I I ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I I I 100 PARRAMATTA ROAD AUBURN I I Former Sydney Meat Preserving Company Works I I I I I I ~~ I I I I I 8Yl>NEY llEAT< PI

I WendyThorp I Cultural Resources Management I I I ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT :1 I I 100 PARRAMATTA ROAD AUBURN I I Former Sydney Meat Preserving Company Works 1 1 I 1 1 I I I :1 July 1999 I I Prepared on Behalf of Reading Entertainment

I WendyThorp I Cultural-Resources Management I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn '

I CONTENTS OF THE REPORT I

". '. 1~0 . , " PRE~~S OFTHE REPORT . .... ' .... 1 , The \ 't..:~/' 'rk ' , .. ,. , I '1.1 . V~Vt.,," .''l!,o' ~'. ~ j.• t ••••••••••••• 1 . i'l. I'~ , •• I . 1.2:: " The~Ltory\I!'iJ!tW:i":Wij:!I:~;'. ,~'.'~'"., . )f ·:111 ... . 1 1.3 , The~' chae61dbical Hesource .. '.1 !i ... . 2 ,," "'1'''8'' "''''f') ., .• , • 'I I 1.4 ' , C U It ur,," " Ignl Icants . . : . : . .'.' ". . . . 3 1.5 The Development. . . . 3 I 1.6 Management ...... 4 2.0 THE INVESTIGATION '... 5 2.1 The Study Area and Subject 5, I 2.2 Status of the Site '.' . 5 2.3 Methodology ...... " . 5 2.4 'btSjectives and Tasks'. .' :-. . 5 I 2.5 Authorship, Client and Acknowledgements 6

3.0 HISTORICAL CONTEXT ...... 7 I 3.1 The Pre-European Environment & Aboriginal Occupation . 8 3.2 First European Settlement ...... 10 I 3.3 The Sydney Meat Preserving Company . . 12 3.4 Subdivision and Closure - Capital Motors . 17 I 4.0 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE .. 20 4.1 Summary Site Development 20. 4.2 The Factory Com ponents . 20 I 4.3 Topography . . .,.,., . . . . .' . 23 4.3 Visual Evidence',., : : . .'. . 23 4.4 Geo-technical Evidence .. 23 I 4.5 Potential Archaeological Resource . 24

5.0 CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE ...... 25 I 5.1 Evaluation Criteria . . . . . 25 5.2 . Assessment of Significance 26 I 5.3 Statement of Significance . 28 6.0 MANAGEMENT ...... 29 6.1 The Development Proposal and Its Impact. 29 I 6.2 Statutory Considerations . .. . 29 6.3 Financial Commitment .... 30 6.4 Archaeological Requirements 30 I 6.5 Recommendations ...... 31

7.0 , DOCUMENTATION ...... 32 I 7.1 Endnotes .. 32 I 7.2 Bibliography ... 37 I I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

1 SECTION 1.0 1 IPRECIS OF THE REPORT 1 1.1 The

I -report is the archaeological resource which may be contained within the land at 0 Parramatta Road, Auburn. Most recently this was the business premises of Capital Motors. The objective of the work has been to determine the 1 existence, extent, nature, integritY and significance of this resource and to provide 1 recommendations for its future management. 1.2 The History

I The pre-settlement environment was characterised by a gentle terrain of dense forest with pockets of more open, grassed land. It was based on fertile soils which attracted early European farming. There was a freshwater stream, Haslams Creek, running I- through the study area. The area was notable for the diversity and abundance of its native wildflowers and other vegetation and fauna. This landscape survived in many 1 places until the later part of the nineteenth century. The earliest land-owners were likely to have been the Wangal people or clan although the association with a specific tribe, Guringai, Eora or Dharug is problematic. Within 1 a few decades of European settlement these people had been decimated by disease, their lands appropriated and their traditional culture had disintegrated. There were numerous reports of spiralling retaliatory acts between the Aboriginal people and 1 white settlers in the Auburn area. I The study area encompasses the land grants of Samuel Haslam (1816) and James Wright (1819). The entire holdings of the Sydney Meat Works Company also included grants made to Ann Curtis in 1823, George Tuckwell in 1823 and William Haslam in 1 1831. These were excised from the property early in the twentieth century. The study area represents approximately a third of the full company lands. There is no evidence of any particular use made of the study area for European purposes, other than being 1 cleared for timber, prior to the establishment of the factory in the 1870s.

The Sydney Meat Preserving Company was formed in 1869 as a joint stock venture. 1 The site at Auburn, between Parramatta Road; the railway, John Street and St Hilliers Road, was chosen because of its access to water and road and rail transport. Over the next thirty years the factory was progressively expanded to include processing, I canning and packing facilities. All of the works were located in the extreme north-western corner of the site including two dams which were to the south of the main buildings. The rest and majority of the site was vacant, used for paddocks, I vegetable gardens and holding pens. One of the largest, best known and most I successful of the several canning factories which were established around the I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 1 ------I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I country in this period the SMP Company, purchased by F. J. Walker Ltd in 1918, remained in business until 1965.

I From the 1920s the Company holdings were greatly reduced by subdivision and the sale of lands to create Wyatt Park to the south. The present boundaries of the study area were created in the later part of the 1920s. Further reduction of land was made I by the reclamation of Haslams Creek and the dams created by the company. A concrete channel was built in their place. This work took place during the later 1930s. The remaining buildings and railway track survived until they were demolished by the I new owners, Capital Motors, in c. 1965. The new company constructed a variety of prefabricated and concrete offices, warehouses, factory and showrooms on the site. I These have now been demolished and the site is vacant. 1.3 The Archaeological Resource

I The potential archaeological resource of this site may encompass:

I • some potential for Aboriginal relics • evidence of the pre-existing topography and environment in the form of remnant I soils and micro-flora I • evidence of the processes used by Europeans to clear the site • evidence in the north-western corner of the site of the buildings and works Of the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. It is impossible on the basis of the available I evidence to determine a precise location for any feature or the extent of the potential resource. It may encompass sub-surface features such as drains, tanks and pits and may encompass floors and otherfootings of buildings. Evidence may I also be found of the railway and tram system I • evidence of gardens and, possibly, of the dams • portable relics, most likely refuse from the factory such as cans

I • evidence of the reclamation and rebuilding of the Haslams Creek channel I • evidence of the demolition and rebuilding processes of the 1960s and 1990s The most sensitive area of the site is likely to be along the western boundary adjoining Percy Street. The remainder of the site is unlikely to contain substantial I archaeological relics unless dumps were located away from the factory site in areas I that were primarily devoted to paddocks. Archaeological evidence appears to have been compromised by the demolition and rebuilding that occurred in the 1960s. However, there is insufficient evidence to I determine how comprehensive the impact was of this programme particularly on deeply excavated features such as tanks and drains. I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 2 "------'" -I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 1.4 Cultural Significance The historical associations of this site begin with the earliest periods of European I settlement in the district. However, the principal historical association is with the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. This type of secondary pastoral industry was. representative of the profile of Auburn in the later years of the nineteenth century and I early years of the twentieth century. The SMP Company was the first major industry of its type in the area and certainly influenced the development of the suburb in this direction in the following years. It provided major employment opportunities, which I encouraged suburban subdivision, and later in its history provided the land for this subdivision and for a significant green space within the municipality.

I The technologies employed at the SMP Company works were amongst the most modern at the time oftheir introduction and were often innovative and possibly unique to this site. In its form and methods the Auburn site represented the most sophisticated I preserving practices of the later nineteenth century.

I The SMP Company was one of the most successful, if not the most successful, of the many similar factories established around Australia in the 1860s and 1870s. This was largely due to their unique financial structure as well as the quality of their I products. The company was internationally famous, one of the largest and longest running in Australia.

It is oossible that substantial elements remain as archaeoloaical evidence of the I . ~ factory and its various components and changes made to the landscape. Investigation of this resource would provide a' rare opportunity to examine and I document physical evidence ofthis important aspect of manufacture and processing which is now largely only known from archival sources.

I The archaeological evidence contained within the study area would be representative of its type but rare because of the few industrial sites of its kind which are known to I survive to any degree. I 1.5 The Development The principal elements of the proposed redevelopment of 100 Parramatta Road are:

I • a car dealership I • ten cinemas • 6000 square metres of-retail

I • parking for over 850 car9 in a basement area and on grade areas I •. landscaping I • a new intersection at Day Street I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 3 -7'- I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

The excavation for the basement area is towards the centre of the site and away from I those areas along the western boundary that are anticipated to be the archaeologically sensitive portions. However, this area is planned for car-parking on I grade and landscaping. It is anticipated that the work required for these elements would impact on any features or archaeological relics which remain within the site.

