Aboriginal Heritage Assessment
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Aboriginal Heritage Assessment ___________________________________________________________________ Preliminary Environmental Investigation Great Western Highway Upgrade Mt Victoria to Lithgow Phase 2: Corridor Area Investigation by Jillian Comber Report to Sinclair Knight Merz on behalf of the Roads & Traffic Authority 29 September 2009/Report No. 2 Executive Summary ___________________________________________________________________ The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) are investigating a feasible option to upgrade the Great Western Highway from Mt Victoria to Lithgow. The options to be considered include a Mt Victoria bypass with an upgrade of the existing Great Western Highway or developing a new route to Lithgow. Towards this aim the RTA have engaged Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) to prepare a Preliminary Environmental Investigation (PEI). The aim of the PEI is to identify potential environmental constraints, corridor options and route options. This report identifies areas of high, medium and low cultural heritage significance which will assist the RTA in developing route options. Details of these areas are contained in the summary at the end of this report. However, it is important that ground truthing of route options occurs to ensure that Aboriginal sites or places that may not have been identified during this desk top review are identified and management recommendations made. Table of Contents ___________________________________________________________________ 1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 The Study Area ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Scope of Work ......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Authorship .............................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Aboriginal Consultation .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Consultation ............................................................................................................ 4 2.3 Summary of Aboriginal community consultation ................................................... 9 3.0 Non-Aboriginal Community Consultation ....................................................... 10 4.0 Environmental Context ................................................................................... 11 4.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 11 4.2 Topography ........................................................................................................... 11 4.3 Geology ................................................................................................................. 11 4.4 Vegetation ............................................................................................................. 11 4.5 Landform Mapping ............................................................................................... 12 5.0 Aboriginal History ........................................................................................... 14 5.1 Nineteenth Century Records ................................................................................ 14 5.2 Exploration and contact ........................................................................................ 14 5.3 Darug History ........................................................................................................ 31 5.4 Gundungurra History ............................................................................................ 39 5.5 Wiradjuri History ................................................................................................... 47 5.6 Aboriginal Communities within the Study Area ................................................... 55 6.0 Archaeological Context ................................................................................... 59 6.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 59 6.2 Blue Mountains ..................................................................................................... 59 6.3 Study Area ............................................................................................................. 62 7.0 Predictive Model ............................................................................................ 65 8.0 Corridor Options ............................................................................................. 68 9.0 Summary & Recommendations ...................................................................... 70 9.1 Summary of constraints ........................................................................................ 70 9.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 70 References ................................................................................................................. 72 APPENDIX A: ...................................................................................................................... 80 APPENDIX B: ...................................................................................................................... 82 APPENDIX C: ...................................................................................................................... 86 APPENDIX D: ...................................................................................................................... 88 APPENDIX E: ...................................................................................................................... 90 APPENDIX F: ...................................................................................................................... 94 APPENDIX G: ...................................................................................................................... 99 APPENDIX H: .................................................................................................................... 114 APPENDIX I: ..................................................................................................................... 118 APPENDIX J: ..................................................................................................................... 120 APPENDIX K: .................................................................................................................... 122 1.0 Introduction __________________________________________________ 1.1 Background The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) are investigating a feasible option to upgrade the Great Western Highway from Mt Victoria to Lithgow. The options to be considered include a Mt Victoria bypass with an upgrade of the existing Great Western Highway or developing a new route to Lithgow. Towards this aim the RTA have engaged Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) to prepare a Preliminary Environmental Investigation (PEI). The aim of the PEI is to identify potential environmental constraints, corridor options and route options. The RTA requires that the PEI be undertaken in three phases, as follows: Phase 1: Study area investigations Phase 2: Corridor options investigations Phase 3: Route options investigations SKM have engaged Comber Consultants to undertake the Aboriginal Heritage Assessment in consultation with RTA’s Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Advisor and with the Aboriginal community. Comber Consultants have completed the report for Phase 1 and this report provides the assessment that is required for Phase 2. Both reports will inform the Aboriginal Heritage Section of the PEI. This report was reviewed and discussed at an Aboriginal Focus Group meeting held on 9 October 2009. That meeting agreed to the public release of this document. This public document does not contain records or precise location details of sensitive Aboriginal sites or areas within the study area and surrounds. 1.2 The Study Area The study area extends from the western end of the Soldiers Pinch project, near Browntown Oval, Mount Victoria to the west of the McKanes Falls Road junction, South Bowenfels, to the south of Lithgow. The study area is generally bounded by the Great Western Highway to the south, including the connection with Jenolan Caves Road. Newnes State Forest is situated to the north of the study area. The Blue Mountains National Park is situated along the eastern edge of the study area and Marrangaroo National Park is located to the west of Lithgow. The study area includes the townships of Mount Victoria, Hartley, Little Hartley and Hartley Vale. Please see Figure 1. The study area is located within the local government area of the Blue Mountains City Council and the City of Lithgow. Aboriginal Heritage Assessment Page 1 Phase 2: Corridor Options Investigation GWH Upgrade, Mt Victoria to Lithgow Figure 1: Study area (courtesy SKM) Aboriginal Heritage Assessment Page 2 Phase 2: Corridor Options Investigation GWH Upgrade, Mt Victoria to Lithgow 1.3 Scope of Work Following is the scope of work for Phases 1, 2 and 3 for the Aboriginal Heritage section of the Preliminary