I I I ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I " I i I St JOHN'S CENTRE OF MINISTRY I MORPETH I I I I I I I I I For EJE Town Planning I On Behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle I WendyThorp I Cultural Resources Management I I I I I ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT I I I St JOHN'S CENTRE OF MINISTRY

I MORPETH I I I I I

I November 1998 I I I For EJE Town Planning I On Behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle I WendyThorp I Cultural Resources Management I I ------I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry Morpeth I CONTENTS OF THE REPORT I I I 1.0 Precis of the Report ...... 1

I 1.1 The Investigation . . . 1 I 1.2 Historical Framework. 1 1.3 The Archaeological Resource 2

I 1.4 Cultural Significance 4 I 1.5 Management . . . 5 I 2.0 The Investigation ...... 6 2.1 The Study Area and Subject 6 I 2.2 Status of the Site 6 I 2.3 Methodology . . 7 2.4 Objectives and Tasks. 7

I 2.5 Authorship, Client and Acknowledgements 7 I 3.0 Historical Context ...... 8 3.1 The Pre-Settlement Environment. . 9

I 3.2 Closebourne House - Edward Charles Close: 1827 - 1849 11 I 3.3 Morpeth House - The Close Family, Their Tenants & J. Eales. 14 3.4 Bishopscourt - The Bishops of Newcastle: 1849 - 1912 16

I 3.5 The Church Group ...... 18 I 3.6 St Albans Boys' Home: 1922 - 1942 19 I 3.7 The Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 - 1959 21 I ------~ I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry Morpeth

I 3.8 St Johns' College: 1925 - 1998 ...... 23 I 3.9 The Diocesan Conference Centre: 1960 - 1998 25 I 4.0 The Evidence ...... 26 4.1 Closebourne House and E. C. Close. 27

I 4.2 Morpeth House: 1856 - 1925 . 30 'I 4.3 Bishopscourt: 1849 - 1912 21 4.4 The Church Group . . . . 33

I 4.5 St Albans Boys' Home: 1922 - 1942 34 I 4.6 Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 - 1959 . 35 4.7 St Johns' College: 1925 - 1998 ...... 36

I 4.8 Diocesan Conference Centre: 1960 - 1998 37 I 4.9 Conclusions...... 38 I 5.0 Cultural Significance 44 5.1 Evaluation Criteria . . 44 I 5.2 Assessment of Significance 44' I 6.0 Management ...... 46 6.1 The Proposal . . . . 46

I 6.2 Management of the Archaeological Resource 46 I 7.0 Documentation 49 7.1 Endnotes .. 49

I 7.2 Bibliography. 50 I I I I ------, I I. Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth II SECTION 1.0

I IPRECIS OF THE REPORT I I 1.1 The Investigation The subject of this investigation is the archaeological resource which may be contained within the St John's Centre of Ministry at Morpeth. This site encompasses I both Morpeth House and Closebourne and the several buildings and features associated with both. The place is identified as having high state cultural significance but no archaeological assessment has been made of it to date. The report has been I prepared to meet the requirements of the Heritage Office with respect to a proposed redevelopment of the site. Its principal objectives are to determine if there are ~rchaeological issues to be addressed in the course of future development and, if so, I the most appropriate means of managing them. . I 1.2 Historical Framework A large body of historical evidence has been presented in the Conservation Plan I which documents the history, associations and role of this place. For the purpose of the archaeological assessment this information, as well as the results of additional research, has been addressed in terms of phases or themes. These represent I circumstances which have or are likely to have produced fabric unique to the events, people and needs represented by those themes. It provides the parameters for understanding the role of identifiable buildings, .Iandscape and archaeological sites I within the greater cultural landscape as well as 'creating an environment in which conclusions may be drawn with respect to poteQtial archaeological sites or evidence. I The themes developed and used for this analysIs ·are: • The Pre-Settlement Environment

I • Closebourne House: Edward Charles Close, 1827 - 1849 I • Morpeth House: The Close Family, their Tenants and Mr John Eales, 1856 -1925 • Bishopscourt: The Bishops of Newcastle, 1849 - 1912

I • The Church Group I • St Albans Boys' Home, 1922 - 1942 I • The Broughton Boys' Grammar School, 1942 - 1959 • St John's College, 1925 - 1998 I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 1 I ,I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth i

I Diocesan Conference Centre, 1960 - 1998 I 1.3 The Archaeological Resource The archaeological assessment has determined identified or potential sites for each I historical phase. These are: I E.C. Close and Closebourne • evidence of the pre-existing environment could be found as micro-flora and other I organic evidence; • some evidence of the initial clearance programme, charcoal and carbonised I organic material, might survive in the soil profile; • Closebourne and its two southern wings survive largely intact although modified; I archaeological investigation of sub-floor spaces may reveal evidence of occupation and development; I • investigation of the stone-built feature near the south-western wing of Closebourne is likely to confirm its use as a tank or reveal another purpose as I well as more closely date the period of its construction; • foundations survive of a brick cottage probably built in the later 1820s or 1830s used, most likely as a staff cottage, at the end of the home paddock to the I south-east of the main house;

• there is no visible evidence of any other out-building, brick or timber, known to I have been associated with Closebourne and some, in the area of Morpeth House and the oval may have been lost through the impact of later works. Others, one on the ridge to the south of Closebourne, a second close to the college buildings I and a third, under the site of a later farm building, may reveal evidence on investigation. There is no evidence of a timber building which was located on Tank Street at some distance from the main house, to the south-east although I investigation of this largely undisturbed site may reveal some;

• the path leading from Morpeth Road to the west of the main house survives, as I does part of the carriage circle. The path from the house from the intersection of Tank Street and Morpeth Road does not; investigation of all these areas is likely to reveal evidence of surface preparations and, possibly, hard elements which I defined their use; I • Apart from the remnant trees in the front of the house there is little or no evidence of the gardens which surrounded the house, particularly the kitchen gardens and orchards which occupied part of the land immediately behind it. Excavation and I sampling is likely to reveal m icroscopic traces which will determ ine exotics planted in this area. Some traces also may be revealed of the different plots and other I features; I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 2 ------~ -~~~~ --~ I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • any excavation in the area of the house and the home paddocks should be treated with caution; evidence is likely to be revealed of undocumented features, I landscape elements, drainage works and portable relics. I Morpeth House - Residential Occupation • Morpeth House and its western wing survive largely intact and the eastern wing in part. Sub-floor areas of all these buildings may provide evidence of use and I development of the nineteenth and early twentieth century residential occupation;

• the southern wing, a kitchen and service wing survived from the 1850s or before I until the 1950s. There is no visible evidence of this structure but caution should be exercised in any works which are to be undertaken' in this area. Evidence of I the structure and cultural material associated with it may be found here; • there is a circular well or, more likely, a tank immediately behind the main house I which was probably built during the 1850s. It is covered and sealed. • there is likely to be evidence of drains, possibly landscape features and relics I within the immediate environs of Morpeth House; • archaeological investigation may reveal evidence of hard elements associated with paths or gardens for the central flower gardens of Morpeth House as well as I micro-flora which could determine species used in the garden;

• there is no visible evidence of the carriage circle or drive which led from Morpeth I Road to the house. Archaeological investigation is likely to reveal evidence of surfaces and possibly hard elements as well as organic evidence of the I vegetation; I Bishopscourt: 1849-1912 • Closebourne was renewed several times during the residency of the Bishops of Newcastle and this is likely to have contributed some evidence to sub-floor I deposits as well as being responsible for the damage or removal of earlier material. This is true also of the main fabric of the house;

I • one addition made to the house, still standing, is described as a laundry built possibly in the 1880s or c. 1890. The brick, single storey building still stands to the south-west of the main house and has been modified to serve as part of a I chapel. Care should be taken in the immediate environs of fhis building during any excavation for the likelihood of revealing drainage systems and landscaping I installed when the building was first constructed; • one other room added to the house in c.1912 is now a visible archaeological site. The double row of stone foundations that supported the walls of the Bishop Stretch I Room, demolished in 1983, have been left on the surface. It is unlikely that any I significant interior deposits remain in this space; I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 3 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • one archaeological site has been identified of an out-building which may have been constructed in this period. It is on the site of an out-building that existed from il the 1840s. The archaeological evidence encompasses a low stone wall and what appears to be timber forms that divided the interior into individual byres. Investigation of this site could provide evidence of the form, use and date of I construction of this feature as well as of the earlier building on this site; • there is a dump of materials close to the out-building site associated with a I peppercorn tree. The visible materials are of a later period but the position and condition of this site suggests that, like the other out-building, it may be the continued long term use of an older out-building site of which evidence may remain I in the ground; I Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 -1959 • A third cottage on the northern side of the termination of the brush box avenue has been demolished; there is no visible evidence of this structure but some may I remain in the ground. .

• several other buildings are known to have been erected for the school including I a bicycle shed, staff block and storage shed. These no longer survive, their precise location is uncertain and no evidence is visible of them. Care should be taken in the immediate environs of the school buildings to ensure that evidence, which is I likely to be minimal, is not destroyed. I St John's College: 1925 -1998 • the only identified archaeological site associated with this phase of development I is the foundations of a planned extension to the library which did not proceed beyond these elements.

I No sites have been identified for the Church Group, the period of the StAlban's Boys Home and that of the Diocesan Conference Centre.