I 1.6 . Management

On the basis of the evidence and analysis contained in this assessment it is I recommended that:

• with respect to potential historic relics application is made for an Excavation I Permit from the Heritage Council of NSW with requirements for archaeological investigation and recording of the part of the site identified to be the most archaeologically sensitive, monitoring of the remainder of I the site, curation of relics and documentation of the programme.

• with respect to potential relics of pre-historic occupation the identification I at any time during the excavation of evidence of Aboriginal occupation will require notification to be made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. I The relics must be made safe and retained in situ until advice for their proper management is provided by the NPWS. I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy.Thor.p for Reading Entertainment Page 4 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I SECTION 2.0 I ITHE INVESTIGATION I 2.1 . The Study Area and Subject

I The subject of this investigation is an area of land with the street address of 100. Parramatta Road, Auburn. It is within the block formed by Parramatta Road, Percy, Nyrang and Boorea Streets. It encompasses Lots 5, 6 and 8 of DP 230253 and Lot I 2 DP 562344. It is contained within the Parish' of Liberty Plains, County of Cumberland. The site is now vacant. Formerly it was used as the business premises I of Capital Motors Pty Ltd. In this report this land is referred to as "the study area". This report broadly encompasses the European "heritage" values of the study area I with respect to a possible archaeological resource. Heritage values are understood to mean the appreciation and value placed upon the resource by contemporary society in terms of the criteria expressed in the Burra Charter and formalised by the .1 Heritage Office of NSW. Archaeological evidence, "relics", is defined by the Heritage Act of NSWto be physical evidence (structures, features, soils, deposits and portable artefacts) that provide evidence of the development of NSW, of non-Aboriginal origin I and fifty or more years in age. Aboriginal relics are provided protection by the National Parks and Wildlife Act of NSW.

I 2.2 Status of the Site

The site has been identified in the Heritage Inventory for the Auburn municipal area. I The inventory listing (Ref 3-2-1-100A) describes it as an archaeological site of the SMP Company Works, formerly the Sydney. Meat Preserving Company. It was I considered to be of significance because of the potential for sub-surface archaeological evidence of this company's factory. No ~dditional investigation or' I assessment has been made of the place since that initial identification. 2.3 Methodology

I This report has been prepared in accordance with the prinCiples established by the Heritage Office of NSW expressed in its publication ''Archaeological Assessment I Guidelines': (Department of Urban Affairs and Planning. 1996). 2.4 Objectives and Tasks

I The principal objectives of the work have been to identify whether there is an archaeological issue to be addressed prior to or during the course of redevelopment. The report identifies what may be retained in the ground as an archaeological I resource, the significance of that material and the most appropriate means of I I Wendy· Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 5 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

managing it in the event of it being disturbed during the course of future development. I To this end the following tasks have been undertaken:

I • primary and secondary historical research sufficient to determ ine the physical development of the site;

I • review of the physical evidence; I • determination of the probable archaeological resource; • an evaluation of cultural significance with reference to standard criteria;

I • recommendations for management strategies;

• complete documentation of the programme to' standards acceptable to Council I and the Heritage Office of NSW. I 2.5 Authorship, Client and Acknowledgements This report has been written and researched by Wendy Thorp to meet the requirements of Auburn Council. It has been prepared on behalf of Reading I Entertainment. The work draws on both primary and secondary sources. A complete bibliography is included at Section 7.2 of this report. The author would like to thank Mr Wal Richardson (Travis McEwan Group Pty Ltd), Mr Patrick Robinson (Auburn I Councii), Mr Terry Kass, Mr Martin Carney and Ms Pam jeffrey for their assistance I, and advice. I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment PageS I I Archaeological Assessment 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I The study area - view east from Percy Street I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I SECTION 3.0 I IHISTORICAL EVIDENCE I The study area has been alienated for European occupation since the first decade of the nineteenth century but any development by these early settlers appears to I have been quite mlnimal possibly only timber clearance. The principal period of use was from the 1870s when it, as well as a much greater area of land, became the premises of the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. This company continuously I occupied the site'until1965. At that time the old bu-ildings and works were demolished and it became the premises of the Capital Motors Company which occupied it until I the recent demolition of those buildings. This section presents evidence derived from both primary and secondary archival I sources. It is used to describe the evolution and occupation of the study area. This narrative provides the basis for assessing what may be retained in the Qfound as archaeological evidence of that development as well as providing a context for I determining the significance of that resource.

The evidenc~ is presented in sections which provide a chronological narrative of I development. These are: ' I • The Pre-European Environment and Aboriginal Occupation • The First European Settlement

I • The Sydney Meat Preserving Company I • Subdivision and Closure - Capital Motors I Endnotes and a full bibliography are presented in Section 7.0 of this report. I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 7

, - I ~ , I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 3.1 The Pre-European Environment and Aboriginal Occupation The underlying geology of Auburn is almost entirely composed of Wianamatta Shale. I This typically produces fertile loam or clay soils which retain moisture. It was the apparent fertility of the area that attracted the first free European farming community in the country. The landscape is characterised by an undulating terrain of gentle rises I and slopes with flatter areas between and on the river banks.

The original vegetation of the area corn prised open forest with areas of deeper almost I impenetrable tree-cover. The dominant species were grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana), broad-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa), stringy bark (Eucalyptus eugenioides), woollybutt (Eucalyptus longifolia), drooping red gum (Eucalyptus I parramattensis), red mahogany (Eucalyptus resinifera) and turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera).The under-storey was quite dense and shrubby (1). Surgeon White reported grass "tolerably rich and succulent and height nearly up to middle" (2). There -I were mangroves along the mudflats of the rivers. I At near-by Homebush Mrs Louisa Meredith provided vivid accounts of the bush that still survived close to her home in the 1840s;

I "Many very pretty native flowers and shrubs adorned our bush, or rather forest, and the graceful native indigo crept up many bushes and fences, sometimes totally hiding - them with its elegant draperies .... Small shrubs with yellow and orange blossoms I abounded everywhere, some clinging to the ground like mosses and others with every variety of soft and hard, smooth and prickly leaves that can be imagined growing into tall shrubs, all very pretty. .. A small scentless violet and a bright yellow sorrel.. made I some few patches of the grey earth gay with their blue and golden blossoms and the ground convolvulus and southern harebell seldom failed to greet me in out I rambles .... (3) ... The area was notable for its creeks and rivers. Two freshwater streams, Powell's Creek and Haslams Creek, run north from a low ridge in the Liberty Plains to join the I Parramatta River. Duck River had been observed and named by Governor Phillip and his party in 1788; the name of the river came from the preponderance of water fowl sheltering in the reeds around the waterway (4). The richness of the area for I game can be judged from Elizabeth Macarthur stating that she was easily able to acquire over three hundred pounds of meat from kangaroos, fowl and other wildlife I to feed the fam ily and staff ofE lizabeth Farm (5). Mrs Meredith reported on the howling of the dingoes close to Homebush at night as well as the frogs, native cats, goannas I and a vast array of insect life (6). Many of the early settlers were quite modest in their activities to clear the land. Only 20% of Newington was cleared by John Blaxland and William Haslam cleared only I 8% of his grant. Samuel Haslam was more destructive with 50% of his property cleared and at Homebush Mrs Meredith reported that for hundreds of acres round I her home there was not a tree or a stump left standing (7). I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 8

L....-I______-=------, I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

The more restrained clearance of some of the earlier settlers allowed for the I preservation of the original landscape in places for some considerable time. In others the cleared land developed substantial regrowth during the course of the nineteenth I century. In 1879 the Railway Guide of NSW noted that, "Leaving Homebush (and travelling west) the railroad passes through an I uninteresting piece of bush country in which the so-called Tea-Tree Scrub seems to be the principal feature ... (At Auburn) there is little or nothing to see. There is some sloping ground a considerable way to the left; a deep cutting or two, low scrubby trees I with brushwood, and then a barren country" (8).

Today there is still a considerable and important stand of native vegetation and I wetland at Silverwat~r within the former Armaments Depot and small pockets are left in Rookwood Cemetery. The latter, just to the south of the study area, was described in 1861 as "dense ti-tree and wattle scrub and wooded with mahogany, stringybark, I woollybutt and ti-tree" which probably describes the study area in its undeveloped I state (9). Aboriginal peoples are likely to have inhabited the area for at least 4500 years BP and recent archaeological research suggests for a much longer period. At the time I of European settlement at least thirty-four clans occupied areas in and around Sydney. Those most closely associated with.the Auburn area are likely to have been the Wangal people or clan although the association with a specific tribe, Guringai, I Eora or Dharug is problematic (10).

