Archaeological Report

ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Newcastle East End Project – Stage 1 FINAL May 2020 ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT Newcastle East End Project – Stage 1 FINAL Prepared by Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited on behalf of IRIS Land Pty Ltd Project Director: Tim Adams Project Manager: Karyn Virgin Report No. 3971/R10 Date: May 2020 Newcastle 75 York Street Teralba NSW 2284 T| 1300 793 267 E| [email protected] www.umwelt.com.au This report was prepared using Umwelt’s ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System. Cover Image: View to southeast showing archaeological remains of 1850s constructed dwelling fronting Wolfe Street (Umwelt 2019) Disclaimer This document has been prepared for the sole use of the authorised recipient and this document may not be used, copied or reproduced in whole or part for any purpose other than that for which it was supplied by Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd (Umwelt). No other party should rely on this document without the prior written consent of Umwelt. Umwelt undertakes no duty, nor accepts any responsibility, to any third party who may rely upon or use this document. Umwelt assumes no liability to a third party for any inaccuracies in or omissions to that information. Where this document indicates that information has been provided by third parties, Umwelt has made no independent verification of this information except as expressly stated. ©Umwelt (Australia) Pty Ltd Document Status Reviewer Approved for Issue Rev No. Name Date Name Date V1 Nicola Roche 28 April 2020 Tim Adams 29 April 2020 V2 Nicola Roche 4 May 2020 Tim Adams 4 May 2020 Executive Summary The Newcastle East End Project comprises the majority • Lot 135 corner of Hunter and Wolfe Streets – base of four (4) city blocks located between Perkins, Hunter, of a well associated with an 1850s structure. Only Newcomen and King Streets at the east end of the the base nine courses of the brick well structure Newcastle City Centre. Each block comprises one of remained; sitting directly on natural sand; four (4) stages; each stage being subject to separate indicating the likely high ground water in the area and individual Development Applications and associated supporting documentation. • Lot 138 fronting Wolfe Street - lower foundations of an 1850s structure and laneway. The building This report documents the historical archaeological had a large front room that stretched the whole monitoring and salvage at 163 and 169-185 Hunter width of the building and two rooms at the back Street, Newcastle (Newcastle East End Project - Stage which were divided by a corridor. The foundations 1) undertaken in accordance with Section 140 of chimneys for fireplaces which serviced the front application 2017/S140/33. and the back rooms were also exposed. The 2019 Archaeological Assessment for Newcastle • Archaeological evidence of mining of the borehole East End Project - Stage 1 assessed the site as having seam was exposed in the form of an area of potential for an archaeological resource of dating from ground collapse / subsidence within the 1850s Lot post mid 1840s relating to the urbanisation and 138 structure. An earlier/original sandstock brick commercialisation of Newcastle from the mid paved floor had subsided and collapsed. The area nineteenth century. of subsidence was filled with clay and a new raised brick floor laid. Raising the floor (rather than just Archaeological Investigation repairing it) may also have functioned to alleviate potential flooding issues in this flood prone area of Two distinct areas of archaeological remains were Newcastle. exposed along the Hunter Street and Wolfe Street frontages. The exposed archaeological remains were • Lot 140 fronting Wolfe Street - one course of located within the original town Lot boundaries sandstone footings from 1880s structure. established by assistant surveyor Henry Dangar when The construction and demolition of the twentieth he laid out the Newcastle town plan: century-built retail buildings and warehouses had a • Lot 136 fronting Hunter Street – wall footings, major impact on the potential for an archaeological flagstone paving and sandstone paving of 1840s resource; particularly across the central and rear constructed Rouse Hotel. The exposed remains portions of the site where no archaeological remains comprised two internal rooms and provided were exposed. evidence of a limited archaeological resource of the early spread of the settlement into this ‘out of town’ area. Table of Contents Executive Summary i 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Heritage and Archaeological Listings 3 1.2.1 Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012 3 1.2.2 Newcastle Archaeological Management Plan 1997 3 1.2.3 Draft Newcastle Archaeological Management Plan Review 2013 4 1.3 Personnel 5 1.4 Author Identification 6 2.0 Historical Context 7 2.1 Ethnohistoric Context 7 2.2 European Exploration 9 2.3 Early Settlement (1804-1823) 9 2.3.1 Macquarie Pier 14 2.3.2 Pioneer Industries 15 2.4 Newcastle’s Government Town (1823 to 1853) 19 2.4.1 The AA Co. and