I 1.4 Cultural Significance

The principal value of the archaeological resource, both identifiable and potential, is I for its scientific or research values. Although relatively few sites have been identified with certainty they encompass important elements ranging in date from the early to mid years of the nineteenth century to the same period in the twentieth century. I Principally they reflect the services and staff requirements, cottages, out-buildings and additions, which were required to support the residential and institutional needs I of both Closebourne and Morpeth House. I The value of this information is of high cultural significance because: • it is likely to add considerable depth and dimension to the relatively poorly I documented history of use and occupation of these two places by means of I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 4 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I recording evidence which was never available through archival sources or has been lost;

I • it may provide information that will help to more accurately determine particular activities and periods of development through specific investigation of relics and I the technology and cultural material contained in them; • it is likely to provide environmental information which has historical value as well I as practical uses for the development of the landscape; • it is likely to provide evidence which will provide valuable and rare comparative I data for contemporary sites of a comparable type

• it is likely to provide tangible evidence of the lives of those who have occupied I the site. . I 1.5 Management It is proposed to develop the site as a Centre of theological learning and Christian outreach. This is to be achieved by several substantial works which inevitably will I impact upon known, potential or unidentified sites or relics of past occupation. It will disturb relics which have cultural significance for the place and for sites of a contemporary period and type. It will be necessary, therefore, for the proponents of I the development to make application to the Heritage Council for an Excavation Permit prior to the commencement of the work. This is a provision of the Heritage Act of NSW which requires appropriate management of relics by those who will be I responsible for their destruction or disturbance.

I It is recommended that:

• application is made to the Heritage Council of NSW for an Excavation Permit I which has provisions for investigation and monitoring and recording as appropriate based on a schedule of works and research design;

I • provision is made for a suitable repository for relics which may be retrieved from the site during the course of excavation;

I • a repository is nominated for the report that is produced from this work. I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning PageS I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I SECTION 2.0

I ITHE INVESTIGATION I I 2.1 The ~tudy Area and Subject The subject of this investigation is the archaeological resource which may be contained within the property of St John's College Centre of Ministry which includes I the Closebourne Conference Centre and St John's College. This property is adjacent to the town of Morpeth in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Morpeth is I approximately five kilometres north-east of Maitland. The site encompasses approximately 40.29 hectares and may be described as Part Portion 3, DP 314071. It is bound by Morpeth Road to the north, Tank Street to the I east and residential development, both existing and proposed, to the west and south.

The investigation broadly encompasses the European "heritage" values of this site I with respect to a possible archaeological resource. Heritage values are understood to mean the appreciation of and value placed upon the resource by contemporary I society in terms of the criteria expressed in the Surra Charter and formalised by the Heritage Office of NSW. Archaeological evidence, or relics, is defined by the Heritage Act of NSWto be physical evidence (structures, features, soils, deposits and portable I artefacts) that provide evidence of the development of NSW, of non-Aboriginal origin and fifty or more years in age.

I 2.2 Status of the Site

The site is the subject of a Permanent Conservation Order (No. 375) issued by the I Heritage Council of New South Wales. The order specifically identifies Morpeth House and Chapel, Closebourne House and Chapel, the Diocesan Registry and land.

I Morpeth House, Closebourne and both chapels are included in the State Heritage I Inventory of New South Wales. These items are assessed to be of state significance. Closebourne complex and the St John's College site are located in the Morpeth Heritage Conservation Area listed under Schedule 1 of the Maitland Local I Environmental Plan 1993. Morpeth House and Closebourne are identified respectively in this instrument as having regional and state significance.

I Morpeth House and Closebourne are included in the Register of the National Estate as part of St John's Theological College.

I The National Trust has listed Closebourne and recommended Morpeth House for I listing. These listings do not have statutory authority. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 6 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I The site has been the subject of several planning and heritage studies but no I archaeological assessment or investigatioll has been made of the place to date. 2.3 Methodology

I This report has been prepared in accordance with the principles established by the Heritage Office of New South Wales presented in ''Archaeological Assessment I Guidelines" (Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, 1996). 2.4 Objectives and Tasks

I This investigation has been undertaken in response to a requirement of the Heritage Office of New South Wales for more information to complement the policies presente9 in the Conservation Management Plan for this site (EJE Town Planning, Conservation I Management Plan and Draft Development Control Plan St John's Centre of Ministry Morpeth, 1998) and the Statement of Environmental Effects (EJE Town Planning, I 1998). The principal objectives of the work have been to identify whether there is an I archaeological issue to be addressed prior to or during the course of redevelopment. This report identifies what may be retained in the ground as an archaeological resource, the significance of that material and the most appropriate means of I managing it in the event of it being disturbed during the course offuture development. ~ To this end the following tasks have been undertaken:

I • primary and secondary historical research sufficient to determine the physical development of this site with reference to that already compiled for the I conservation plan; • a site survey;

I • a determination of the identifiable and potential archaeological resource; I • an evaluation of cultural significance with reference to standard criteria; • recommendations for management strategies;

I • complete documentation of the programme to standards acceptable to Council I and the Heritage Office of NSW. 2.5 Authorship, Client and Acknowledgements I This report has been written and partly researched by Wendy Thorp. It was commissioned by EJE Town Planning on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. The work draws on both primary and secondary sources principally the I historical analysis provided by Cynthia Hunter for the conservation plan. Additional research and primary material has been provided by EJE Town Planning. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page? I I Archaeological Assessment' St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth I I 1- I I I i I I I I BOX HILL I 2321 I

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I i ! r r I Figure: The StudyArea I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth I I TO\~NSHIP OF I MORPETH I I I I I I I I I I I I

~ I I / Figure: Site plan • anb Morpeth Closeboum~ . , Ho~se sha~ed. I (Source: ConseNation plan - recopied from 1994 Denysenko Master Plan) I I Wendy" Thorp for EJE Town Planning I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I SECTION 3.0

I IHISTORICAL CONTEXT I This section presents evidence derived from archival sources which is used to I describe the evolution and occupation of the study area. This description provides the basis for assessing what may be retained in the ground as archaeological evidence of that development as well as providing a context for determ ining the I significance of that resource. The historical analysis contained in the Conservation Plan provides considerable information for the social context and structure of the study area and the evolution of the built environment and landscape surrounding it. I Additional research has complemented that work although it remains that the site is poorly documented with respect to its use and development. It is this fact which makes I the fabric, buildings and landscape elements and archaeological sites, so important. The St Johns Centre of Ministry is a large cultural landscape that has been shaped for over 170 years by the particular needs and tastes of the occupants and I establishments who have lived and worked there. While the two houses, Closebourne and Morpeth House, provide "nodes" around which these changes have evolved it I is important to understand how the greater landscape surrounding them has or might have been influenced by the activities which had as their focus these two residences. It helps us to understand not only the mechanics of lives spent here but the I perceptions of place and taste imposed on the pre-existing environment by the changing inhabitants.

I For this reason the evidence from documentary sources has been presented here in concise themes which define those principal occupants or establishments and the specific elements placed in the landscape to accommodate their needs. The I emphasis of the analysis is to identify those elements which may be shown to have derived from a particular occupant and those no longer visible but which might reasonably be expected to have left some trace or evidence within the property. There I is considerable overlap. For example, Closebourne later served as the Bishop's residence (Bishopscourt) and later again as a boys' home. The three periods of occupation have been discussed separately because, while they have the common I denominator of the principal house, each period added to and changed the environment within and around that building in unique ways deriving entirely from the I very different uses to which that group of buildings was made to serve at those times. The impact of each phase or occupant is likely to have contributed to the creation of I an archaeological resource and, in many cases, has been the cause of reducing that evidence. Consideration of these facts provides focus for a surveyor the basis for reasonable if not demonstrable conclusions. Except where noted by reference to I endnotes the information contained in the following text has been adapted from the historical analysis presented in the conservation plan. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 8 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.1 The Pre-Settlement Environment

The landscape of Morpeth is likely to have attracted Edward Close from his first I inspection for the many natural advantages offered by it in terms of aesthetics and potential exploitation. Closebourne, Morpeth House, the college, the boy's home and I all the other uses to which this property has been made to serve have all derived from the advantages or otherwise offered by the topography and environment that characterised the area. Whether it was its strategic location or its isolation, its I aesthetic qualities or those elements which could be exploited for gain or subsistence the history of this property is inextricably linked to the landscape first found and subsequently manipulated; the present landscape is the product of cumulative natural I and human forces. Understanding what existed before European settlement gives meaning to what exists now.

I Morpeth and its environs are characterised by a topography of low, undulating hills and rises. The earliest name for the ,district, "Green Hills" named by Lieutenant Colonel Patterson in 1801, reflects this landform as the earliest European impression I ofthe environment. The crests are broad and the sides lopes long and gently inclined; it was a perfect setting, when cleared, for pasturage or agriculture. Underlying was a founda,tion geology of shales, sandstone, clay and, in some places, coal. The stone I was valuable for building and the soil derived from this sub-strata is loamy which also was suitable for agriculture. Alluvial soils laid down by river floods added to the I potential of the area. Prior to its exploitation for this purpose it supported a dense and lush tree cover I particularly near the river. Predominantly this was characterised by Eucalyptus maculata (spotted gum), E. fibrosa (broad-leaved ironbark), E. punctata (grey gum), E. oblonga (narrow leaved stringybark) and E. paniculata (grey ironbark). The I understorey would have included Bursaria spinosa (blackthorn), paperbarks and wattles. Many of these species were valued for building materials. The upper part,s I of the hills were covered with grass and some tree stands., I The extent of the tree cover was described by Bishop Tyrrell in 1866; "Mr Close found the country a dense bush, covered with scrub and ancient trees whose arched branches almost concealed the river and whose leafy boughs were so I impervious to light that to walk beneath them even in the middle of the day was like walking in the dimness oftwi/ight" (1).