The plentiful marine and terrestrial resources of the area ensured that it was attractive I and viable for Aboriginal occupation. Apart from food sources supplied by fish, shell fish and terrestrial animals, the plant communities supplied nutrition and raw materials such as bark for canoes. Middens found at Newington Armaments Depot show the I prevalence of the area as a place for transitory or semi-permanent camps. . There are numerous reports of contact between the first white settlers and the I Aboriginal peoples. At Auburn, like most of the settlement, the initial curious interaction spiralled into numbers of retaliatory incidents between Aboriginal peoples I and the white settlers (11). By 1789 the population of the area had been decimated by the introduction of disease, the continual skirmishing and the pressure of white settlement on traditional resources. Aboriginal peoples continued to move out from I the area. Few reports of contact were made after the earlier years of the nineteenth century.

I The study area would have been a place of considerable likelihood to contain Aboriginal relics. Next to a stream it could be anticipated that, like similar circumstances at the RANAD base at near-by Newington, archaeological evidence I would have accumulated of middens, camp sites, possibly scarred trees or burials. There are no reported sites of Aboriginal occupation in this area and the impact of later European settlement, particularly the drainage works of the twentieth century in I relation to Haslams Creek, is such that is is highly unlikely that substantial traces of I Aboriginal occupation survive here although the possibility cannot be dismissed. I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 9 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 3.2 First European Settlement European settlement in the area of Auburn commenced in 1793. It became the site I of free settlement farming and for this reason became known as Liberty Plains (1). During the early years of the nineteenth century several substantial Crown Grants were made to prominent figures in the colonial civil and military establishments I including those to Thomas Laycock (later acquired by D'Arcy Wentworth and developed as the Homebush Estate) and John Blaxland (which became the Newington Estate). The earliest grants were located close to the river and north of I Parramatta Road. The land to the south of the road without access to the water transport afforded by the Parramatta River was alienated after this initial occupancy I but by 1823 most of the land had been divided between a handful of owners. The study area encompasses all of two early nineteenth century grants. The earliest was that of fifty acres granted to Samuel Haslam by Governor Macquarie on 8 October I 1816 (2). All of the grant, which had its principal frontage to Parramatta Road and through which the creek flowed named after him, is included in the study area. This ,I was his second grant in the district an earlier property being given to him north of Parramatta Road in 1806. This was his principal place of occupancy (3). ' I On the western side of the creek was a grant of thirty acres made to James Wright on 31 August 1819 (4). Wright also was to receive a second grant in 1823 which I became his principal place of residence (5). Haslam's and Wright's grants would later become part of the large property owned by the Sydney Meat Preserving Company which was to be the principal occupant of I the study area during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In addition to these two grants, though, the company property at its greatest extent also encompassed other grants the land for which has since been subdivided from the company holdings. The I first of these grants was located immediately east and adjoining Samuel Haslam's grant. This was a property of sixty acres which was given to William Haslam by Governor Ralph Darling on 19 October 1831 (6). This land is now covered by the I subdivision which contains Hastings, Goreen, Fram pton , Elimatta, Dewrang and Calool Streets.

I To the south of these Parramatta Road frontage grants of the two Haslam's and Wright was another grant also once part of the SMP Company holdings being that of I one hundred acres granted to Ann Curtis by Governor Thomas Brisbane on 30 June 1823 (7). Ann Curtis occupied this land with her one daughter and a single servant. (8). Finally there was a very small portion of a grant of sixty acres made to George I Tuckwell 30 June 1823. This was located to the south of the Curtis grant.

Until the later part of the hineteenth century these grants passed through several 'I hands. Samuel Haslam's land was sold to John Ten), Hughes on 29 October 1835. In 1844 he sold it to Rosetta Terry (9). Rosetta Terry also eventually acquired William Haslam's grant. Ann Curtis died intestate in 1832. Her family acquired the land and I it remained with them until 1871 at which time they sold it to Waiter Holt. Holt was to I be one of the principal players in establishing the SMP Company at Auburn. I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 10 1I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

There is little evidence to suggest that any of the grants were developed to any I particular extent prior to the establishment of the Company works. William Haslam's land was offered at auction in 1824. At that time it had a hut on it (10). On a plan of I 1859 a small portion of the grant is shown fenced on Parramatta Road with a at least one building (11). In fact it was not until 1845 that Haslam's land was sold to Thomas Caines. The small patch cleared on Parramatta Road was still fenced and cleared in I 1861 when contemporary surveys shows the rest of the property to be IIthick tea--tree scrub 11 (12). This seems to be the principal characteristic of the majority of the study I area particularly as the owners' residences were located elsewhere. From the mid-nineteenth century external circumstances created an atmosphere of increased interest in the value and viability of the land south of Parramatta Road. I Principally this was influenced by·the· opening of the Sydney to Homebush railway in 1855. Haslam' s Creek station was opened in 1858. In 1862 a new street was opened, John .Street, to give access to the station and railway from Parramatta Road. Later I in the 1860s, with the opening of Rookwood Cemetery in 1867, a demand arose for land to house the people who serviced this complex. A portion of land known as the town of St Joseph was sold at this time and a second sale in 1875 further stimulated I the beginnings of closer settlement in this part ot-the municipality. I I I I I I I I I I I 'I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 11 - -.

i, Plan of the full extent of the company holdings showing the division between the original grants of Wright, Samuel and William Haslam, Ann Gurtis and George Tuckwell as well as the dams created by \ the company. . (Source: GT Volume 1134 Folio 45)

....r

<;.' ~, ~ ;:::" e!n&w'"-,., -4';1 I ',d"' s: L 9' -~--,.-' ~;:::~--:,r'-"

i.,ru!nE.,IY .. gr

( ,Tu'ckw'ell. ~IM,I<" n""" ~ h:!!.. Sf

~QWIl.

~ ~~ .~

~,:::~::.. :tt, ;;(~.: ;'! ., ·.;'ljjf:";' ,'" .. . ::~~r~' ~:~'.!.(-..';

..~: ,j;~~~~~:~;·~j,e:.t.~)'~f::::i\ ..

• 7", I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 3 .3 The Sydney Meat Preserving Company By the later nineteenth century Australia truly rode on the wealth of the pastoralist's I labour. Sheep, cattle and other primary industries contributed greatly to this immense period of Australian prosperity. However, dealing with surplus product, particularly at times of recession, had driven graziers to traditional but poorly paid and wasteful I means such as boiling down carcasses for tallow. Some enterprising men saw the possibilities of excess and cheap product as the basis for a new and profitable I industry. Preservation of meats and other goods to this time had largely relied on salting I although some early canning enterprises in the 1840s had met with some success. This was particularly. true of the Dangar Brothers' Newcastle Meat Preserving Works'. near Maitland. As well as meats other products including soups and vegetables were· .. ' offered by the various companies of this period. Other works followed including the I Ramornie Cannery near Grafton established in 1862. The Melbourne Meat preserving Company was established in 1868. During the mid-later 1860s the I devastation of British herds by a rinderpest plague created a demand for colonial products. To answer this market many canning works were established throughout the country including those at Geelong, Rockhampton, Goulburn, Botany, Hobart and I Ballarat (1). The Sydney Meat Preserving Company was founded in this context and became one of the principal and longest running establishments of its type.

I In March 1870 a large gathering of pastoralistsand businessmen in Sydney approved the formation of a new preserving factory. A prospectus was created for the new company. It invited subscriptions for 20,000 pounds capital. The joint stock company I was authorised in 1871 for the purpose of canning meat, fish and vegetables (2). It '. was intended to buy stock freely when prices were low and little if any when prices were high. The company set out not to pay a dividend; the profit to the pastoralist I shareholders was through the stabilisation of stock prices.

