Volume 29:1 1999 Box 220 Holme Building Pnnt Post Regulations No: PP24359/00 114 University of Sydney 2006 ISSN 0156-9295 Secrerary: phone/fax (+61.2) or (02) 9558 6618 sections of the SouthEast Transit Busway project corridor. Funher excavation work is to QUEENSLANDNEWS occur in 1999. Moreton Freezing Works (Thomas Settlement of South Brisbane commenced Borthwick and Sons) durin o the Moreton Bay penal era (1824-1842). Much:::> ofthe natural vegetation was cleared in In December 1998 Ann Wallin and Associates the late 1820's to grow grain and other conducted a heritage study on the former cultivated crops, leading to a number of Bonhwicks' meatworks at Murarrie on the conftontations with local Aborigines. This Brisbane River. The facility operated between cultivation ceased around 1830. 1911 and 1981. Over the years fife and vandalism have extensively damaged the Timber was hauled along tracks to the South remaining buildings. The brief sought site Brisbane riverbank for transpon via ship to recording prior to re-development. Sydney. In 1842 thirty-six allotments of land Investigation centred on the surviving original in South Brisbane were sold in the first land fabric: the Boiler House, Engine Room sales held in Sydney. Shrewd investors noted (established on high masonry foundations as its potential as being the first point of contact protection from floodwaters), Engineering for visitors from Ipswich and the Downs. The workshop, Tallow House and tallow storage wharves along Stanley Quay were the sheds, remnants ofthe original Beef Kill Floor, commercial hub of Brisbane settlement in the and a timber wharf. 1840s and by 1850 five wharves on Stanley Quay handled 80% oflocal trade. A former Borthwicks' employee, retired engineer Jim Cunningham, explained the The region's importance grew with increasing processing systems of the plant to the residential development during the 1860s. In consultants, enabling the surviving fabric to be the 1870s and 80s, Stanley Street remained the understood in an histo~ical and technological main thoroughfare in South Brisbane. A context. This stimulating, if at times macabre, number of imposing buildings were erected project identified and recorded the original along it: Graham's Hotel, the Royal Mall, the process and subsequent evolutionary Plough Inn. The imposing Town Hall was adaptations to the changing teclmological erected in 1892, joining the Stephens' environment. A draft repon has been submitted mansion 'Cumbooquepa' (now Somerville to the client and the Depanment of House School) on the Vulture Street ridgeline Envirorunent and Heritage. overlooking the river. GeolfGinn, Ann Wallin and Associates Major impacts on the study area have occurred since the turn of the century as a result of South Brisbane Test Excavations (South railway construction. Towards East Transit Project) Woolloongabba, the construction of the Southeast Freeway from 1974 cut through the In 1997 Queensland Transpon undenook to historic Stanley Street precinct. Recently Expo improve urban transpon links by creating a 88, [he convention centre and continuing work South East Busway from the Brisbane COB to at South Bank have all impacted upon the the Gateway Motorway through to Logan City. region. The initial Cultural Heritage assessment ofthe proposed route identified significant areas Historical research sought to pin-point sites of which could be impacted upon by the project. potential archaeological interest. Research focused on places of historical industrial Salvage excavation work commenced in activity, early non-indigenous habitation sites November 1998 in South Brisbane along and areas ofhigh refuse deposition which are to ASHA Newsletter 29.1 1999 PAGE 2 be affectedby the Busway. Examples include During a preliminary survey Gordon Grimwade blacksmith's premises, bottle manufacturers, spent a day underground examining some of early (l840s) hut sites, and known rubbish the 1930s drives and early shafts. The project dumps. is being undertaken by Wallin & Grimwade Heritage Services in conjunction with Peter Research has highlighted the paucity of Bell of Historical Research Pty Ltd and Austral archaeological research within South Brisbane Archaeology. despite the construction and earthmoving works that is occurring there at present. The Gordon Grimwade district provides opportunity for improving understanding ofthe mobility of industrial and commercial centres, the establishment of WESTERNAUSTRALIANEWS worker's housing within South Brisbane, and transport infrastructure development to and French explorers: Saint Alouam. In November from the western regions. The current project 1998 the bottle discovered earlier in the year at hopes to document evidence of development Dirk Hanog Island was fmally opened. CT that has occurred within South Brisbane. scans had confirmed that there was a quantiry of sand in the bottle and also revealed the Several sample points have been selected for presence ofa 'scroll-type' object with a densiry excavation and sections of the South East indicating an organic material just protruding Transit (Busway) project