I Within this setting the dominant natural feature is the river. At Morpeth it reaches the lim its of practical navigation, thus it provided a natural and quick transport corridor to the settlement at Newcastle which was the official principal settlement and the site I of Close's early labours as Engineer for Public Works. The position of Morpeth, however, had the greater advantage at that time of being close to the real centre of settlement at Maitland. The position of Morpeth between the two settlements and on I a natural transport corridor made it an important strategic site which was lost on I neither Edward Close nor the Government. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 9 I I Archaeological Assessment. Sf John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I The value of the river as a means of communication was off-set by the perils of flood and the settlement experienced several severe inundations. The several small hills or rises afforded protection and Close chose to locate his houses on these small I pre-eminences for that reason as much as for aesthetic or political considerations. Even much later in the century land agents used concerns for floods as inducements I to buy certain blocks in Morpeth which were described as "high residential blocks suitable for refuge from floods (2). Apart from the river the area is cut through by I numerous creeks and rivulets and these ensured a constant supply of water. I I I I I :1 I I I I I I Figure: View from St John's College towards the Hunter River. , I ,I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Pge 10 ------!

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(Source: ML Subdivision Plans - Morpeth TP M2413) I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.2 Closebourne House I Edward Charles Close: 1827 -1849" Lieutenant E. C. Close arrived in New South Wales in 1817 with his Regiment, the I 48th Foot, after he had served with it for six years in the Peninsula Wars in Spain. In 1821 he was appointed Engineer of Public Works at Newcastle. While serving there he selected a site for a land grant and, as his duties permitted, he commenced in I 1821 to clear and develop his new property for himself and his wife.

Made up of two initial grants of 1030 acres and 1020 acres, later another 560 acres I were added to the estate which was located at the limit of practical navigation of the Hunter River. The ideal location for a river port the Government came to regret alienating so much strategically located land to Close and commenced negotiations I to acquire a portion of it back. The negotiations failed due to the Government's unwillingness to pay Close compensation for the effort and money he had put into clearing the site. Eventually Close allowed a small parcel to be released which was I to be used for a wharf; it was to his great advantage being placed practically in front I of his house. The first house that Edward Close built on his estate may still survive in the town. It appears to have been a large, single-storey residence sketched by Conrad Martens I in 1841. Local opinion locates it at the south-western corner of 8erkeley and Close Streets and facing the former (1). Having then a place to live Close commenced work I on the rest of his acreage. The first principal work was to reshape the environment to his particular needs and to do so he had the labour of ten assigned convicts. The open grassy meadows which I now characterise the area derive from this initial clearance and reflect Close's needs for agriculture and animal husbandry and, by example, the European need to introduce familiar staples to an alien landscape. The assigned labour also was used I to quarry stone from the estate to be used in the main house.

I Close commenced work during the early-m id 1820s on a second and more imposing, two-storey Georgian-style house. Located on a rise with commanding views of the river his choice of this site is illustrative of many of his concerns and perceptions. At I the most basic if afforded protection from floods. At the same time it provided panoramic views of the river. The choice of the site, the way in which the land was cleared and a wide sweep of lawn formed before the house with landmark plants to I either side of it and the circular carriage drive (which had its entrance at the intersection of Tank Street and Morpeth Road and led towards the area of College Drive) reflected Close's tastes, sophistication and conformity to the then highly I fashionable arcadian aesthetic expressed at other contemporary estates such as Captain John Piper's "Henrietta Villa" (2).

I The choice also, either consciously or otherwise, was a political one. It made a clear statement of the superiority of Close's position with respect to the ongoing conflict I with the Government over his ownership of this strategiC site. The surveys of the I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 11 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth 1I estate and the village emphasise the clear sight-line maintained from the wharf to Closebourne. It would have been the first thing anyone coming to Morpeth would have noticed from the boat and after alighting from it. It established E.C. Close as the I most important person in the district. Even more, the position of the house in relation to the village that was surveyed next to the river and below the level of the house is I a clear statement of the social hierarchy which had Close at the apex in a manner not dissimilar to a feudal fife.

I Apart from the main house, which had two wings behind and to the south, it is known that there were servants' quarters, a barn and stables. The survey evidence suggests that these were all in close proximity to the house. A survey of 1840 shows the I distinctive shape of the house with its two wings. V\lhat may be substantial out-buildings are located to each side of the wings and a line of buildings on the western side. Reference to other estates of a similar period, such as Rouse Hill House I and Bella Vista show a sim ilar concentration of domestic and service buildings around the main house. Photographic evidence from later in the century suggests that this tradition was maintained for a very long period. Around these buildings, stretching in I precise plots behind the house were cultivated areas, no doubt kitchen gardens and fruit trees which, in their placement, also conformed to the arcadian aesthetic. Together the house, its out-buildings and kitchen gardens formed a self-contained I unit in a very large and open space.

I There is little evidence for other buildings or works that may have been located elsewhere on the estate and directly associated with Close's farming enterprises. A survey of 1849 shows a similar pattern of out-buildings, two brick-built and one I wooden, to one side and behind Closebourne as well as the gardens behind the house but most importantly it records the presence of three wooden buildings on the site of the later Morpeth House. Around these were cleared and cultivated spaces. I These were not present in a survey prepared of the site in 1840 (3). It is possible that these may have been quarters for the assigned servants. Only one other building is known to have occupied the study area in this period. This was a long, narrow building I on Tank Street to the south-east of the house seen on the 1840 survey and still present in 1849. It was built from wood; its purpose is unknown.

I There is one drawing made by Sophia Campbell of Closebourne in this period, in I 1847. It shows a well defined drive and a mass of shrubbery around the house. Apart from the establishment of Closebourne this was the formative period of development for the village of Morpeth and the land in the surrounding district. I Morpeth was developed by Close as a private estate village. It was surveyed and named in 1834. The principal streets had direct relationships with his house. Tank Street separated it from the village and Swan and Steamer Streets separated it from I the public landing place. A plan of the village in 1838 shows the close relationship between the principal estate house and the grid patterned village.

I In the manner of a local squire E.C. Close provided for many of the important community institutions. He set aside several acres of land at the southern end of Tank I Street as the site for a cemetery and land east of Tank Street as the site for a Parish I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 12 1 :1 Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

1 Hall, Church, Rectory and other ecclesiastical buildings, In 1837 the foundation stone was laid of St James Church. It was located at the western end of the village and I within walking distance of his home. It was built from locally quarried stone and bricks were"fired in the paddock behind the rectory. Noticeably it also is on a lower point 1 than Closebourne. Close also provided for a parish school house. By the later 1840s Morpeth had achieved considerable and growing importance as a river port. Not only because of its strategic location between Maitland and Newcastle 1 it allowed for goods to be traded to the northern settlements. The 1849 survey shows by this time a variety of structures, mostly wooden, on the town allotments. By this time the town had several hotels, an educational establishment for young ladies, a 1 post office, stores, several industries including a steam mill and soapworks and the Colonial Architect, Mortimer Lewis, provided plans for a watch-house. More extensive 1 wharfage had been developed by the Hunter River Steam Navigation Company. The development of the settlement was aided by Close's decision, no doubt 1 encouraged by his reputed financial difficulties, to allow a number of allotments in the town to be put up for sale. In 1840 twenty lots were put on the market and then one hundred lots of Closebourne. Another thirty-five lots were offered for sale in 1841 and I, another nine in 1849. The lots brought good prices of up to one hundred pounds (4). The impact of this, apart from the effect on the town, was to considerably reduce the land directly associated with Closebourne and to create a series of small farms 1 principally along the river and road each with its one or more wooden buildings. These are shown on the 1849 survey.

1 The sale of land evidently was not sufficient to ease Edward Close's financial problems during the 1840s, a period of the worst econom ic recession faced by the colony to that time. He borrowed money from the Bishop of Newcastle and offered 1 more land for sale. In November 1849 Closebourne was sold for 1600 pounds. 1 1 1 1 1 I I 1 Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 13 ~~------I I Archaeological Assessment: St John IS Centre of Ministry, Morpeth I I I

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I t rI I Figure: "Plan of Mr Close's Village at the Green 'Hill" 1838 I Source: (SAONSW Surveyor General Sketch Books Volume 4 Folio 80) I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning I

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Figure: Survey of Closeboume and Mocpeth In 1840 Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

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I ~.,...?ai. .--- _ ! , I / I I J -- ! I I I I I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth II 3.3 Morpeth House I The Close Family, their Tenants and Mr John Eales: 1856 -1925 After Edward Close sold Closebourne he and his family moved back to the house in I the town which he and his wife had occupied when they had first come to the district. Work commenced on the construction of a third house for the family. This was a more modest but still substantial single-storey, stone-built residence which was located on I the crest of a rise above Closebourne. Previously this had been the site of several wooden out-buildings and some cultivated land developed as part of the Closebourne Estate. The choice of the site was probably influenced by many of the same I considerations as the selection of the Closebourne site. The family moved into their new home, which was surrounded by approximately one hundred acres, in 1856.