In 1871 it Was reported that the company had experienced considerable difficulty in I finding a suitable site for the enterprise .. They did not wish to create a nuisance in a closely settled area. A first site was selected on the Duck River. Settlement of the . I purchase ran into legal problems and the site was abandoned. The second choice' at Auburn was settled on because of the combination of available fresh water as well I as the access provided by road and rail (3). Waiter Holt was one of the founders of the company and through his acquisition of the several grants that made up this holding he was able to create a Trust in favour I of Company in 1872 (4). The purchase price was 298 pounds (5). It appears that not all of the land that ultimately came to be within the boundaries of the property was purchased at once. William Haslam's land, for example, appears to have been added I after the initial purchase. Eventually,' though, the company would own all the land bound by Parramatta Road to the north, St Hllliers Road to the west, John Street on the east and the railway line to the south. The study area represents perhaps a third I of the total holding. . I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 12 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

Immediately a mortgage was taken out with the Australian Joint Stock Bank to pay I for the improvements needed for the processing plant (6). The first works undertaken on the new site were to clear the creek of snags so that it could be navigable right up I to the buildings that housed the works and to create a dam of 650,000 gallons (7). This dam was located approximately in the centre of the study area but closer to ,I Percy Street than Nyrang Street. For the first two years of business the company balanced on a fine financial edge but by 1873 it was assured of success. Glowing reports flowed in from markets overseas I and it was awarded numerous medals at international competition for the quality of its product. Locally it had made its mark as well. It was reported at the end of 1873 I that, "This company has, with the exception of a few weeks, now been in operation for upwards of eighteen months and the effects of its workings on the Sydney stock I market has been felt in a marked manner qnd appreciated by the squatting interests I of the colony" (8). By that time the company had expanded on its initial works to create a substantial number of buildings and other works to service the factory. The extent of the plant I and its workings were described in 1873:

"The buildings in which the operations of the company are carried on are composed I chiefly of iron, of a substantial character. They are built on a freehold of 150 acres, between the Western Road and the railway line, and at a short distance from either. A portion ofthe land is set aside for the express purpose ofraising vegetables required I in the business. A good supply of pure water is at hand retained in several reservoirs and dams.

I "The visitor is first conducted to the cattle and sheep yards which are arranged on the most approved principle and are capable of yarding 40 head of cattle and 2000 sheep at one time. From the yards the cattle are driven as required into the slaughter I house which is detached from the main building. The floor is composed of dressed flags and can be easily cleaned of all offensive matter. The beasts are killed and I dressed in the manner ordinarily adopted by butchers and the carcasses are then conveyed to blocks where they are quartered and jointed. The joints are afterwards I "tabled", the bones extracted and their fat carefully separated from the lean. "... The portions of the meat intended for corned boiled beef are thrown into four large tanks built in the ground and cemented - the remainder is taken to the scalder a I machine by which the meat is slightly parboiled before it is put into the tins. This scalding process occupies only a very few minutes after which the meat is passed into the tins and a little strong or "concentrated" gravy poured in. The lids of the tins I are then put on, a small hole being left in the top and made secure by soldering.

"After leaving the tinsmiths' benches the tins are placed upon trays and when the I preserving baths are ready to receive them a travelling crane conveys them to the I bath where they are first subjected to the steaming process. When the proper time I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 13 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I arrives the preserver "seals" the small orifice from which the steam is issuing by dropping a small quantity of molten solder and at the same moment applying a wet sponge to condense the steam and thereby prevent it from bursting through the I solder. ...

"The tins are then subjected to a high temperature after which they are removed by I the travelling crane to the cooling room and at once immersed in cold water. When cool the tins are wiped dry and heated to a temperature of 96° Farenheit for the purpose of being tested. If the tin is defectively made or the preserving at all faulty I putrefaction is accelerated by the high temperature and the defective tins if not speedily removed frequently burst. This test is applied for eight days after which those tins which have successfully stood the trial are painted, labelled, packed in I boxes and then ready for export.

"The next department we were shown into' excited our olfactory nerves very I pleasantly the savoury smelling room being no other than the soup kitchen. This department is replete with everything necessary for making soups with the least I possible outlay of labour and is under the superintendence of a professional cook. "The tins are all made on the premises and the machinery for the manufactory is of I a very modern description and the operations are performed very rapidly. The tops and bottoms of the tins after being cut are pressed and the bodies are cut by a dangerous looking machine known as the guillotine. The tops and bottoms on being I removed from the presses are soldered to the body of the tin and; when cool; dispatched to the preserving room to be used.

I "No waste of any description is permitted in the establishment and the refuse bones and fats are utilised by being boiled down in the ordinary manner. The machinery is supplied by steam from two large boilers. The pumping is performed by a fifteen-horse I power engine which also drives a circular saw used for cutting through the marrow bones. The centres, after the knuckles have been removed, are exported to England I where they find a very ready market. The refuse liquid is used as a manure which prevents offensive smells from arising while at the same time it improves the land. " I (9). The illustration accompanying this article shows a considerable number of sa~v-toothed buildings forming the principal works with several smaller workshops I close.:.byat least one housing the steam machinery that provided power for the works. A plan of 1892 shows that all the company's works were located in the extreme north-western corner of the property at the intersection of Parramatta Road and St I Hilliers Road, partly beyond the study area (10). An undated sub-division plan describes the works that were located between Percy Street and St Hilliers Road as the box factory and several areas for stacking as well as minor works including I incinerators, water troughs and earth closets (11). The principal canning and other processing works of the factory lie within the study area. The vegetable gardens are likely to have been south of the main buildings closer to the dam. The rest and vast I majority of the site was vacant, used for paddocks and pens. I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 14 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

In 1873 the capital of the company was increased by selling an additional three. I thousand 'shares at five pounds each. This new investment was used to purchase more land and extend the works (12). However, in 1874the Directors of the Company I reported that operations had again been suspended for "a considerable time" because of the high prices being asked for sheep and cattle. "During this interval the Company's premises and plant got a thorough overhaul". At this time the Manager I of the works visited Melbourne to acquaint himself with the newest improvements in Victorian establishments (13).

I In 1875 it was stated that the works of the company encompassed a tin room, tinsmiths' room, boning room, extract room, preserving room, engine houses and tallow house (14). By 1878 improvements had been made to the works and these I included the replacement of the old iron chimney with a brick stack in 1878 (15). The company constructed a very large boiler in 1885 (16). In 1886 a railway siding was constructed on the land and it was connected by tramway to the works. This new I means of transport replaced river boat traffic and provided an opportunity to take products direct from the works to Darling Harbour where they could then be shipped I to various markets (17). During the 1880s several of the large canning, companies throughout the country I suffered severe financial difficulties brought about by cheap imports from Britain. The SMP Company survived largely because of its policy of financially breaking even rather than trying for profit. At the height of its business the SMP was purchasing well I over a million head of sheep and over 10,000 bullocks from the Homebush yards (18). Ap~rt from tinned meats the company exported frozen meats and produced extracts, dripping, meat meal and tallow amongst other products as well as providing I fleeces and hides for processing.

Much of the success of the company was due to the efforts of Mr Alban Gee the I second Manager of the company. Mr Gee was the son of a manager of a large English meat preserving company and came to Australia to manage the SMP company works at Ramornie on the Clarence River. He then went to M~lbourne Meat Preserving I Company before coming to the Sydney (19). Later he became a Mayor of Auburn.

In 1892 a fire broke out in the factory. It destroyed the tallow house and slightly I damaged the main building (20). In the following year the works were lit by electricity (21). New pickling rooms were constructed in 1894 and about this time a fire station I was built on the site. It was manned by a volunteer staff brigade (22). In 1895 the property and its improvements were valued at 42,677 pounds (23).

I The business was so profitable that by 1898 a small bq:mch factory was constructed at Darling Harbour. It was used to process products in quantities too small to be done economically at the large Auburn works. This venture was moved back to the main I factory in 1907 (24).

The products of the Sydney Meat Preserving Company went around the world. I Canned meats were supplied to ventures such as the Australian military contingent I to South Africa at the end of the nineteenth century and the Antarctic expeditions of I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 15 ------~------~~------I 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I Archaeological Assessment:

I the Germans and British during the early years of the new century. Millions of cans were sent to the allied troops during \MIVI. The company was one of the largest producers and one of the best known in the country.

In 1918 the Sydney Meat Preserving Company was taken over by F. J. Walker Ltd. It remained in the control of this company until the closure of the Auburn site in 1965 I (25). I I I I I I I I I

I I

I SYl)NEY MEAT.Pl!.ESEl!.VING COMPANY'S WORKS, HACKING CI!EEK.

