Does it have any markings? patterns / decoration / symbols / writing / cuts / scratches

What do you think it could be?

Where do you think it could have been found?

Who do you think may have used or owned it?

Pieces of the Past 21 10. Glossary

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (e.g. defence, foreign affairs, immigration) while retaining The original occupants of Australia, including the Indigenous control over other responsibilities (e.g. education, health, people of the Torres Strait Islands off northern Queensland. transport) under a written constitution.

ANZAC Gallipoli The word ANZAC refers to the Australian and New Zealand The anglicised name of the peninsula in Turkey where ANZAC Army Corps (ANZAC) troops, who first fought at Gallipoli in and other Allied troops fought against Turkish forces. It was Turkey in 1915. the site of the first land battle fought by Australian soldiers in World War I, which lasted from April to December 1915. archaeology The study of objects from past human societies in order to heritage discover facts about the past. That which belongs to an individual, group, community or nation as a result of birth, inheritance or membership. It can archive also be applied to significant examples of the built or natural Both a collection of public records, documents, etc., and the environment. place where they are stored. historical inquiry artefact The process of developing knowledge and understanding by An object made or given shape by humans; e.g. a ceramic posing questions about the past, and applying skills associated vessel, or a stone tool. with locating, analysing, evaluating and using sources as evidence to develop an informed argument or interpretation. chronology A list of events and dates in order of time. immigration The process by which people come to a new land with the circa intention of permanently settling. Meaning approximately, or around, and usually used for historical time, ‘circa’ is commonly abbreviated to ‘c.’—for indigenous peoples example, c. 1975. This term is used when referring collectively to the first peoples of a land in international communities. The term colonisation Indigenous Australians is used for both Aboriginal and Torres A process by which a different system of government is Strait Islander peoples within Australia. established by one nation over another group of people(s). It involves the colonial power asserting and enforcing its interpretation sovereignty according to its own law, rather than by the laws A way of understanding and explaining what has happened in of the colonised. the past. The discipline of history acknowledges that there is often more than one view of what has happened in the past. conscription Compulsory enlistment for military service. perspective A point of view from which historical events, problems and conservation issues can be analysed, e.g. a gender perspective (either A process of protection and preservation of the natural and masculine or feminine) on the past. heritage features of an environment. primary source continuity and change A source (see source, below)—e.g. a diary, letter, photograph, Aspects of the past that have remained the same over a ceramic fragment or coin—that was created during the time period of time or have changed over time. period being investigated. evidence secondary source The information contained within a source that tends to A source (see source, below) describing an historical event— support an historical argument or provides information for a e.g. a textbook, historical account or painting—that was specific historical inquiry. created after the time period being investigated. excavation source A process of removing earth that is covering objects buried in Any written or non-written material that can be used to the ground. investigate the past. A source becomes ‘evidence’ (see evidence, above) when it is used to support or refute a Federation viewpoint, or contributes to an historical inquiry. The voluntary union of the six Australian colonies which took place on 1 January 1901. It involved the colonies transferring certain powers to the Federal or Commonwealth Government

Pieces of the Past 22 Attention Due to this reproduction process the colours in this image are not exact representations of the final product.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W The Rocks Sydney 1 11. Map of The Rocks Harbour Pier Places of Interest 1 Bridge J9 BridgeClimb J7 M9 Captain Cook Cruises O11 Clocktower Square Shopping Centre K9 Pier 2 Dendy Cinema S8 2 Sydney Harbour Pier Bridge Pylon Fort Street Public School G12 Lookout Bennelong 3 Garrison Church H9 Walsh Point Justice and Police Museum R13 Bay North King George V Recreation Centre I10

T

E Metcalfe Arcade L6 Pier Dawes Point E (Tar-ra) Park

R Hickson Museum of Contemporary Art M10 Pier 4 T Road Reserve 3 D National Trust S A 5 O R S H Ervin Gallery G13 T O N R K S Overseas Passenger Terminal N7 Walsh Bay I C History Walk O H F Pylon Lookout L2

Pier R St Patrick’s Church J15 Walsh Bay E Pier 6 Sculpture Walk W Museum K11 O

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R I i (Friday – Sunday) L6 & L9 e C l House

E r N E K a Walsh Bay Sculpture Walk I4

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R R MAN O’WAR T O s

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G c Argyle Place Park G9 N Sunday)

T E D R O A D M I Metcalfe CUSTOM V A T OFFICER L E Bligh and Barney Reserve M9 T Arcade STAIRS E O P Dawes Point (Tar-ra) Park K3 BridgeClimb First Fleet Park M12 Foundation Park K8 Clyne

Overseas Hickson Road Reserve M3 Reserve T E Passenger Sydney E Pottinger A T H E R D E N R King George V Park J9 T Terminal Theatre S T R E E T S 7 D D Park R A I Observatory Park G10 A A L L I M D N I W L Parbury no vehicular F