I Morpeth House was designed in a Regency style on a plan said to have been influenced by the experiences of Edward Close in Spain. It was described as having I a front which had a verandah across it on the northern elevation, two wings to the east and west and a detached kitchen and offices extending the entire width along the southern side. The land within the square enclosed by these wings was planted I as a flower garden. It is likely that a formal drive was built from Morpeth Road, probably in the area of College Drive, to provide access to the new home. The form of the house is shown on an aerial photograph, of c. 1950 which clearly defines the four I wings. The fourth, or southern service wing, appears to be L-shaped with the short foot at the eastern end. It also appears that the wing did not at that time extend across I the full southern side of the quadrangle of Morpeth House. There is no evidence for the development or use of Morpeth House for the duration of its time as a private residence for the Close family. Sophia Close had little time in I which to enjoy her new home. She died there in 1856. After her death Edward Close continued to live at Morpeth House until his own death in 1866. Of the several children E. C. Close Junior and his family remained in residence after the death of his father I but it was of short duration. Although the three brothers ~etained ownership of the estate it was leased to tenants. It was this decision which effectively severed the links which had once existed between Closebourne and Morpeth House. From this time I until the twentieth century the two residences followed diverse and unconnected I paths. In 1869 the house and 101 acres were let to M. W. Christian. He remained there until 1874 at which time the residence was let to Benjamin Lee Junior MLA. Apart from its I residential use it is unknown what, if any, function the remainder of the Morpeth property served in these years. It is unclear if it was used for farming in any way or I whether it served only as a residential estate. In July 1874 Morpeth House was put to auction. Several of the town lots were auctioned at the same time. The house did not sell and it was again offered for sale I in 1878. It is not known if it was sold at that auction but by the 1880s the house had become the property of John Eales. The latter was the descendent of one of the I earliest local settlers. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 14 I I 's of MInistry, Morpeth

I Eales occupied the house for a short time but afterwards let the house to several tenants. The last to occupy it did so in 1925. The property was purchased from the I estate of the late J. C Eales in 1925 as the site for a new college. I I I I I I I

I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for Town Planning Page 15 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.4 Bishopscourt I The Bishops of Newcastle: 1849 - 1912 The town of Newcastle was constituted as a seat for a Bishop of the Anglican Church I in 1847. The first Bishop of Newcastle was William Tyrrell who had left England in September 1847 and arrived in Australia in January 1848. His new diocese included all of eastern Australia north of the Hawkesbury River. In February 1848 he travelled I to Morpeth and took up residence in The Rectory built at the behest of Edward Close. It had been completed a few years earlier but had remained vacant until Tyrrell's I arrival. : Bishop Tyrrell sought a permanent base for his duties and settled in Morpeth because of its strategic position in relation to the greater settlement and the transport I opportunities afforded by the river. The offer of Closebourne by Edward Close in 1849 provided a sound and adequate residence for the needs of the Bishop and his office. Closebourne, now named "Bishopscourt", was to remain the seat and residence of I the Bishopric for over sixty years. Throughout this long period of occupation virtually nothing is known of the use and development of the site. One image, a drawing by II I H. S. Montague, shows the IIBishop's Palace Morpeth NSW in 1853. This is the only pictorial evidence for the place until the later years of the nineteenth century.

I For the thirty years of Tyrrell's occupation there is no information with respect to any additions or alterations to the house and its out-buildings which may have been made on behalf of the Bishop. What is known is that William Tyrrell was a keen gardener I and he was responsible for the introduction of many fruit trees, grapes, vegetable and flower gardens to the land around Bishopscourt. There is no evidence for how the remainder of the acreage associated with Closebourne was used at this time I although it could be assumed that at least some of it remained farmed to provide for the Bishop's household.

I Bishop Tyrrell remained at Bishopscourt until his death in 1879. He was succeeded by Bishop Josiah Pearson who occupied Bishopscourt from 1880 to 1886. During this time tenders were called for additions to the house but the nature and extent of I that work is unknown. Due to ill health Bishop Pearson returned to England in 1886. He never returned to New South Wales resigning his position in 1889. During his I absence, between 1887 and 1891, an Administrator was appointed in his place.

A new Bishop, George Stanton, was selected in 1891. Prior to his arrival at Morpeth I the old house was put into a habitable state by means of extensive repairs. The building was entirely re-roofed, the verandah was replaced, floors were repaired or renewed as necessary and painting was undertaken both inside and out. The interiors I were redecorated. It suggests that the house had been subject to some neglect in the previous years. The laundry, now part of the chapel is likely to have been built as I part of this programme or, possibly, during the works of the 1880s. During his incumbency Bishop Stanton tutored students who resided at Bishopscourt I prior to their moving into one of the theological colleges. Stanton is credited with I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 16 ------I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I planting the Brush Box trees that created the avenue that still leads from Closebourne I to St James Church. He died at Bishopscourt in 1905. The most detailed evidence for the appearance of Bishopscourt during the later years of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century is a series of I photographs of the house and grounds in this period. The garden elements in front of the house and around the carriage drive are shown to have matured and a number of new elements have been added, for example, a palm to one side of the house. :1 Some of the gardens were edged with rocks to form a border. The pines in front of the house have become landmarks against the skyline because of their size and distinctive shape. This heavily planted section of the garden is separated from the I wide sweep of lawn between it and Morpeth Road by an evenly spaced white post and double rail fence. Post and rail fences also provided boundary lines along Morpeth Road and the avenue to the Church. Panoramic views of the land between I the house and Tank Street and Morpeth Road show a landscape quite similar to that to be seen today with the exception of the absence of any buildings on the perimeter I as is now the case. Behind and probably to one side of the house were gardens no doubt in part a legacy I of Bishop Tyrrell. The photographs show in one portion a simple timber trellis surmounted by, possibly, a wild rose with low-lying gardens surrounding it separated by earth paths. At least a portion of the garden was fenced from the surrounding land I by a paling fence.

The majority of the garden behind the house, in form and use, appears not to be I dissimilar to that shown on the 1840s surveys of Closebourne. Immediately behind the house was a wide sweep of grass with specimen planting scattered about it. To either side were fenced enclosures for both animall? and cultivated plots, certainly I kitchen gardens. The principal out-buildings form a line along the western side of the house although off-set from it and at some considerable distance. They appear to have been wood-built and at least one must have been the stables. A more substantial I building, off-set to the east and at some distance from the house appears to have been a small cottage. Beyond the gardens and out-buildings of the house the land is shown to be cleared at least to the ridge line with only a single tree remaining in a I few places. .

I Bishop John Stretch was the next resident at Bishopscourt living there from 1906 to 1919. At some time between 1906 and 1912 Bishop Stretch caused a room to be built in the courtyard behind the house, possibly for dining. Inevitably known as "the I Bishop Stretch Room" this addition was demolished in 1984.

Away from Bishopscourt important changes were being made in the administration I of the Diocese. The most important of these with respect to Bishopscourt was the I relocation of the Bishops to Newcastle, probably in 1912. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 17 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth II 3.5 The Church Group I The connection of Closebourne and the Church began with Edward Close who held profound Christian convictions and is said to have caused the construction of the Church of St James as an offering of thanksgiving for his protection during the trials I and dangers of his earlier career. The avenue of trees said to have been planted by Bishop Stanton which visibly links the house with the church makes tangible the strong connection which always existed between the two groups. It is not I unreasonable to assume that it supplanted a well-worn track or path that already existed here from Close's time.

I The foundation stone of the Church was laid in 1837 and the finished building was consecrated in December 1840. The rectory which adjoined it to the south was almost complete in 1843. It is possible that some of the elements in this garden, the hedge I for example, may be part of the original garden design.

A parish hall to the north is probably as old as the church. A sketch of 1852 shows I the building with a cottage beside it described as "the Schoolhouse and our Cottage I in Morpeth 1852". When Closebourne became the residence of the Bishops of Newcastle one of Bishop Tyrrell's first acts was to establish a book depot which provided for both the laity and I clergy Bibles, prayer books and testaments at reasonable prices. The depository was housed in a building constructed to the north of the Church, close to the Parish Hall and facing Tank Street although it may already have been in existence and in use as I a School Master's House, the "cottage" of the image described previously. The building was officially opened as the Diocesan Book Depot in April 1853. In 1862 it I came to serve also as the Infant's School but this use ceased in the 1870s. The church was enlarged in 1864 but was almost destroyed by fire ten years later in 1874. Afterwards the opportunity was taken to raise the nave walls and construct a I new roof.

I The book depository ceased to operate from 1909 and was then used solely as the Diocesan Registry a function which had begun here in 1907. The building was demolished in 1946 and some of the materials were re-used in the Boys' School I buildings.

In 1983 a $100,000 extension was made to the hall to provide more space, kitchen I and toilet facilities. The church was subject to considerable repair in 1993 to make good damage caused by the 1989 earthquake as well as general deterioration. I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 18 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.6 St Albans Boys' Home: 1922 -1942

The use of the former Closebourne, latterly Bishopscourt, for the ten years after it I ceased to be the residence of the Bishops of Newcastle is unknown. It is not until the 1920s that a clear narrative of its use resumes. It is possible that it remained vacant I while a use was sought and decisions and actions were put into effect for the rest of the estate. Morpeth House at this time remained as a tenanted private residence.