I View of tIle Sydney Meat Preserving Works 1873 I (Source: Australian Town and Country Journal 22 November 1873, 676) Page 16 I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment I ~ .. -.--.._- -~.. -- ...- .-~ .... --""---...... ' I I , I .I ,i .1 I ~ <') 0 :Q :::s Cl) .... "";;;. <') :::s :::: ~ :::s;:- 0 ~ I ~ 0 I Cl. ~ s· Cl) ...... _... 0 Cl) I 0;) -:f ! 1"'1 : . ~~ 'S z I· ...... -. -j w ;r ~ ~ ;::, t:":l..., 0 I ...... ~ :0 I I 0;) ~ ~" I <0 ~. ~ s: ~ s: I

I

~'J ~~""'''~ .. !!ll('''''''.;':Z:"",.,,....,...:<.,.,~;,..:.'';>?>!I!:_tX;'''''''~'''''"'''~?"";;S~"""'"""...,;;e;s:;;",. 1".>""'''' • ...... " ... ,.'''' "K"""''',,~<:,,'''''''J\~''j~",'''''''''''''~ "'M""'!~ ~3.~ I I I· t I I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 3.4 Subdivision and Closure - Capital Motors During the early years of the twentieth century Aubtlrn began to emerge as a I residential suburb. In 1918 it was stated that,

''Auburn, a big industrial centre, has grown rapidly during the last few years. The mere I fact of big industrial concerns opening in an out/ying suburb is sure proof that the suburb must go ahead for the natural tendency is for a person to live as close to their work as possible if the environment is pleasant and the land offering for making a I home is cheap... There is plenty ofgood land for building purposes around Auburn... 11 (1 ).

I As'the suburb expanded the Couricil sought to ihcorporate green space. By 1920 a part of the SMP Company paddocks, off John Street and opposite Maude Street :1 which is south of the study area, was then used as an informal playground. Council commenced negotiations with the Company to purchase the land. The Company stated that it was required for extensions to their works and in place of it offered land la for a park on the northern side of Parramatta Road. Council declined and the matter fell into abeyance at that time but it marked the beginning of a period that would see the subdivision and reduction of the former company lands to the fragment that is I retained in the study area (2). '

Council again entered into negotiations with the SMP Company for the same purpose I in 1926. The Company offered to sell 45 3/4 acres which they valued at 6000 pounds. The Council offered 2500 pounds for sixteen acres. Eventually Council offered 3500 pounds for the 45 3/4 acres. Auburn Council approached the State Government for I financial help and the latter purchased the land for 4500 pounds. It was dedicated as a public park aQd announced at a CounCil Meeting of 10 August 1926. Thus the southern portion ~f the Company land, the former Ann Curtis grant, was excised from I its holdings (3). In 1932 the Council received Depression Relief funding and used it to develop to the oval (4).

I In this same period of the second half of the 1920s the Company holdings on all sides, except Parramatta Road, were reduced from the original size. Suburban streets were I introduced onto the former paddocks and holding yards. To the east Nyrang Street was created in 1925 ahd those streets between it and John Street were formed between that year and 1927. To the south Boorea 'Street was created in two parts, I the first to Yarram Street in 1925 and the second to Haslams Creek between 1926 and 1930. St Hilliers Street was already in existence and formed the westernmost extension of the company lands but Percy Street was introduced in c. 1925. A 'I sub-division plan shows the proposed street alignment introduced over the sites of some' of the company works, principally the boxing and stacking area (5). Thus by the end of the 1920s the present boundaries of the study area, and the extent of the I company holdings in its final years, had been ~eached. ,

Within the smaller area now provided for it the company continued to process their I products. In 1933 it was said to have employ~d about 330 people (6). Photographs I of the place in the 1930s demonstrate that, even with the loss of some of the company I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 17 Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

1 buildings along the western boundary, it was still considerably larger than the premises of the 1870s. Several additional substantial buildings had been added to the site including at least one very large two or three-storey building. The vegetable I gardens continued to be farmed at least up until this time (7). Photographs of the follow,ing decade also show that a majority' of the buildings that had been built in the 1 1870s were still in existence during the 1940s. From the later 1930s more of the remaining company land continued to be diverted to other purposes. In this period Haslams Creek was resumed and work commenced 1 on reclamation to allow for a stormwater drain to take its place (8). The former watercourse had been an important source of recreation and household water during the nineteenth century and had been dammed by the SMP Company for its purposes. 1 8y'the beginning'of the twentieth csntury the banks were badly eroding and the water was extremely polluted the result of discharge from the State Abattoir and the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. This source of contamination was stopped in the 1920s 1 after extensive investigation by the Department of Public Works but in 1931 it was found that the mud was so impregnated with offensive material that it could not be treated. The only viable solution was considered to be the creation of a concrete I channel in its place (9). The work was undertaken between 1933 and 1939. Some further work was carried out in the 1980s. The earlier works led to the infill of the 'I company dams.

A plan of the project shows that, by this time, the company buildings had been reduced 1 to four main structures close to the intersection of Percy Street and Parramatta Road. It also shows that the branch line of the railway ~till existed in the 1940s including several timber bridges supporting it as it, came into the site from the west before 1 heading towards the factory bu'ildings (10). The line appears to have remained until the site was redeveloped.

1 The production of canned meats continued for a while after WWII but the process increasingly became uneconomical; the Company then concentrated o!l the local' I, wholesale trade and the frozen export meat market. The end for the Sydney Meat Processing Company at Auburn came when the old buildings could not be economically upgraded to meet demands for more stringent hygiene requirements. The company closed its operation ih 1965. At that time the total area occupied by the 1 works had decreased to thirty-two acres. Some of it had been released in the 1950s . 1 apparently as the site now occupied by the present Telecom Exchange. There appears to have been a short time after its closure when the old works remained standing and vacant but it was soon purchased for redevelopment. The next and final 1 occupant of the site was the firm of Capital Motors. There is verY little documentary evidence to determ ine the extent to which the new owners treated the site, other than demolishing the buildings, when they first occupied it. Photographs of the premises I in 1968 shows that it provided showroom and parking spaces, warehousing, office and factory space' effectively occupying all of the available land. The buildings comprised a variety of light, prefabricated structures as well as some concrete 1 buildings. I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 18 ,I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

A 'site plan of 1996 shows the buildings at that time to comprise two large structures in the area of the western boundary with a stone retaining wall in the extreme ~orth-western corner and and a brick retaining wall the depth of the site next to the buildings, another large building in the centre of the site close to the Telecom I Exchange with more retaining walls in this area as well. The principal known services I are located in the centre and eastern part of the site and on the boundaries. All of these buildings, except the Telecom Exchange, have now been demolished; the only element remaining is a palm tree which was a feature of the main entrance I from Parramatta Road. I I I

.:_• ..-0 _ _ ~_O_II_'1_11_11 __~. __ '~"_'_"_II_'_U,,_,_, ___,, _____u~'I_.:. i i I i i i i i i i I .I ,i i i i i I i i i i i i i i I i i i i i i I i i i i i i I i i I The Sydney Meat Preserving Company Ltd. I

I i The Sydney Meat p~~~~t~~~ Ltd~~~~;en ~~~S~~~ince the year 1870, i , and i. now in its 7 l.t year. I i This Company's operations cover the Slaughtering of Sheep and Cattle, Exportation i i of Frozen Meat, Preservation of Meat in Tins, and the Manufacture of Extract of ~eat, i i Dripping, Meat Meal, Tallow, etc. =

I ..;;-.:._c _ _ g_c_'_I'~_II_n_~~ __II_~_I_I_O~ __Cl_"_~'_-"- ___II-'-".:. I

I Advertisement for the company in 1941 showing that many of the original buildings still remained on the site I Source: Udcombe Municipal Council: Lidcombe and Its Development as an Industrial Centr;e. 49) I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 19 I j

i(J [I)()\t~ ()f tile li().'. ',I' ( ;.' UH' ,1' i I AU/JUlfl SP A 101373) I

I I I SI HI LlI ERS-' -ROAD --,' i I, I ~ .:i~· I 'f:' , ,-! ,~ I I I I I I I

I I I I has/am Creek reclamation viOrkS showing the extent 'Jf tfl.:: .';ompany and tile channel to take the place oft.'le walerwd\1 1936-31. I Water Archives) I '"

I 5Co.

l~ I ~ • ~ ~ ~ , '- I ~ ~ I

... I tJ." . J J 1 J I 1~ J 1 I Lr ~ .I ~ r It, ...... '. l' j Q') I '\\\ .d. I -- Ct""" re

~u I \ i ~ ~ '" 1;,. \.'Q.. ~ c.. '"' • I od. 't. 'Q ->.(>

~ ":!. ".. " ~ I -a;;, / I /1:;

I SECTION 4.0 I ITHE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE I 4.1 Summary Site Development

I The preceding section presented the evidence contained in a variety of archival records for the development and use of the study area. In summary this development 'I is: I • likely Aboriginal occupation or occasional visitation • no evidence of European occupation or exploitation before 1816 I • no evidence of occupation of the study area by Europeans although the site is likely to have been cleared for timber during the first part of the nineteenth century

• principal period of occupation from 1870 to 1965 as the factory site of the Sydney I... ~ Meat Preserving Company. The faCtory was located in the north-western corner I of the site, largely within the study area (see Section 4.2) • possible short period of vacancy

I • completely redeveloped as the factory, 'warehouse, office and showrooms of Capital Motors from c. 1965

I • all elements of last occupation demolished in the 1990s - site now vacant. I 4.2 The Factory Components Analysis of the archival records shows that the principal archaeological resource contained within the site will relate to the industrial works of the Sydney Meat I Processing Company. Archival sources provide the following information with respect I to the extent of the plant and other works associated with this occupation. • at least two dams, one approximately in the centre of the study area and towards Percy Street, formed by damming Haslams Creek with earth bank walls. The I larger dam held up to 650,000 gallons. Other "re'servoirs" were elsewhere within the company holdings but no precise locations are known

I • cattle and sheep yards, quite close to the factory buildings, probably on the eastern side. Most likely fenced paddocks

I • a slaughter house detached from the main building formed from iron with a flagstone floor I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 20 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

• a "main" building of iron which is likely to have contained the main processing I functions including four large cement lined tanks set into the ground to boil beef, as Well as a scalder. Meat was tinned in this building and conveyed by a travelling I crane to the preserving baths. From there they were heated and then taken to a cooling room then heat tested.