corridor will be from the surface ofthe sand. monitored to ensure proper recording and identification ofarchaeological remains. Preparations were made to remove the lead capsule from the bottle. A piece of lead from The excavation should help determine the Cook's Endeavour served as a test sample to stratigraphic histoty of fill deposited in the judge the effectof heat on the lead. The iron area, and by inter-site comparison with wire holding the cap in place was cracked at excavations carried out by the Queensland one point and was easily removed. The cap Museum in December 1995, contribute was gently heated with a domestic hair dryer to towards better understanding site formation and make is more malleable and it was gently depositional processes in the South Brisbane prized offthe neck ofthe bottle. A silver coin­ region. a French ecu with the date 1767-was firmly held in the top ofthe capsule. An in-situ cork Geoff Ginn and Suzanna Pembroke, Ann was gently removed and showed signs of insect Wallin and Associates attack on the inner surface. The inside of the bottle was then examined. Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island The procedure adopted was a 'first' for the Green Hill Fort, Thursday Island is to have a Western Australian Museum Conservation $1/2 million face-lift. The Torres Strait Laboratory and aroused much interest. With historical Society was successful in its bid for the assistance of Chris Papadopulos and funding from the Federation Grants medical technicians from the Stryker Division, Programme. A major proportion of the money Stubber Medical Ply Ltd, and local surgeon, will go towards conservation works. An Dr Simon Turner, the operative procedure integral part of that work will be archaeological involved the examination of the inside of the investigation of the interior and mapping of the bottle using a fine cystoscope. This was former barbed wire barricades, fOr! and external connected via a digitally enhanced camera to a VCR unit, a Toshiba PC computer and colour gun emplacements. The fort was built in 1891 video printer. The invited audience was able - 1893. It was established as part of a network to watch the procedure on the video screen and of fortifications built around the continent at images could be captured using Medimage­ that time. Image Capture software as required. Mount Isa Mines Heritage Study Unfortunately, the scroll-type object was not the annexation parchment we had hoped for, Mount Isa Mines is undertaking a survey of but rather a small section of tree root. historical heritage places within its Mount Isa Examination ofthe sand deposit under a high­ lease. The copper smelter, the Urqhart powered microscope failed to identify any headframe, Davidson and Lawlor shafts, senior organic material ofaparchment or paper nature. staff housing, barracks and track hopper are However, there were chitin remains, a few among some ofthe areas of interest. In addition 'spore' type objects and a small number of to above ground heritage it is proposed to pollen grains. Pollen analysis was carried out undertake some sub-surface documentation. ASHA Newsletter 29.1 1999 PAGE 3 on one sample by Professor John Dodson of Print, 40 Short Street, Perth, Western the Department of Geography, University of Australia 6000. HB c. A$80.00. Western Australia, and nine species of plants were identified which may be compared with Myra Stanbury Dampier and Phillip Parker King's accounts of Western Australian Maritime Museum the vegetation on Dirk Hartog Island prior to and soon after Saint Alouarn's visit.Surface deposits of orange matter from the cork, coin New WA Publications and lip ofthe bonle have been examined using Available from: Western Australian Maritime scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. Museum Bookshop Cliff Street, Fremantle WA 6160 All three samples contain cinnabar (HgS) 618943188454 FAX: 61894305120 which was most likely the pigment used in a Email: [email protected] wax seal, the same element being identified in a block of sealing wax recovered from the Green, J., Stanbury, M. and Gaastra, F. (eds.), wreck of HMS Pandora. The fact that these 1998, The ANCODS Colloquium. Papers small deposits are the only remnants of a preseneed at the Australia-Netherlands possible seal may be explained by the fact that Colloquium on Maritime Archaeology and wax-eating moths could have penetrated the Maritime History. Special Publication No.3, gaps in the lead capsule and had a good feed on Australian National Centre of Excellence for the wax seal covering the cork (Terry Houston, Maritime Archaeology, Fremantle, WA. ISBN WA Dept. Etymology, 1998, pers. comm.). I 876465 00 X. RRP $23.95 (Australian) per Certainly J there is evidence to suggest that copy. organisms have penetrated the bonle and likely Postage within Western Australia $5.00 other devoured whatever organic material was States $6.50 Overseas Air ·AUD$ 13.50 inside.The issue of how many bonles may Economy $10.50 Sea $9.50 have been left, and whether there is yet another (possibly containing the elusive annexation Green, J., Devendra, S.