!I Surrounding both properties portions of land were auctioned in the 1920s which had remained in the possession of the Close family throughout the nineteenth century. Subdivision posters of this period show large amounts of land to the south of Morpeth I House and Closebourne and to the south and east of the village offered for sale as "Close's Estate". These were "large grazing and dairy areas close to Morpeth" and "rich alluvial maize, broom, millet and lucerne lands". The impact with respect to the I study area was to define the boundaries of both Closebourne and Morpeth House as they now exist. The hill behind Closebourne became the location of Morpeth's first unregistered Golf Course. The slope was used for this purpose in the 1920s and up I to about the 1930s when a formal course was laid at Morpeth Park. The hill also was used to train greyhounds up to the 1960s.

I The future use of Bishopscourt had its genesis at the end of World War I when the Diocese of Newcastle began an active commitment to provide schools and homes I for young people. A Children's Home Committee was established in 1918 to administer the establishment of homes. This was placed under the direction of Bishop I Reginald Stephen (1919 - 1928). Bishopscourt was adapted for this new purpose. Renovations to the cost of 3370 pounds were put into effect to enable this new use and by 1922 thirty-one boys aged from four to ten years were living there under the I care of two Sisters of the Community of the Holy Name. The. house chaplain established a chapel in the house. Bishopscourt provided only residential care and guidance. Schooling was undertaken at Morpeth Public School. The material needs I of the place were met by donations and fund raising.

From the mid-1920s the demand for places in the home began to exceed the capacity I of the building. Alterations were made to accommodate those needs as far as possible within the confines of the existing buildings. In 1925 a contract was let to alter and I enclose the balcony thus enabling several more boys to live there although it was, at best, temporary relief. Hot water systems were installed as was electricity. Minor I repairs and improvements were made throughout the building. The most substantial addition known to have been made to the site in this period was a brick-built recreation room or gymnasium constructed in 1929. This building is most I probably that to the south-west of the house now used as a chapel. It would have occupied the space between the house and the timber out-buildings seen in the later I nineteenth-early twentieth century photographs if they still survived at that time. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 19 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry! Morpeth

I There is little evidence for improvements or changes which may have been made to the landscape in this phase. The only documented account is for "a considerable I amount" offencing which was erected in 1928. It suggests that more land was brought into use for agricultural purposes, probably kitchen gardens and possibly crop land to support the children. These new fields and gardens were most likely placed in the I immediate area of the house adjoining the established gardens. The fencing may also have defined grazing areas because it seems likely that a herd was maintained I to supply the establishment. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 20 I I Archaeological Assessment: Sf John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.7 The Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 - 1959 I Increasing concern during 1942 about safety and the possible outcome of the war led to the decision to remove the Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools away from the city. The move necessitated considerable reorganisation. A new property was I acquired at Murrurundi to which the St Albans Boys' Home was relocated and the former home of that establishment at Bishopscourt became the new premises for the Newcastle Boys' Grammar School now known as the Broughton Boys' Grammar I School. This new estalishment had the greatest impact on the house and its surrounding landscape since the end of the nineteenth century. By the end of this phase of occupation the site had been added to and altered to appear much as it I does today with a substantial group of new buildings to the south and east of the house and the addition of elements such as the sports oval. It consolidated the importance of the land around Closebourne as the centre of activities but increased I the scope of use particularly through the introduction of sports facilities.

The move increased the pressure on the house; more students attended the school I than had been cared for by the home. It required several new buildings. In 1946, after the old Book Depot next to the church was demolished, materials from it were used I in the construction of a new building in the school grounds. This was named the Canon Wilson Block or Registry and is located immediately east of Closebourne. It was later used as a library and art room. A new school building comprising six I classrooms and an assembly hall also was under construction in that year and in use by 1947. This was located to the east of the Canon Wilson Block. At about the same I time work was completed on a dining room extension. The use of the site for a boys' school resulted in the most substantial changes made to the landscape for many years. In particular, a sports oval was formed on levelled I ground to the south-west of Closebourne. As well two tennis courts were built; these have since been replaced by a swimming pool. About two hundred shrubs and trees were planted about the site during this programme. It is possible that even more land I came under cultivation in this period. During the early 1950s enrolments continued to grow and important changes were made to the curriculum through the introduction of a full agricultural course. The aerial photograph of the school of c. 1950 shows a I very large ploughed fie.ld, approximately half of the home paddock, backing onto the more intensively gardened portion closest to the house as well as ~s more paddocks I and fields to the east and west of the house. In 1949 the School acquired a new dormitory, hobbies shed and general storage I shed. A new cycle shed was built in 1952 and a new Domestic Staff block in 1953. Most of these buildings were clumped to the east of Closebourne near the hall. A new drive or path was constructed to provide access to this group from the avenue. In this I period, as well, two weatherboard cottages near the northern Tank Street frontage were either built or moved to the site. They were certainly present by 1946.

I Other additions made to the site included, in 1953, a sick-bay, extension to the school and a garage. In 1954 renovations were made to the bathroom and dormitory I accommodation, work commenced on a new dormitory block, the laboratory was I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 21 I I 's Ministry,

I enlarged and modernised. A new dormitory became available in 1955 and, most importantly, the foundation stone was laid for a dining hall in the same year, the first step in a Master planning exercise commenced in 1953. The dining hall in fact was I to serve several purposes including as a venue for speech days and old boys I reunions. Although the number of boys attending school continued to grow during the later years of the 1950s capital expenditure began to decrease. For example, in 1 , the I principal work was to seal and tar the main entrance driveway. With spending down and maintenance requirements growing it was decided in 1959 to close the school. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 22 I I Archaeological Assessment St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth I I I

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r I Figure: Aerial photograph of the school in c. 1959 I (Source: Conservation Plan). I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning ---- I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.8 St Johns College, 1925 - 1998

Until the 1890s training of men intended for the clergy followed several paths including I instruction at Moore College, the completion of an Arts Degree and practical training at Bishopscourt. St Johns College was opened at Armidale in 1894 to provide an I alternative venue for theological studies to that provided by Moore College in Sydney. After financial difficulties in the 1920s a decision was made to form an entirely new college in a more accessible location. Morpeth was chosen because of its access to I several transport links and the offer of the Diocese to provide twice as much money as any other towards the cost of the college.

I At the time Morpeth House and its one hundred acres of grounds had been on the market for some time as part of the estate of the late John Eales. It was purchased in 1925 by the College Council and plans were prepared for a "university in the I country" which would provide general studies as well as specialised theological training.

I The college was to comprise three sets of double"house blocks, each three storeys and an administration block. The four blocks would enclose a quadrangle. Located I immediately. west of Morpeth House this grand design would have provided an enormous landmark and focal point on the ridge if it had come to fruition. Morpeth House was to be demolished because it would intrude into the quadrangle. However, :1 only a fraction of this grand design eventuated (the Principal's residence, Robinson House and the St John's College Dining Room) and, because of this, Morpeth House was saved; it was renovated in 1927 to provide a temporary chapel, library, lecture I room, a place for a printing press and dormitory space. Tennis courts were built in front of the house.

I The college was officially opened in 1926. Those few buildings which were completed as part of the university scheme provide a vivid visual contrast in style and scale to the nineteenth century building of Morpeth House. The .loose semi-circular form of I these structures to the west of the house provides an enclosure to the vista in this direction and a visual trigger to the imagination of what could have been.

I An important part of the life of students at St Johns College was work in agricultural activities. Much of the college land was leased out for stock agistment and that I maintained by the college was used for cultivation and animal husbandry.

In 1935 fund-raising and planning commenced for a new chapel to replace the I temporary chapel in Morpeth House. In 1939 a local woman provided funds to purchase the materials after the demolition of an old stone and brick commercial building at the corner of Swan and Tank Streets. The new building using this material I was completed in 1941. Designed to resemble a barn in respect to Morpeth House it is still in use. It is located directly behind, to the south, of Morpeth House.

I For a short time during the war, between 1942 and 1943, the college became I temporary premises for the Newcastle Church of England Grammar School for Girls. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 23 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I It resumed it's pre-war activities in 1944. In the immediate post-war years with the college receiving mature age ex-servicemen, some married, there was a need to provide married accommodation. To this end a war-surplus prefabricated hut was set I up in the quadrangle behind the house block. It was removed in 1946 to a new location behind Burgman Lodge. Earlier, married accommodation had been provided for the I college warden through the purchase of a cottage on an adjoining lot, St Albans Lodge. This was sold in 1960 when a new building was constructed for the purpose.

I Accommodation needs continued to be the principal problem in the post-war years exacerbated by post-war shortages. In 1949 the college warden purchased a local building at auction with an intention to convert it to flats. This building, the Morpeth I Hotel, built about 1832 eventually collapsed in 1953 before it was put to the new use. Its materials were offered for sale. The college warden purchased them for use in repair and building about the college. Some of the stone was used in 1954 to construct I the Calvary Garden, a garden chapel adjoining the collage chapel to the south of Morpeth House. Later needs for accommodation have" been met, in 1960, by the construction of a new cottage at the north-west corner of the college to provide I additional married accommodation to that available in Morpeth House and several in Morpeth Village amongst others. Additional married accommodation was provided with the construction of Storrs Terrace in 1977. Another, Davies Terrace, was built I at an unknown time. "I In 1955, with the financial situation of the college becoming an increasing concern, the Newcastle synod set aside money for upkeep and other expenses. In the same year ownership of the college passed to the Diocese of Newcastle. On its take-over I the new owner invested about 112,000 pounds in capital works and upkeep these included repairs and renovations to Morpeth House as well as the demolition of its southern wing and part of the east wing. An addition was made to the House Block, I Robinson House, in 1956 and a new library was built in an area of the partially demolished east wing of Morpeth House in 1958. The work was completed in 1958. It was intended to extend this building and the foundations for the new work were laid I but the project stopped at this point. In 1959 the college celebrated its 60th anniversary.