1I • an extract room (possibly in the main building) I I • a soup kitchen (possibly in the main building) • pickling house

I • ,a boxing section where the tins were painted, labelled and packed and stacked. I • a tinsmiths -section where all the tins were made for the company • possibly a separate boiling room for the manufacture of manures and fertilizers, I possibly referred to as the tallow house • an engine house, possibly two, and stack

I • railway siding and tram track I • fire station • vegetable gardens probably located south of the main buildings, between them I . and the dam. • the vast majority of the site was used as paddocks and had no particular I improvements other than fences. I There are no complete site plans which show the location of these elements. K. Farrer, in his examination of the Australian processing industry during the nineteenth century, analysed the workings of the Melbourne Meat Preserving I Company in the 1870s, a place visited by the Manager ofthe Sydney Meat Preserving Company to become acquainted with the most modern trends. The processes defined by Farrer for this company, therefore, are likely to reflect those at Auburn. He I determined the following principal activities: I • the holding area: both paddocks and pens. • the slaughterhouse: the numerous products of the animals, after slaughtering were sent to different places. The skins and hides were sent to the market. The I offal was put into pits, layered with earth and left to decompose for five months to become fertilizer which was sent to market. The hooves also were used in the I manufacture of fertilizer as well as gelatin. The blood was discharged to the river. I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 21 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I • the principal preserving area: here was the soup kitchen using some of the gelatine produced from the hooves. The meat was prepared here (scalding, roasting, corning and boiling) as were the meat extracts. The preserving I processes were all carried out here • a grinding mill: some of the bones and meats were sent to a mill which ground I them to add to the fertilizer

• tallow room: some off-cuts and other debris was sent to boiling vats where the I tallow was created and then sent to market I • tinshop: where all the tins were made for the products • carpentry shop: where cases were made

I • cooperage: production of barrels (1).

Most of these processes can be identified at Auburn with the addition of the vegetable I gardens and engine rooms. There is no reference at Sydney to a cooperage or I carpentry but both seem likely to aid in the distributio'n of product. The only plan of the site which provides evidence for the location of the individual -processes shows that the boxing and stacking areas were on the land now occupied I by Percy Street. The principal processing, power and other functions are most likely to have occupied the north-western corner of the study area.

I Descriptions of the buildings in their earliest years refer to them as manufactured from iron with floors of hard elements such as flags in the slaughterhouse. All of the, buildings were of a very substantial size and by the twentieth century a number of I other,' large and apparently masonry-built structures had been added to the site .

There were in-ground elements including the four boiling vats and offal pits. It is .1 assumed that there must have been drains and flues associated with the steam I machinery amongst other sub-surface features including the railway and tram tracks. I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 22 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 4.3 Topography The site is relatively flat all over with only a few minor rises, most likely caused by 1 demolition debris, towards the western end. 1 4.4 Visible Evidence The study area is vacant. The surface deposits comprise rubble and soil from the last demolition. There is no visible surface evidence anywhere within it of any underlying I archaeological features or deposits. The only standing feature is a palm set in a large round concrete base.

I 4.5 Geo-TecH'nical Evidence

There is a limited geo-technical sample for this site. Three cores have been taken 1 along the western boundary. These cores show a profile mostly of alluvial or residual clays. Only one revealed a depth of fill above these clay deposits and this only I approximately 500mm in depth and towards the southern part of the site. Five cores were taken towards the centre of the site and these, too, revealed principally profiles of clay. The only levels of fill were found towards the southern part of the site. Nine I· cores taken across the centre to eastern part of the site display levels of fill usually silty clay and sandstone gravel.

1 The profiles are not those which would have been expected from the history of use of this site as it is currently known particularly if elements of the old works had survived the demolition of the 1960s. Higher levels of fill would be expected towards the west I to accommodate the demolition of the older buildings with residual profiles towards the east where there were little or no known works. As the fill increases towards the southern part of the site it is most likely explained as material introduced to the site I as part of the Haslams Creek reclamation project of the 1930s.

The profiles of clay in the area of the former factory suggest that demolition of these I elements may have included substantial stripping of the soil although the evidence is not conclusive with respect to this action. It would not be unusual for a demolition 1 programme of the' 1960s to have been this comprehensive in its removal of pre-existing material. This may be even more of the case on a site which may have had extensive levels of noxious materials, by:-products of the long-term use. There is I· also.. no evidence of the latter in ·any of the profiles taken to date . 1 I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 23 I-~------I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I I The study area - view west towards Perey Street I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I The study area - view east from Perey Street I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I 4.5 Potential Archaeological Resource On the basis of the evidence provided by archival and physical sources it has been I concluded that the potential archaeological resource of this site may encompass: I • some potential for Aboriginal relics • evidence of the pre-existing topography and environment in the form of remnant I soils and micro-flora; • evidence of the processes used by Europeans to clear the site;

I • . evidence in the north-western corner of the site of the buildings and works of the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. It is impossible on the basis of the available evidence to determine a precise location for any feature or the extent of the I potential resource. It could encompass sub-surface features such as drains, tanks and pits and may encompass floors and other footings of buildings. Evidence may I also be found of the railway and tram system. • evidence of gardens and, possibly, of the dams.

I • portable relics most likely refuse from the factory such as cans I • evidence of the work carried out to reclaim and rebuild the Haslams Creek channel I • evidence of the demolition and rebuilding processes of the 1960s and 1990s The most sensitive area of the site is likely to be along the western boundary adjoining Percy Street. The remainder of the site is unHkely to contain substantial I archaeological reHcs unless dumps were located away from the factory site in area that were primarily devoted to paddocks.

I Archaeological evidence appears to have been compromised by the demolition and rebuilding that occurred in the 1960s. However, there is insufficient evidence to determine how comprehensive the impact was of this programme on sub-surface I relics, particularly deeply excavated features such as tanks or drains. I I ·1 I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 24 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn I SECTION 5.0 I ICULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE I 5.1 Evaluation Criteria

I "Heritage s,ignificance", "cultural significance"'and "cultural value" are all terms used to describe an item's value or importance to our own society, This value may be contained in the fabric of the item, its setting and relationship to other items, the I response that the item stimulates in those who value it now and in the historical records which allow us to understand it in its own context. An assessment of what is significant is not static, Significance may increase as more is learnt about the past I and as items become rare, endangered or are found to document and illustrate I aspects that have acquired a new recognition of importance. Determining cultural value is at the basis of all planning for places of historic value. A clear determination of significance permits informed decisions for future planning I that will ensure that the expressions of significance are retained, enhanced or at least are minimally impacted upon. A clear understanding of the nature and degree of I significance will determine the parameters for and flexibility of any development. An analysis of archival evidence provides the context for assessing significance. This analysis is presented in Section 3.0. An assessment of significance is made by 'I applying standard evaluation criteria to the facts of the item's development and I associations. These criteria are divided into two categories: • Nature of Significance I • Comparative Significance The four basic criteria used to assess the nature of an item's significance, for what I reason it is significant, are those of Evolution and Associations (Historic), Creative and Technical Accomplishment (Aesthetic), Community Esteem (Social) and Research Potential (Scientific). Comparative significance, or the degree to which an I item is significant, is assessed according to its value as a rare or representative element.