early industry 22 2.5 Development and Expansion (1853 - 1900s) 23 2.5.1 AA Co. Land 23 2.5.2 Reclamation 24 2.5.3 The City of Newcastle 24 2.5.4 Port of Newcastle and the Breakwater 25 2.5.5 Transport System 25 2.5.6 Industry and Business 26 2.5.7 Entertainment 26 2.5.8 Service Utilities 27 2.5.9 Residents of Newcastle CBD 27 2.6 Development of the Project Area 28 2.7 Former Market Reserve and Christ Church Cathedral Cemetery 62 3.0 Archaeological Investigation 64 3.1 Archaeological Monitoring - Demolition/Grubbing Phase 65 3.2 Archaeological Investigation - Wolfe Street Frontage 68 3.2.1 Lot 140 70 3.2.2 Lot 138 76 3.3 Hunter Street Frontage 85 3.3.1 Lot 136 85 Archaeological Report 3971_R10_EES1 Archaeological Report_V2 3.3.2 Lot 135 92 3.4 Stratigraphy 96 4.0 Artefacts 101 4.1 Introduction 101 4.2 General Fill 102 4.2.1 Context 43 102 4.3 Allotment 135 103 4.3.1 Context 22 103 4.3.2 Context 24 106 4.4 Allotment 138 107 4.4.1 Context 16 107 4.4.2 Context 17 108 4.4.3 Context 18 108 4.4.4 Context 19 109 4.4.5 Context 35 109 4.4.6 Context 44 111 4.5 Manufacturers 112 4.5.1 Natham Welham 112 4.5.2 John Gulliver 113 4.5.3 George Edward Redman 113 4.6 Artefact Catalogue 114 4.7 Artefact Repository 114 5.0 Response to Research Design 115 5.1 Convict Settlement/Pre-Town Plan 115 5.2 Establishment of Town Plan (1823) 116 5.3 Early Urban Development following Subdivision (approximately 1823 to 1850s) 117 5.4 Post 1850s Development and Expansion (approximately late 1850s to 1890s) 118 5.5 Twentieth Century Development 121 5.6 Deeper Subsurface Features 121 5.7 Lives of Inhabitants 122 5.8 Licensed Hotels 124 5.9 Borehole Seam Mining Subsidence 124 5.10 Archaeological Management Plan Predictions 129 5.11 Newcastle East End Project Learnings 131 6.0 Archaeological Programme Conclusions 132 6.1 Reassessment of Site’s Significance 132 6.2 Community Understanding 134 6.3 Future Management 135 6.4 Undisturbed Remains 135 Archaeological Report 3971_R10_EES1 Archaeological Report_V2 7.0 Public Dissemination 137 7.1 Hunter Living Histories 137 7.2 Archaeological Report 137 8.0 References 138 Figures Figure 1.1 Project Area 2 Plates Plate 1.1 Detail of AMP 1997 plan 4 Plate 1.2 Possible Distribution of Convict Huts 5 Plate 2.1 Settlement of Newcastle near Sydney by Ferdinand Bauer 10 Plate 2.2 The Coal River or Port of Newcastle, attributed to William Lewin 11 Plate 2.3 1812 Engraving by T.R. Brown Newcastle, in New South Wales 12 Plate 2.4 1818 Plan of Newcastle by James Meehan 13 Plate 2.5 Detail of Nobby’s Island and Pier 23 January 1820 15 Plate 2.6 Detail of 1845/1846 Plan of the City of Newcastle showing government coal mine shaft 17 Plate 2.7 Plan showing location of Borehole Seam Workings 18 Plate 2.8 Detail of Armstrong’s 1830s Plan of Newcastle in NSW 22 Plate 2.9 Detail of 1833 Plan of Newcastle by GB White. 29 Plate 2.10 Detail of 1844 Plan of The Town of Newcastle and its Harbour 30 Plate 2.11 Detail of 1846 Plan of the City of Newcastle 32 Plate 2.12 Detail of 1850-57 Plan showing AA Company Subdivisions 42 Plate 2.13 Detail of 1853 plan showing Street alignment of part of Newcastle 43 Plate 2.14 Detail of 1853 plan showing Project Area 44 Plate 2.15 Detail of 1854 Plan of the City of Newcastle 45 Plate 2.16 Detail of 1854 Plan showing Project Area 46 Plate 2.17 1866 Photograph of Newcastle 47 Plate 2.18 Approximately 1870 Photograph of Hunter Street 48 Plate 2.19 Detail of 1875 dated lithographic view of Newcastle 49 Plate 2.20 Early Perkins Street Newcastle 50 Plate 2.21 1870 photograph looking south up Perkins Street. 50 Plate 2.22 Detail of Gibbs Shallard & Co engraving of Newcastle, undated – approximately 1880s 51 Plate 2.23 Detail of 1886 Mahlstedt & Gee plan of Newcastle 52 Plate 2.24 Detail of 1886 Mahlstedt & Gee colour plan of Newcastle 54 Plate 2.25 1890 photograph of the east side of Perkins Street 55 Plate 2.26 1897 Photograph looking northeast down Perkins Street to Newcastle harbour 55 Plate 2.27 Undated photograph looking southwest up Perkins Street. 56 Plate 2.28 Detail of 1896 Hunter District Water Board Plan 57 Plate 2.29 Detail of 1892 Plan of Newcastle indicating location of Water Pipes 58 Plate 2.30 Detail of 1892 Plan of Newcastle indicating location of Stormwater and Sewerage Pipes 58 Archaeological Report 3971_R10_EES1 Archaeological Report_V2 Plate 2.31 1899 Photograph looking east along Hunter Street 59 Plate 2.32 1905 photograph looking east along Hunter Street 60 Plate 2.33 Approximately 1910 photograph showing the corner of Hunter and Perkins Street 60 Plate 2.34 1910 photograph showing the corner of Hunter and Wolfe Streets 61 Plate 2.35 Approximately 1930s photograph showing the corner of Hunter and Perkins Street 61 Plate 2.36 Detail of 1935 aerial photograph showing Project area 62 Plate 3.1 General plan of exposed archaeological remains 65 Plate 3.2 Grubbing along Hunter Street Frontage 66 Plate 3.3 Grubbing along Hunter Street Frontage 67 Plate 3.4 View northeast towards the Hunter Street frontage 67 Plate 3.5 View southeast towards Wolfe Street 68 Plate 3.6 Archaeological Remains in Lot 138 (north) and 140 (south).

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