I Like all the works which had preceded since the establishment of the college the new works continued in a piecemeal fashion. In 1960 a new Vice-Principal's residence was built and in the following year a new large dormitory block, Burgman House. At I its opening plans were announced to build a suitable memorial to Francis Batty, the seventh Bishop of Newcastle. This resulted in the stone gate and fence at College I Drive and also led to improvements to roads and planting along College Drive. I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 24 1 1 Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth 1 1 1- 1 1 1 1 1

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1 Figure: Plan of the College showing those buildings constructed (cross-hatched) and those ! proposed to be built; these never Wflre constructed. r 1 (Source: Conservation Plan). I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 3.9 Diocesan Conference Centre 1960 -1998 I With the closure of the Boys' Grammar School the Diocesan Council determined the best use for the property was as a conference centre. Since that time the site has been the venue for thousands of theological conferences. The funds generated by I this use provide for the maintenance of the buildings. Possibly as part of the initial programme of adaptation the 1946 Boys School hall was enlarged and modified and Belle Vue House, Cintra House and Tillimbis House were built on the site; Belle Vue I may have been brought from another site. A swimming pool took the place of the tennis courts which had been built for the Boys' School. One of the Tank Street weatherboard cottages was converted to a self contained unit in 1963 and both were I available to take overflow from the conferences.

The opening of the conference centre and the thousands of visitors it brought to I Morpeth each year led to Maitland Council upgrading the landscape in front of the place. Trees and shrubs were planted here and picnic tables were placed by the I roadside. In 1980-1981 it was announced that a restoration programme was to be undertaken I for Closebourne House and that a twenty-room residential unit would be built near-by. It was one of five stages of activities planed to turn the Morpeth Conference Centre into one of the foremost Christian communities in Australia. The restoration I programme at Closebourne involved the removal of all the additions and secondary structures added to it during its later history including the veranda infill and "the Bishop Stretch Room" at the rear of the house between the two southern wings. The building I was demolished to its footings. The work also encompassed re-roofing, renovation to the ground floor residential area and provision of a conference room upstairs. In the same programme the earth-filled cellar of the house was excavated and this I revealed a storage area, shelves and steps. This work appears to have had no archaeological involvement. Shortage of funds led to the restoration programme begin staged over several years. The interior restoration work was commenced in I 1985 and the verandah in 1986

The most substantial addition to the site for the new purpose was made in 1982. This I was the construction of the Bishop Tyrrell Lodge accommodation block for fifty-two people at the back of but separated from Closebourne. It encloses a garden space I but provides the first interruption to the view from the back of the house since it was first built in the 1820s.

I At the same time as the construction of the Lodge the old building near it, the former boys' gymnasium, was converted to become a chapel. The work involved demolishing part of an internal wall and creating an arched opening. The chapel was dedicated I in 1983 and the garden next to it was formed in 1990.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the work from an historical perspective has I been the metaphorical reunion of Morpeth House and Closebourne completing an I association that has its roots in the nineteenth century. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 25 .. u ------~- ----• _- . MORPf'T- -' - - 1-I // '---'/' __ ' __ ~~GROUf

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I SECTION 4.0

I ITHE EVIDENCE I The study area retains many of the important principal elements which were added I during each successive period of development, for example, both Morpeth House and Closebourne are still largely intact. These help to define the impact of those various occupants on the landscape and give a sense of age and history to the place. I Almost all the visible elements are in an adapted or modified form from that which was first built or planted but these changes also help to document the needs and tastes of later residents and managers. The above ground evidence provides a more I comprehensive document of development and change than will the sub-surface archaeological features. The latter, however, are likely to contribute aspects of each period which will complement what is a not particularly well documented but I significant site. They are likely to illustrate aspects of the infrastructure which supported life on the site and which are only hinted at by archival records, places such as farm buildings and staff cottages, as well as the ways in which the site was I exploited either for sUbsistence or to accommodate taste.

I The following sections discuss each of the periods or themes defined in the previous section in terms of the evidence which is visible within the site, both above and below ground as well as what could be expected or predicted to be retained as a largely I invisible archaeological resource. I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 26 ------~--- - I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth 1 I TO\vNSHIP CIF 1- MORPETH I 1 1 I I I I I I I I I I

I Figure: Location of archaeo/o~ica/1ites identifie~ by su~ey (1998). I 1 Wendy· Thorp for EJE Town Planning ------I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.1 Closebourne House and E.C. Close: 1827 -1840 I The principal "artefact" of this initial and fundamental stage of development is Closebourne House. It has been modified by various later occupants and recently has been the subject of a restoration project. The latter included the excavation of I the cellar, apparently without archaeological involvement. Apart from the main wing it retains the two southern, stone-built wings built at the same time or slightly before I, the main house. Archaeological involvement in any future works in the house or the wings in under-floor areas may provide evidence of occupation and use.

The only identified archaeological site (Site #1) close to the house which may derive I from this period is a rectangular stone-built feature behind and adjacent to the south-western wing. Three sides are formed from ashlar stone, principally of two courses, which are supported by off-set foundations. The sides slope down into the I base which has an elaborate stone-built trap on its southern side leading to a drainage system that flows away from the house. The bottom of the feature is filled with soil. The most likely explanation is that it was a household tank with a spillway system but I it will require excavation and investigation to both validate this proposed use as well I as its period of construction. It is known from documentary evidence that Closebourne House had associated with it several out-buildings including a barn, stables and servant's quarters. The archival I evidence shows at least some of these to be located behind, at some distance from" but relatively close to the main house all within the area of the home paddocks. At least two brick and one timber building were located here. They were reached by a I path that branched off the main drive leading to Closebourne from Morpeth Road. Only one of these sites (Site #2) has been identified from survey. It encompasses brick foundations. These are likely to have supported a brick house which was located I at the end of the home paddocks to the south-east of the main house and at the end of the path which led from the main drive. This building was still standing in c. 1950 when it can be seen in a photograph. It appears to have been a cottage, probably for I one or more of the staff, and must date from the later 1820s or 1830s.

There is no visible evidence of the other two out-buildings, one brick and one timber, I which are known to have been located on this path. One of these, the most northerly, was a timber building and is located close to a path and the edge of the oval. It is I possible'that the ephemeral traces of this building were removed or severely disturbed during the course of construction of those two features. The third building, a brick-built structure, was in the location of foundations which have been identified I as an archaeological site (Site #5) of a later period. It is possible that investigation of this site will reveal evidence of the earlier structure. A third brick out-building was located on the ridge behind Closebourne and well beyond the brick cottage. There I is no visual evidence of this building although a small number of early nineteenth century bricks are scattered about the hill. It is possible that some intact elements of this feature survive in the ground, no longer visible. It is likely that this cottage was I removed when this hill came to be used as an unregistered golf course during the 1920s. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 27 ·1 I Archaeological Assessment: st John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I A second major grouping of timber out-buildings associated with the initial occupation of Closebourne is known to have occupied the site of Morpeth House. These two structures were constructed at some time between 1840 and 1849 and were I surrounded by cultivated andlor cleared areas. A third, smaller timber structure occupied a site north-west of Morpeth House close to the college buildings. There is I no visible evidence of any of these structures and no traces of them may be seen from aerial photographs. The sites of the two buildings closest to Morpeth House are .in areas that are likely to have been impacted upon to varying degrees by the I construction of that building and later works. It is likely that traces of the earlier works may have been removed or disturbed for this reason. The third known out-building, farther away from sites of building activity, may have left evidence which has been I relatively little impacted upon by later work.

Another timber building is known to have been built on Tank Street at some I considerable distance to the south-east of the main house. It is visible on the 1840s survey but its purpose is unknown. There is no visible evidence of the structure but I caution should be exercised here in the event of future works. Apart from the buildings added to the site the landscape was altered through the I impact of agriculture and aesthetic planting. Close was responsible for clearing much of the land around Closebourne down to the river and on the hills behind it to allow for farming and to produce a fashionable Arcadian landscape. The open, largely I grassed vistas that are to be had from the house and to the house are a product, at least in part, of E.C. Close's endeavours. Sampling of the sub-surface profile is likely to yield both m icro-evidence of the pre-existing landscape as well as traces of the I actions taken to clear the forest from it. Contemporary methods included stumping and burning out those part of trees which resisted removal as well as firing large areas I of brush to provide open swards and paddocks. In front of the house Close planted a number of specimen trees notably Moreton Bay figs and Araucarias. These are still dominant features around the house. The principal I entrances to the site came from the intersection of Tank Street and Morpeth Road, a path or drive no longer visible, and from a second point to the west on Morpeth Road. The latter drive still exists. Both paths formed a carriage circle in front of the I house, still recognisable at least in part It is likely that archaeological investigation of both paths and carriage circle would provide information of surfaces and, possibly, I hard elements which gave definition to these features. Behind the house the land in its immediate vicinity was cultivated, probably with I vegetable gardens, fruit trees and flowers, and the remainder was fenced into several paddocks now referred to as the home paddocks. There is no visible evidence of the gardens or orchards, however, excavation and sampling is likely to provide I micro-evidence of this earlier landscape. One fence line still occupies the original boundary line of the back paddocks. The fence is a contemporary feature but it provides a valuable visual definition of the land encompassed by the original home I paddocks and is an example of the longevity of tradition with respect to land use and management. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 28 I I Assessment. Sf John's Centre of MInistry, Morpefh