I Items have value if they meet at least one of the nature of significance criteria and are good exam pies of either of the com parative criteria. I I I I Wendy Thorp for,Reading Entertainment Page 25 ------" ------I I Archa~ological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 5.2 Assessment of Significance I 5.2.1 Historic Significance The historical associations of this site begin with the earliest periods of European settlement in the district. However, the principal historical association is with the I Sydney Meat Preserving Company. This type of secondary pastoral industr.y was representative of the profile of Auburn in the later years of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century. It was one of a number of businesses devoted I to processing animal products including the Homebush Abattoirs, Cormwell's slaughter yard on Duck Creek and there were several tanneries and a glue factory. The SMP Company works, however, apart from a small slaughter yard on the I Newington Estate in the 1860s, was the first major industry of its type in the area and certainly influenced the development of the suburb in this direction in the following I years. Apart'from its influence on local development the Sydney Meat Preserving Company works was one of a number established around Australia in the 1860s and 1870s to I take advantage of new technologies and demands. The SMP Company was one of the most successful, if not the most successful, due to their unique financial structure. I The company was internationally famous, one of the largest and longest running in Australia.

" ' I 5.2.2 Technological Significance

The technologies employed at the SMP Company works were amongst the most I modern at the time of their introduction. The company Manager made inspections of other works to ensure that the Auburn plant stayed at the forefront of the manufacturing processes. The Auburn works appear to have been arranged I according to the ·flow of the processing. procedures, from holding pens to tinned goods, with support servicl:')s, such as tinsmithing and boxing separate to the main plant. As such, Auburn is 'representative of the most sophisticated preserving I practices' of th3 ,later nineteenth century. As well,' the company made' significa'nt additions and alterations to the landscape, the introduction of gardens and dams, to I suppqri the' needs of the faci.ory. This appears to be a less common practice. I 5.2.3 SQci~[ Significa'oc:e The SMP Company wa$ a:'rnajor employer of local people and contributed through its employment opportunities. to the development of Auburn as a residential suburb. I As well, the ,large b.lot!{s 'of land contained within its boundaries came to be utilised for one of the most substantial 'areas of green space within the municipality. There is evidence that,' prior to the devf3lopment of Wyatt Park, some of the Company lands I had been informally u,sed for local reCreation. ' I 5.2.4 Sc·jentitic Significance , ' The principal importance of the study area is for the information and evidence which I may be G~ntained within it is 8(1 arclias6!ogical resource. The extent of impact caused I Page 26 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I to remnant evidence of the factory may have been substantial but it is possible that elements remain of the factory and its various components and changes made to the landscape, Investigation of this evidence would provide a rare opportunity to examine I and document physical evidence of this important aspect of manufacture and processing which is now largely only known from archival sources, There are virtually no other sites known to contain substantial relics of the nineteenth century canning I process anywhere in the country; most sites have been redeveloped, Birmingham et al in their study of rural technology and sites could identify only some remnant I evidence of the Ramornie works, 5.2.3 Degree of Significance

I The archaeological evidence contained within the study area would be representative of its type but rare because of the few industrial sites of its kind which are known to I survive to any degree, The potential archaeological resource of the former Sydney Meat Processing I Company works at 100 Parramatta Road Auburn is assessed to have high cultural significance, I I I The Sydney Meat Preserving Company The Sydney Meat Preserving CompallY Limited has been in existence since the year 1870, and Is now in itH ti:lrd year • ThlH Company's operations cover the slaughtering of Sheep alH, Cat lie, eXp

I 5.3 Statement of Significance The historical associations of this site begin with the earliest periods of European I settlement in the district. However, the principal historical association is with the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. This type of secondary pastoral industry was representative of the profile of Auburn in the later years of the nineteenth century and I early years of the twentieth century. The SMP Company works was the first major industry of its type in the area and certainly influenced the development of the suburb in this direction in the following years. It provided major employment opportunities, I which encouraged suburban subdivision, and later in its history provided the land for this subdivision and for a significant green space within the municipality.

I The technologies employed at the SMP Company works were amongst the most modern at the time of their introduCtion and were often innovative and possibly unique to this site. In its form and methods the Auburn site represented the most sophisticated I preserving practices of the later nineteenth century.

I The SMP Company was one of the most successful, if not the most successful, of the many sim ilar factories established around Australia in the 1860s and 1870s. This was largely due to their unique financial structure as well as the quality of their I products. The company was internationally famous, one of the largest and longest . running in Australia.

I It is possible that elements remain as archaeological evidence of the factory and its various components and changes made to the landscape. Investigation of this resource would provide a rare opportunity to examine and document physical 'I evidence of this im portant aspect of manufacture and processing which is now largely only known from archival sources.

I The archaeological evidence contained within the study area would be representative of its type but rare because of the few industrial sites of its kind which are known to I survive to any degree. I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 28 I 1 Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parr~matta Road, Auburn

1 SECTION 6.0 I IMANAGEMENT I. 1 6.1 The Development Proposal and Its Impact This site is proposed for full redevelopment encompassing the following~

1 • a car dealership 1 • ten cinemas • 6000 square metres of retail

I • parking for over 850 cars in a basement area and on grade areas 1 • landscaping • a new intersection at Day Street

1 The excavation for the basement area is towards the centre of the site and away from those areas along the western boundary that are anticipated to be the archaeologically sensitive portions. However, this area is planned for car-parking on 1 grade and landscaping. It is anticipated that the work required to construct these elements would impact on any features or archaeological relics which remain within 1 the site. I 6.2 Statutory Considerations When "relics", as these are defined in the NSW Heritage Act, are identified within a site a number of legislative requirements are made of the owners/managers of that 1 site who will be responsible for the disturbance of that resource. The Act requires that an Excavation Permit is sought from the Heritage Council of NSW.

1 Application for an Excavation Permit will be a requirement for this site. The application must:

1 • nominate an archaeologist who will be ~esponsible for the investigation and documentation of archaeological evidence

I • provide a document called a "research design", essentially a specification of works, which describes how the archaeological investigation will be carried out I and the issues to be addressed by-it I 1 Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 29 1I I Archaeological Assessment: ' 100 Parramatt~ Road, Auburn

• identify a permanent repository for artefacts which are obtained from the site and I for the records which are generated by the archaeological investigation. I An application for a Permit is made through the Heritage Office of NSW. It may take twenty-eight days to process and it requires a small fee. No excavation of any kind I may take place on the site until the applicant is notified of the permit's approval. Aboriginal relics are afforded protection by the National Parks and Wildlife Act. The identification at any time during the excavation of this site of Aboriginal relics will I require notification to be made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The relics must be made safe and retained in situ until advice for their proper management is I provided by the NPWS. 6.3 Financial Commitment

I The owners/managers in the planning for this work must make adequate financial commitment to the pre-planning stages of the investigation, the fees and I disbursements associated with the on-site investigation, comprehensive curation of artefacts (cleaning, cataloguing and archival storage) and complete documentation I of the' programme. 6.4 Archaeological Requirements

I This analysis has concluded that there is some probability that there is a European archaeological'resource of high cultural significance contained within part of the site of 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn. The limited physical evidence suggests that this I . area may have been compromised by the demolition programme of the 1960s although deeper excavat~d elements may have survived the impact of this work.

I The most archaeologically sensitive area is likely to be along the western boundary although care will need to be exercised across the entire site. It will be necessary for an archaeological investigation to be undertaken on part of this site with the I remainder to be subject to monitoring 'during the course of bulk excavation. This I investigation should encompass: • careful mechanical clearance of the western portion of the site under archaeological supervision to reveal the extent of any relics, structures, features I 'or,deposits relevant to the SMP Company works,

• manual clearance of those features' revealed by this work with mechanical I assistance as required I • recording of all features • curation of artefacts

I • monitoring and recording of additional archaeological deposits during the course I of bulk excavation I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 30 .1 I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

• documentation of the complete archaeological programme with copies of the I report to be provided for Auburn Council, the Heritage Council and a suitable I archive (local library and/or historical society). The principal objectives of the work should be:

I • to provide an archival record of the features recovered during investigation

• to identify, as far as possible, the various industrial processes and services of the I company. This site will provide an opportunity to provide physical evidence for an industrial process which is largely only known of and recorded by archival sources.