O Y G S P E T S access Royal Botanical Gardens V12 R Ruins A E L T E E R T S N A M I R R E M T N P The Rocks Square L8 Y O S R BETHEL STREET K STEPS O C WINDMILL STREET

I A M I L L L A N E H Public Institutions

D Foundation The Rocks Conservatorium of Music U14 Park Square 8 Customs House P13 Dendy Foreshore House L11 3 WEST Cinema KENDALLThe LANE Rocks NSW Government House U9 NSW LOWER FORT STREET TRINITY AVENUE Discovery Cadman’s Government NSW State Records L11 C E PLAYFAIR STREET Museum Passenger L A Garrison The Rocks Cottage House Tourism NSW K10 L E P Terminal R G Y Argyle Church KGV Centre A Place Park Bligh and Barney Forecourt Park ARGYLE STEPS Reserve A R G Y L E S T R E E T ARGYLE Accommodation / Hotels 9 CUT A R G Y L E S T R E E T The Rocks Markets CUMBERLAND STREET (Fri–Sun) Munn Street Jack Mundey Place Reserve W A T S O N S T R E E T St Brigid’s

Church

Pylon Clocktower J10 T

C Square

Lookout E A Bed and Breakfast Sydney Harbour J12

Destination E Circular

Observatory M Commisioners R S U E Z C A N A L B T E E R T S T N E K NSW L10 R Park T Steps Quay

I D S Intercontinental Sydney R14 T G G

E L 10 KGV E N O K6 E

Recreation U S O R T C A P T A I N T E N C H A R C A D E

T Old Sydney Holiday Inn L7 Centre R T C EASTERN PONTOON T E E R T S H G I H

E G S E E Museum of Park Hyatt M3

Sydney S N T M I S S I O N S T E P S

T I Contemporary Art 1 Harbour T Quay West Suites Sydney J13

R R YHA E Susannah Harbour Masters O 2 R Place R Steps MOORE STEPS Shangri-La Hotel J13 Sydney F

A GEORGE STREET 3 2

S Museum 4 S U R G E O N S W A L K

Observatory H Foreshore 5 Sir Stamford at Circular Quay Hotel S14 MACQUARIE STREET R NURSES WALK 6 T Wharf 1 Wharf Wharf E House R CUMBERLAND Wharf Wharf Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel N15 P PLACE The Big Dig E P 11 Archaeology E Sydney Harbour YHA J11 U Education Centre T

C R Four Seasons Hotel Sydney L13 I B B S L A N Royal Botanic E The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel E9 Future Barangaroo GLOBE STREET Captain Cook Gardens Development Cruises The Observatory Hotel F12 L O N G S L A N E First Fleet Park The Russell Hotel L11

BRADFIELD HIGHWAY The Sebel Pier One Sydney Hotel J2 Fort Street Public School Rendezvous Stafford Hotel K10 12

ALFRED STREET Transport ALFRED STREET Ferry Terminal Taxis

Customs Water Taxis Bus Stop HIGH STREET House Forecourt Harbour Cruises Train Station T 13 D A O R N O S K C I H E E Justice and Parking Station Motorcycle Parking National Trust R Customs Police Museum S H Ervin Gallery T House S R Bicycle Rack Accessible Parking U E G B R E IB Y P L A C E G Y Sydney Explorer Bus Stops

E S S E X S T R E E T R L A O N E E

G B U L L E T IN P L A C E MACQUARIE STREET

PHILLIP STREET Services

14 YOUNG STREET

J

E Sydney Visitor Centre N E T Conservatorium K R E of Music Information Mail Box I S T

N D S O

O Police Station ATM

W LOFTUS STREET

S

R

T E Public Toilet Telephone

R D

E Grosvenor BRIDGE STREET T E E R T S T N E K N E Place Baby Change Shopping

15 T U GLOUCESTER STREET Accessible Toilet Library Museum PITT STREET of Sydney Cafe Photo Point St Patrick’s HARRINGTON STREET Church Restaurant Bureau de Change DALLEY STREET Harbour Bridge Pedestrian Way BRIDGE STREET 16 G R O S V E N O R S T R E E T Harbour Bridge Cycle Way

Museum of Sydney Websites www.therocks.com A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W www.shfa.nsw.gov.au

With Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Tight Grid 1 The Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre (meeting spot)

2 Sydney Harbour YHA entry SYDNEY HARBOUR FORESHORE AUTHORITY • Extend Rocks Map MAP DRAWINGS • The Rocks Map Extension Drawing Size Date Issue Status Drawing No Sheet 04.01.13 E For Approval not for production 4630_RME01 1 of 1 3 The Rocks Discovery Museum