I The area immediately surrounding the house, although it has been disturbed particularly during the twentieth century, is likely to contain archaeological evidence of sites, features and behaviour which is not documented by archival records; the I use of the place in this period is not well recorded. Evidence of other out-buildings, drainage, landscape components and portable artefacts may all be revealed during I the course of any work which disturbs the surface of the ground. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 29 ------_. - -- I 11 John's Centre of I I I I I I I I I Figure: Site #1 - Stone-built tank? I I I I I I I

I Figure: Site #2 - Foundations nineteenth century cottage I ------_ ... _ .. I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.2 Morpeth House: 1856 -1925

Like the earlier Close family home Morpeth House remains the principal artefact of I this phase of occupation as well as that of the subsequent occupants and owners. Designed as a quadrangle with the fourth side, the southern wing, separate as a I service block, only the main house and western wing remain intact. Any work in the floor spaces of these buildings should be treated with caution for the potential to reveal I structural or cultural evidence of the earlier years of occupation and construction. A portion of the eastern wing was demolished to provide space for a library. This was in the mid 1950s and it is likely that the southern service wing was demolished at the I same time. It certainly was still present in c.1950 when it ~ay be seen in an aerial photograph. There is no visible evidence of any structure in this portion of the site but I there is the potential for evidence of it to be contained within the ground. There is only one identified archaeological site associated with Morpeth House which is likely to derive from the earliest years of its development. This is a large circular I well or tank which is to be seen immediately behind the main house (Site #3). It has been covered and sealed. More likely a tank providing a reservoir for roof water it is I likely that drains or spill-ways may be found close-by as well as in the immediate environs of the rest of the house. This central part of the quadrangle of the house is known to have been used, at least in part, as a flower garden. Archaeological I investigation may reveal evidence of hard elements associated with paths or gardens as well as micro-flora which could determine species used in the garden.

I There is no archival evidence to detail the extent, if any, of other buildings and features which belonged to Morpeth House either during its association with the Close family, the several tenants or the last private residential owner Mr John Eales. The lack of I documentation for this house and its long period of occupation, however, requires that caution should be exercised for any work to be undertaken in the immediate environs of Morpeth House for the reason that evidence of undocumented structures, I services, landscape elements or portable relics accumulated during the approximately seventy years of its occupation after the Close family as well as those I added during their residency are likely to be exposed by that work. The landscape surrounding the house is likely to owe some of its present form and I qualities to work undertaken by the occupants of Morpeth House although there is less evidence for the use of the land here than for c'losebourne. The rural, largely grassy vistas to be had particularly to the south-east may be a product of part of I Close's original clearing but certainly is likely to owe something to the work of later occupants particularly tenant farmers.

I Morpeth House, like Closebourne, had a circular carriage drive in front of the house (now the site of the tennis courts) and the main entrance was from Morpeth Road. Both the road and carriage circle have been removed and there is little evidence to I indicate their earlier existence. Archaeological investigation of both sites is likely to reveal evidence of surface appearances, hard elements and vegetation. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 30 I I Archaeological 's Centre of Mlntstry, Morpeth I I I I I I I

I Figure: View of the back of Morpeth House with well or tank visible close to the back wall. . I I I I I I I

I Figure: Site #3 • well or tank. I I I Wendy Thorp for I :1 Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.3 Bishopscourt: 1849 -1912 I For the entire period that Closebourne, renamed Bishopscourt, served as the seat for the Bishops of Newcastle virtually nothing is known of the additions or changes made to the site to ac.commodate the new use. What does survive suggests that while I much effort was put into landscape rather less was made for the buildings. There appears to have been a very conservative approach to land-use; pictorial evidence of the later nineteenth century indicates an almost identical use of the property I surrounding the house to that which had characterised the Close family occupation as well as the re-use of several of the existing buildings.

I There is one archaeological site close to the house, in fact abutting its southern verandah and the eastern wall of the south-western wing, that is known to have been constructed in this period. Known as the "Bishop Stretch Room" it is claimed to have I , been constructed on behalf of that Bishop in the early years of the twentieth century to serve as a dining room. The building was demolished during the restoration programme in 1983 without archaeological involvement. the site (Site #4) is clearly I defined by the double row of stone foundations left in the ground but it seems unlikely that any substantial sub-floor deposits would remain within those walls; a tree has I been planted in one part. The principal addition to the house group which still stands, although in a much I modified form, is claimed to have been a laundry constructed in c.1890 although it may have been earlier; specifications were called for unidentified additions to the house between 1880 and 1886. This brick-built structure is now connected to a I building constructed next to it in c.1930 and both have been modified to serve as a chapel. Although the area around it had been extensively landscaped care should be taken during any earthworks; sub-surface drains and hard surfaces may be unearthed I although there has been extensive landscaping to the east of this building.

Apart from the Bishop Stretch Room one other archaeological site representative of I the out-buildings likely to date from this period is found on the location of an earlier out-building identified from 1840s surveys. The present building, probably an animal shelter or byre, is located to the south-west of the house close to a dump of various I materials and a group of peppercorns ( Site #5). It is on the boundary fence that marks' the original extent of the home paddocks. The building is most readily defined I by a low stone retaining wall on the eastern side which runs in a north-south direction. The stone is re-used and cemented together. Inside, on what would have been the floor, is evidence of timber elements possibly forming separate bails. Some of the I timber may have come from the structure. Investigation of this site could give greater definition to its form and use and date of construction. As well, archaeological investigation may reveal evidence of the earlier out-building known to have occupied I this location.

The dump of materials near-by close to the peppercorn tree (Site #6) is likely to have I been formed much later than this period of activity; it contains form work that appears to have a mid to late twentieth century origin. The relationship of this site to the I out-building just discussed, its possible relationship to other buildings known to have I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 31 I I Archaeological '5 Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I occupied the area and the particularly overgrown state, suggestive of considerable earlier disturbance, suggests that any work in this area should be undertaken I cautiously with the possibility of revealing evidence of out-buildings or works of earlier periods

I The first Bishop, William Tyrreli, is known to have been a keen gardener and introduced many fruit trees and plants to the gardens at C losebourne. Some evidence of his work may be seen In later nineteenth century photographs of the rear of the I house. Here the land is still used for kitchen and pleasure gardens and portions have been fenced off to form smaller allotments. None of this work has left any identifiable evidence on the surface but investigation may provide traces of the fences, plots and I organic material and, possibly, some of the small structures seen in these photographs. This evidence is most likely to survive beyond, to the south, of the Bishop Tyrreli Block which is likely to have caused considerable damage to the I sub-profile in its immediate environs. I The most substantial landscape addition made to the site in this period is the brush-box avenue which linked Bishopscourt with the church. Said to have been planted by Bishop Stanton in the early years of the twentieth century or the last years I of the nineteenth the mature avenue is one of the most dominant visual elemeQts in the site. Originally this avenue was protected and further defined either side by split rail fencing but these elements have been removed and their is no visible evidence I of their former presence. A flight of stone steps at the end of the walk which lead down to the cobbled surface of Tank Street is claimed to have been constructed in 1903 although these, the retaining wall, cobbled path kerbing and guttering could well I date from a much earlier period. I I I I I I I I Figure: Site # 4 - Foundations of the "Bishop Stretch Room" I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 32 I I 's I I I I I I I I I Figure: Site # 5 - Foundations of animal byre I I I I I I I

I Figure: Site # 6 - Dump of materia(near peppercorns I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Planning ------' I I Archaeological Assessment Sf John's Centre of Mlf7lstry, Morpeth

I 4.4 The Church Group

The group of ecclesiastic buildings at the end of brush box avenue is not part of the I study area but they are important elements in understanding the evolution of Morpeth I and have contributed one component to the study area. The Church, the rectory and parish hall are all likely to have been built in the later 1830s and early 1840s. All of these buildings still stand and at least some of the I garden elements around them are likely to have their origins in the nineteenth century. There was another building, a book depository, opened in 1853 and in use up to the 1940s. It was demolished at that time and removed and rebuilt in the grounds of I C losebourne. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 33 "------I I Archaeological Assessment Sf John's of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.5 St Alban's Boys Home: 1922 - 1942

During this period the main impact of work was on Closebourne which was extensively I altered and modernised to accommodate new services and the needs of the boys who lived in it. The principal addition to the site was a recreation room or gymnasium. I This building was attached to the laundry built in the previous phase. It has been modified in recent years to serve as a chapel.

In addition to this work there is evidence to suggest that more land around the house, possibly an extension of the home paddocks, was brought into cultivation presumably by the boys to supplement their diets. There is no visible evidence of this use to be I seen on the site. Apart from this agrarian use it is claimed that the hill behind Closebourne was developed as a golf course during the 1920s at which time a formal course was laid at Morpeth Park. There is no evidence of this recreational use but I the work required to make this course may have accounted for the removal of features such as the brick out-building which occupied this slope from the 1840s I onwards. I There are no identified archaeological sites which relate to this period of use. I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 34 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.6 Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 -1959

The use of the site for this school had a much greater impact than did the previous I phase. By the end of it Closebourne again had been the subject of considerable modernisation and adaptive works and a group of new buildings had been added to 'I the south and east of the house as well as a sports oval. The earliest addition was the construction of the Registry or Canon Wilson building in 1946 east of Closebourne. It was made from the materials of the demolished book depot close to I the church. The building still stands. An assembly hall of much plainer construction echoing the post war shortages was built in the same year next to the registry. It has been modified but also still stands. The oval was constructed in the following year as I were tennis courts. The latter have since been replaced by a swimming pool. There is no visible evidence of the former use.