I Some consideration might be given to leaving any substantial element recovered during the course of the work in situ as an interpretative element. It is unlikely that 1I the sub-surface resource will comprehensively record the full manufacturing process that occupied this site. One substantial portion has already been lost by the creation of Percy Street and the evidence at this time suggests that a large part of the former factory site has been stripped of materials above residual clay level. Complete I retention of all features, therefore, would not serve any educational purpose and, thus, is not a mandatory requirement. The retention of one or more elements with I appropriate interpretive material could provide a useful commemorative element for an important industrial site. Implementatiqn of this action would depend on the integrity of the relic, its ability to make a meaningful contribution to interpretation and I its relationship in the development with respect to public access. I 6.5 Recommendations On the basis of the evidence and analysis contained in this assessment it is I recommended that: • with respect to potential historic relics application is made for an Excavation Permit from the Heritage Council of NSW with requirements for I archaeological investigation and recording of the part of the site identified to be the most archaeologically sensitive, monitoring of the remainder of I the site, curation of relics and documentation of the programme. • with respect to potential relics of pre-historic occupation the identification at any time during the excavation of evidence of Aboriginal occupation will I require notification to be made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The relics must be made safe and retained in situ until advice for their proper I management is provided by the NPWS. I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 31 I 1 Archaeological Asse~sment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn 1 SECTION 7.0 I IOOCUMENTA TION 1 7.1 Endnotes

I Section 3.1

I' 1. Doug Benson and Jocelyn Howell, Taken for Granted the Bushland of Sydney and Its Suburb, 47.

1 2. Quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberty Plains A History ofAuburn NSW Centenary Edition, 5.

I 3. Mrs Charles Meredith, Notes and Sketches, 140-141

4. Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW 1 Centenary Edition, 2. .

1 5 Quoted in Historic Houses Trust, Elizabeth Farm House, 36. I 6. Mrs Charles Meredith, Notes and Sketches, 140-141 7.Terry Kass, Historical Context Report Aubf!rn Heritage Study, 5.

I 8. Quoted in Doug Benson and Jocelyn Howell, Taken for Granted the Bushland of Sydney and Its Suburb, 47. .

I 9. Ibid, 49.

I 10. Robert Paton Archaeological Services Pty Ltd., An Archaeological Survey of RANAD. 1995., 11.

I 11. Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 3. I I 1 I 1 Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 32 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

.1 Section 3.2 1. J. F. Campbell, "Uberty Plains ofthe First Free Settlers 1793". Journal of the Royal I Australian Historical Society Vol. XXII 1936, 318. I 2. LTO Primary Application 8633. 3. Terry Kass, Historical Context Report Auburn Heritage Study, 5.

I 4. LTO Certificate of Title Volume 7360 Folio 11.

I 5. Terry Kass, Lqc. Cit. I 6. LTO Primary Application 8633. 7. Ibid.

I 8. Terry Kass, Loc. Cit.

I 9. LTO Primary Application 8633.

10. Lidcombe Municipal Council, Udcombe and Its Development as an Industrial I Centre, 8.

11. Reproduced in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberty Plains A History of I Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 40. I 12. Reproduced in Ibid., 218-219 I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 33 ------' I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I Section 3.3 I 1. K. Farrer, A Settlement Amply Supplied, 65-97 2. Prospectus of the SMP Company quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, I Uberty Plains A History ofAuburn NSW Centenary Edition, 276 3. Minute Books of the SMP Company quoted in Ibid.

I 4. LTO Primary Application 8633.

I 5. Minute Books. of the SMP Company quoted in Council of the MuniCipality of Auburn, Uberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 276

I 6. LTO Primary Application 8633.

7. SMP Company Minutes 1871 quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, I Uberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 277 I 8. "The Sydney Meat PreseNing Company", Australian Town and Country Journal 22 November 1873, 656

I 9. Ibid. I 10. D. Clark, Municipality of Rookwood. 1892. ML M3 811.133/1892/1 11. Part Plan Sydney Meat PreseNing Company Site Auburn (undated). ML I Subdivision Plans Auburn 10/373 12. Company Minutes 1873 quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberly I" Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 277 I 13. Report of Half Yearly General Meeting SMP Co. 1874 (ML Q664.9206/1). 14. LTO Dealing No. 854 Book 155.

I 15. SMP Co. Minutes 1878 quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberly I Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 277 16. SMP Co. Minutes 1885. Ibid.

I 17. SMP Co. Minutes 1886. Ibid. I 18. Lidcombe MuniCipal Council, Udcombe Gala Week 1933, 57. I 19. Ibid. I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 34 I ------1 Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

1 20. SMP Co. Minutes 1892 quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberly Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 277

1 21. SMP Co. Minutes 1893. Ibid. 1 22. SMP Co. Minutes 1894. Ibid. 23. K. Farrer, A Settlement Amply Supplied, 119.

1 24. SMP Co. Minutes 1898 quoted in Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Uberly 1 Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 281. 25. Ibid. 1 I 1 1 1 1 I 1 I. 1 I I I 1 Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 35 I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I Section 3.4 I 1. M. A. Harris, Where to Live ABC Guide to Sydney and Suburbs, Auburn, 44. 2. Lidcombe Municipal Council, Lidcombe Gala Week 1933 , 15.

I 3. Ibid., 17-18. I 4. Ibid., 18 5. Part Plan Sydney Meat Preserving c.0mpany Site Auburn (undated). ML I Subdivision Plans Auburn 10/373. I 6. Lidcombe Municipal Council, Lidcombe Gala Week 1933,58. 7. Ibid.

I 8. LTO Primary Applications 37049.

I 9. Council of the Municipality of Auburn, Liberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition, 222.

I 10. Lidcombe SW Drainage Haslams Creek Main Channel 1937. Sydney Water Board Sheet 1 84 36/37 I

I Section 4.1 I 1. K. Farrer, A Settlement Amply Supplied, 82. I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 36 ~I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 7.2 Bibliography I 7.2.1 Books, Reports and Monographs James Atkinson An Account of the State of Agriculture and Grazing in New South Wales 1826 I Facsimile Edition. Sydney University Press. 1975.

Doug Benson and Jocelyn Howell I Taken for Granted the Bushland of Sydney and Its Suburbs Kangaroo Press. 1995.

I Council of the Municipality of Auburn Liberty Plains A History of Auburn NSW Centenary Edition I Auburn Municipal Council. 1982. K. Farrer I A Settlement Amply Supplied Food Technology in Nineteenth Century Australia Melbourne University Press. 1990. . x

I M. A. Harris Where to Live ABC GiJide to Sydney and Suburbs 1 Marchant and Co. Ltd . 1918. Historic Houses Trust I Elizabeth Farm Terry Kass I' Historical Context Report Auburn Heritage Study Auburn Municipal Council. 1996. .

I Lidcombe Municipal Council Lidcombe Gala Week 1933 (ML 981.1/L).

I Lidcombe Municipal Council Lidcombe and Its Development as an Industrial Centre (ML Q991.1/L

I Mrs Charles Meredith Notes and Sketches ofNew South Wales During a residence in the Colony from 1839 . I to 1844 (Facsimile Edition) Ure Smith. 1973.

I Robert Paton Archaeological Services Pty Ltd. An Archaeological Survey of RANAD. 1995. I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 37 ~I I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 7.2.2News, Journal Articles "The Sydney Meat Preserving Company" ·1 Australian Town and Country Journal 22 November 1873, 656

J. F. Campbell I "Uberty Plains of the First Free Settlers 1793" Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society Vol. XXII 1936, 317-329 I

I 7.2.3 Directories M. A. Harris I Where to Uve ABC Guide to Sydney and Suburbs Marchant and Co. (c.1918). I I 7.2.4Correspondence, Company Records Sydney Meat Preserving Company Ltd I Report of Half Yearly General Meeting 1874 (ML 0664.9206/1). I 7.2.5Land, Title and Building Information

I' Land Titles Office NSW " I Primary Applications 37049, 8863 Land Titles Office NSW Certificates of Title Volume 1178 Folio 142, 7360 Folio 11, Volume 1272 Folio 49, I Volume ?389 Folio 100, Volume 4805 Folio 220, Volume 1134 Folio 45

Land Titles Office I Dealing No. 854 Book 155

Auburn Council I Heritage Inventory I I I "I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 38 ~I­ I Archaeological Assessment: 100 Parramatta Road, Auburn

I 7.2.6Maps and Plans Land Titles Office NSW I Deposited Plans 230253 and 562344

NSW Department of Lands I Parish of Liberty Plains 1828 ML M2 811.132/1828/1

I D. Clark Municipality of Rookwood. 1892. I ML M3 811. 133/1892/1 Sydney Water Board il Surveyor Fender 11 June 1915: Area of SMP Co. Works Detail Sheet 1598 Field Note Book 3250

I Part Plan Sydney Meat Preserving Company Site Auburn (undated) ML Subdivision Plans Auburn 10/373

I Lidcombe SW Drainage Haslams Creek Main Channel 1937 I Sydney Water Board Sheet 1 84 36/37 I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Reading Entertainment Page 39