A Woman’s Place… An historical archaeological investigation of identity and power on the nineteenth-century pastoral landscape of south east Queensland Linda Mary Terry BA (Hons), BHSc, MHP, MHL. A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of Social Science. Abstract An individual’s perception of their place is integral to the complex processes of identity development and maintenance. These processes are highly contextual and occur in a dynamic landscape where power is a defining factor. In this thesis, using two case studies, I employ a micro-scalar approach to demonstrate that the identity of middle-class women living on pastoral properties in south east Queensland, Australia, in the nineteenth century was inseparable from the relational power of both their cultural landscape and the natural environment. The conceptual framework takes a multi-disciplinary theoretical approach to the fusing of identity, landscape and agency within an interpretive historical archaeological methodology. This provides a fresh perspective to the individual’s perception of place by emphasising the reciprocity of the human-landscape interaction and demonstrating that either can be the agent instigating social change. Within their specific historical context, which approximately spanned the Long Victorian period, the ‘place’ of the subjects of the case studies, Isabella Joyner Griffin and Katharine Somerset, is examined. This is a period when, in line with the western paradigm of separate spheres, ‘place’ is a concept considered to be highly gendered, with ‘a woman’s place’ assumed to be in the home where she was subservient to her father or husband within the confines of a patriarchal society. In the Australian context, the few historical archaeological studies of middle-class women that have been conducted have tended to focus on the performance of gentility with an assumption of gender as the central characteristic of their identity. The methodology used in this thesis makes it possible to look beyond the social mores of Victorian gentility and to situate these women within the specifics of their particular historical contexts and to examine the relevance of this to their identities. The archaeological evidence and historical data in these case histories engenders what has previously been considered a ‘male’ industry conducted in a harsh ‘male’ environment where tough men were determined to overpower and subdue ‘mother nature’. Through the use of a feminist inclusive model, as developed by Spencer-Wood (2010a), I establish that ‘a woman’s place’ is a term that is infused with power and that Isabella Joyner Griffin and Katharine Somerset inhabited a landscape where both within the family and the wider community there was a complex, relational power structure. By demonstrating the heterarchical nature of the relationship that the individuals involved in the pastoral industry had with each other and with their landscape, it is apparent that even within the assumed rigid i requirements of Victorian middle-class society, on a pastoral property the place of an individual was determined by a suite of factors of which gender was only one. The place of individuals of any gender is determined by skills and relationships that result from the cross cutting of all the facets of their identity within their particular context/s, it is never based solely on gender. As these middle-class women demonstrate ‘a woman’s place’ can be evocative of the power women have to exercise their agency through both the routine and the unusual situations that arise in their day-to-day life and, importantly, to determine the course of their own lives. ii Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the General Award Rules of The University of Queensland, immediately made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. iii Publications during candidature Peer-reviewed Terry, L. and J. Prangnell 2009 Caboonbah Homestead ‘Big Rock’ or ‘Little Britain’: A study of Britishness in late 19th and early 20th century rural Queensland. Australasian Historical Archaeology 27:99-110. Terry L. 2013 Caboonbah: The archaeology of a middle-class Queensland pastoral family. International Journal of Historical Archaeology 17(3):569-89. Book Chapter 2010 The Archaeology of Caboonbah Homestead. In D. Bender (ed.) Trombone’s Troubles: Experiences of a Queensland jackeroo in early pastoral days, pp. 127-33. Brisbane: Booralong Press. Publications included in this thesis No publications included. iv Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None. v Acknowledgements Completion of a task of this magnitude can never be achieved alone, even though at times it can be a solitary endeavour. Firstly, I want to thank my Principal Advisor, Dr Jon Prangnell from the School of Social Science for his continued guidance, support, feedback and the occasional pep-talk. I would also like to thank him for his direction of the excavations at the Caboonbah Homestead site and for giving me access to the assemblage. I also wish to acknowledge Dr Kevin Rains, my Associate Advisor, for his advice and comments on my thesis. Their knowledge and experience have been invaluable throughout this project. Thank you also to all the volunteers who battled the heat, and the trips up and down that steep slope to help with the fieldwork at Caboonbah: Aleisha Buckler, Rachael Cleghorn, India Green, Geraldine Mate, Karen Murphy, Merle O’Rourke, Tam Smith, Leith Strachan and Marie Vlahos. Special thanks goes to Graham Joyner for sharing the oral history of his family and Rollo Waite for sharing oral history and giving me access to Somerset family photographs. Leith Barter, former Pine Rivers Local History Librarian, introduced me to Samson Vale and arranged access to archival material and photographs. Leith was supportive of the efforts to arrange excavation of the site and had rallied a number of volunteers. Sadly nature intervened. Members of the Brisbane Valley Historical Society particularly Errol and Judy Miller, former caretakers of the Caboonbah Homestead site, Eric Ogden, President of BVHS and particularly Denise Bender gave continued support to the work at Caboonbah and SEQWater allowed access to the site and permitted the excavations to be conducted and to DERM for providing the Exemption Certificate under the provisions of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. Following the destruction of Caboonbah Homestead the BVHS was disbanded. I hope my work can stand as a fitting adjunct to theirs. I would also like to thank the School of Social Science at The University of Queensland for access to laboratory and office facilities; the Fryer Library, the Queensland State Library and the British Library for permission to use their archival material and especially the Australian National University for Trove their absolutely invaluable digital resource which has provided access to newspapers and other records that provided the minutiae vital to presenting three dimensional historical individuals. I also want to thanks my son Tim Bradley for his CAD skills and other technical support, Dr Pat Faulkner for assistance with identification of shell and Diane Baldry for access to the results of faunal analysis. vi To my colleagues and friends from UQ in particular Karen Murphy, Geraldine Mate, Aleisha Buckler, Rosemary Knight and Keitha Brown, thank you for your support and collegiality. To Tam Smith words can never be enough to thank you for you friendship, support, and encouragement. Without your continued support, and the occasional ‘Freddo’, reaching the end of this journey would have been much more difficult. My much loved dogs, Jessie and Murphy, were my ‘study buddies’ but sadly neither of them made it to the finish-line; Chelsea, the next generation, now keeps me company as I work, while Abby the Cat helped out as only a cat can. Most importantly I would like to thank my husband Boris. In order for me to achieve this goal we have lived in different cities for over six years and have had to deal with the emotional and financial impost of the arrangement. He has supported me throughout this journey, every now and then asking ‘So how’s it going? When do you think you might be finished?’ Thank you for your patience. Finally, I hope this work goes some way towards redeeming me in the eyes of my pastoralist forebears, I know that wherever they are they must be despairing at having a vegetarian descendent. Abby checking my thesis draft.