Pieces of the Past 23 12. Bibliography and suggested resources

Bibliography Karskens, G. (1999), Inside The Rocks: the Archaeology Attenbrow, V. (1992), Port Jackson Archaeological Project— of a Neighbourhood. Hale and Ironmonger, Sydney Stage II. Unpublished report to the Australian Institute of Karskens, G. (2009), The Colony: a History of Early Sydney. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Studies Allen & Unwin, Sydney Attenbrow, V. (2002), Sydney’s Aboriginal Past. UNSW Press, Kelly, M. (1997), Anchored in a Small Cove: A history and Sydney archaeology of The Rocks, Sydney. Sydney Cove Authority, Challis, K. (2000), Tales from Sydney Cove. The Helicon Press, Sydney Sydney Koettig, M. (1995), Assessment of Aboriginal Sites Gladesville Connah, G. (1998), Of the hut I builded—the Archaeology of Hospital—South Campus. Unpublished report for Hughes Australia’s History. Cambridge University Press, UK Trueman Ludlow Coupe, S., Coupe, R. & Andrews, M. (1995), Their Ghosts May Lampert, R. J. and Truscott, M. C. (1984), The Archaeological Be Heard—Australia to 1900. Longman, Australia Investigation of the Bond Store, Moore’s Wharf, 1980. Report held by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Curson, P. H. (1985), Times of Crisis—Epidemics in Sydney 1788–1900. Sydney University Press, Sydney NSW Department of Planning / Heritage Council of NSW (1993), Historical Archaeological Sites: Investigation and Evans, I. (1985), The Australian Home. The Flannel Flower Conservation Guidelines. NSW Department of Planning, Press, Sydney Sydney Fitzgerald, S. (1992), Sydney 1842–1992, Hale & Ironmonger, NSW NPWS (1997), Aboriginal Cultural Heritage: Standards Sydney & Guidelines Kit. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Godden Mackay Logan (1997), Angel Place Development, Hurstville, NSW Sydney: Archaeological Assessment, Research Design and Sydney Cove Authority (c. 1995), Dawes Point, The Rocks: Archaeological Investigation. Report for City of Sydney Archaeological Excavation June–August 1995. Sydney Cove Council Authority, Sydney Harrison, M. D. (2009), My people’s dreaming. Finch Turbet, P. (2001), The Aborigines of the Sydney District before Publishing, Sydney 1788. Kangaroo Press, East Roseville, Sydney Johnson, A. W. (1998), Archaeological Willey, K. (1979), When the Sky Fell Down: The Destruction of Excavations 1995—Dawes Point, The Rocks, Sydney. Volume I: the Tribes of the Sydney Region, 1788–1850s. William Collins Introduction and History. Sydney Cove Authority, Sydney Pty Ltd, Sydney Johnson, A. W., Foundation Park: Excavation and interpretation Zarmati, L. & Cremin, A. (1998), Experience Archaeology. of archaeological features. Sydney Cove Authority, Sydney Cambridge University Press, UK Karskens, G. (1997), The Rocks: Life in Early Sydney. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne

Websites Information about The Rocks: www.therocks.com The Rocks Discovery Museum: www.rocksdiscoverymuseum.com City of Sydney Council www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au Information on Aboriginal Sydney www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani National Library of Australia www.nla.gov.au NSW Heritage Office www.heritage.nsw.gov.au NSW Government (homepage) www.nsw.gov.au State Library of NSW www.slnsw.gov.au State Records of NSW www.records.nsw.gov.au Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority www.shfa.nsw.gov.au Heritage on the NSW Board of Studies site www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au Sydney Learning Adventures www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sla Tropman & Tropman Architects www.tropmanarchitects.com.au Louise Zarmati biography www.educ.mq.edu.au/staff_bio.aspx?sid=402

Pieces of the Past 24 13. Contact us

Your Booking If you have any questions regarding your booking or would like assistance in planning your day, we can help in combining programs with other education providers or customising packages to suit your needs.

Programs • All programs are held at the Archaeology Education Centre at Sydney Harbour YHA. • Programs run for 120 minutes unless otherwise stated. • Risk assessments can be downloaded from our website. • Toilet facilities are available at the Archaeology Education Centre. • Bus drop-off and pick-up is on Cumberland Street in front of the Sydney Harbour YHA. T 02 9240 8552

The Rocks Discovery Museum 2-8 Kendall Lane, The Rocks, NSW 2000 • Entry is free. • Information at the museum will compliment any Sydney Learning Adventures program. • Recommended time allowance: 30 mins for Stages 1–3 / 45 mins for stages 4–6. T 02 9240 8680

Accommodation at Sydney Harbour YHA 110 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, NSW 2000 T 02 8272 0900 E [email protected] www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/sydney-surrounds/sydney-harbour/

Pieces of the Past 25