I To provide additional accommodation several cottages were built or moved to the Tank Street frontage of the property between 1946 and 1953. Two of these cottages remain. The third, which was located at the end of the brush box avenue on its I northern side, has been demolished or removed to another site; there is no visible evidence of this former structure but some evidence may remain within the ground I (Site #7). One of the principal additions to the site during this phase was the dining rooml kitchen I the foundation stone for which was laid in 1955. It remains on the site at the south-eastern corner of Closebourne. An out-building constructed at the same time as this and located to the immediate south-western corner was later demolished to I make way for the Bishop Tyrell Lodge.

A number of other buildings or works referred to in school reports are no longer I present including a cycle shed, domestic staff block and general storage shed. There is no visible evidence to identify these as archaeological sites. Comparison with the other buildings erected in the 1940s to 1960s suggest that little evidence of the I buildings would have been left after their demolition but care should be taken in the immediate environs of the principal school additions in the event that evidence of I these structures may be unearthed during work. This period of occupation was noteworthy for the changes and additions made to the landscape. Apart from the construction of the oval it is known that a large number of I shrubs and trees were planted and these are likely to be substantial elements in the contemporary landscape. Continuing a long established tradition land in the I immediate area behind the house continued to be cultivated; it was an important part of the curriculum. There is no visible evidence of this work. I I I I Wendy Thorp forEJE Town Planning Page 35 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.7 St Johns College 1925 - 1998

The selection of the Morpeth House property as the site for a residential college could I have been the end of the earlier house. The grand plans for the complete quadrangle would have required the demolition of the older house. The actual outcome, the completion of the Principal's Residence, the temporary dining room and Robinson I House at some considerable distance to the west of the older building left it intact. All of the buildings constructed for the college, including the bam like chapel of 1941, I and the various types of buildings providing accommodation for both staff and students remain on the site. Most are located round the principal college precinct although there are two cottages on Morpeth Road. Only one building, a temporary I hut erected in the immediate post-war years has been removed from the site; there is no visible surface evidence of this site.

I The materials shortages of the post-war years led to the college purchasing on a number of occasions materials from nineteenth century buildings which were demolished in the town for use about the site. In particular the stone has been used I to create substantial and significant landscape elements. Behind Morpeth House are two long stone walls that extend south from the house group. They have no identifiable purpose but may have been intended to enclose a garden in this part of I the site. The most important garden project which was completed with reused materials is the Calvary Garden which occupies space between these two walls. Apart from these projects more vegetation was added to the Morpeth Road frontage near I the new accommodation cottages in the 1960s and local screen planting was undertaken of most of College Drive in the later 1970s-1980s. These elements have I all matured now and form important components of the landscape. The only archaeological site identified with the development of the college comprises I several footings visible at the surface behind the area of the library which was constructed in 1956. It was intended to extend this building and the footings were put I in place but the work did not proceed (Site #8). The creation of a new precinct away from the established paths and drives of the earlier buildings encouraged the development of several new access points I particularly College Drive. This and the memorial gates erected there in 1963 are still in use as are the sports facilities, the tennis courts of 1927 and the oval constructed I in 1961. I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 36 I I Sf 's Centre of Ministry, I I I I I I I

I Figure: Sfte # 7 - Site of cottage at end of brush box avenue I " /I 'f' \ ~; J, It· H. , I ~' \ I I I I I

I Figure: Sfte # 8 . Foundations of library I extension (not built) I I Wendy Thorp for Town Planning I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.8 Diocesan Conference Centre: 1960 - 1998

The principal additions made to the site to accommodate the needs of the conference I centre have been the Bishop Tyrrell Lodge constructed in 1982 in a place which is likely to have caused maximum damage to archaeological evidence of the gardens I and buildings behind Closebourne and a swimming pool which took the place of tennis courts which were located to the north-east of Closebourne. As well, elements of landscaping have been added including the garden which now occupied the space I between Closebourne and Bishop Tyrrell Lodge. One substantial addition of this period is the water tower which stands at the eastern end of the brush box walk.

I The recognition of the sites of Morpeth House and Closebourne as items of important cultural significance has influenced works which have occurred here since the 1980s including the restoration works undertaken on Closebourne and the construction of I an arbour immediately east of Closebourne. The latter work does not appear to have I any historical precedent. There are no archaeological sites associated with this period of development other I than through the creation of one by the demolition of the Bishop Stretch Room. I I !I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 37 I 1I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 4.9 Conclusions

It may be seen that while the site of 8t John's Centre of Ministry encompasses some I of the earliest and most signifcant elements in the settlement of the region as well as many later and unique features, buildings and landscape components added to I accomodate the special needs of the college, amongst others, this long and intensive use of the site is poorly represented in terms of identifiable and visible archaeological I sites. The principal reason for this is likely to be the conservative pattern of land-use which has characterised both houses. Eitherfor residential pruposes, college or conference I centre needs the same relatively small portions of land were constantly reused thus eliminating or obscuring remnant evidence of earlier periods. For example, the land immediately behind Closebourne, has been the site of out-buildings' succeeding each I other from the 1840s to the 1980s, has been constantly cultivated and, finally, has been the site of the construction of the Bishop Tyrrell Lodge in 1982.

I It is in the areas away from the more intensively used portions of the site that more substantial archaeological e'vidence has been found, for example, the two I out-buildings south of Closebourne. As a corollary though, the further away from the principal nodes of development, the less likely it will be to find substantial traces of activity other than, perhaps, in changes to soil profiles through intensive farm ing I activities.

Apart from the identified sites some conclusions may be made with respect to the I potential of some buildings and places to yield evidence through archaeological investigation. The following sections summarise what may be defined as the principal elements of the cultural landscape for each phase; identified or potential I archaeological sites are highlighted in bold text. I E.C. Close and Closebourne • evidence of the pre-existing environment could be found as micro-flora and I other organic evidence; • some evidence ofthe initial clearance programme, charcoal and carbonised I organic material, might survive in the soil profile; • Closebourne and its two southern wings survive largely intact although I modified; archaeological investigation of sub-floor spaces may reveal evidence of occupation and development;

I • investigation of the stone-built feature near the south-western wing of Closebourne is likely to confirm its use as a tank or reveal another purpose I as well as more closely date the period of its construction; I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 38 ------I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • foundations survive of a brick cottage probably built in the later 1820s or 1830s used, most likely as a staff cottage, at the end of the home paddock I to the south-east of the main house; • there is no visible evidence of any other out-building, brick or timber, known I to have been associated with Closebourne and some, in the area of Morpeth House and the oval may have been lost through the impact of later works. Others, one on the ridge to the south of Closebourne, a second close to the I college buildings and a third, und~r the site of a later farm building, may reveal evidence on investigation. There is no evidence of a timber building which was located on Tank Street at some distance from the main house, I to the south-east although investigation of this largely undisturbed site may reveal some;

I • the path leading from Morpeth Road to the west of the main house survives, as does part of the carriage circle. The path from the house from the intersection of Tank Street and Morpeth Road does not; investigation of all I these areas is likely to reveal evidence of surface preparations and, possibly, hard elements which defined their use;

I • Apart from the remnant trees in the front of the house there is little or no evidence of the gardens which surrounded the house, particularly the kitchen gardens and orchards which occupied part of the land immediately I behind it. Excavation and sampling is likely to reveal microscopic traces which will determine exotics planted in this area. Some traces also may be I revealed of the different plots and other features; I • a contemporary fence defines the original boundary of the home paddocks; • any excavation in the area of the house and the home paddocks should be treated with caution; evidence is likely to be revealed of undocumented I features, landscape elements, drainage works and portable relics. I Morpeth House - Residential Occupation • Morpeth House and its western wing survive largely intact and the eastern wing in part. Sub-floor areas of all these buildings may provide evidence of I use and development of the nineteenth and early twentieth century residential occupation;

I • the southern wing, a kitchen and service wing survived from the 1850s or before until the 1950s. There is no visible evidence of this structure but caution should be exercised in any works which are to be undertaken in this I area. Evidence of the structure and cultural material associated with it may be found here;

I • there is a circular well or, more likely, a tank immediately behind the main I house which was probably built during the 1850s. It is covered and sealed; I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 39 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • there is likely to be evidence of drains, possibly landscape features and I relics within the immediate environs of Morpeth House; • archaeological investigation may reveal evidence of hard elements associated with paths or gardens for the central flower gardens of Morpeth I House as well as micro-flora which could determine species used in the garden; I • there is no visible evidence of the carriage circle or drive which led from Morpeth Road to the house. Archaeological investigation is likely to reveal evidence of surfaces and possibly hard elements as well as organic I evidence of the vegetation;

• the views from the house are likely to owe at least in part something to the later I occupants of the house and the tenant farmers who leased land in this area. I Bishopscourt: 1849-1912 • Closebourne was renewed several times during the residency of the Bishops of Newcastle and this is likely to have contributed some evidence I to sub-floor deposits as well as being responsible for the damage or removal I of earlier material. This is true also of the main fabric of the house; • one addition made to the house, still standing, is described as a laundry built possibly in the 1880s or c. 1890. The brick, single storey building still I stands to the south-west of the main house and has been modified to serve as part of a chapel. Care should be taken in the immediate environs of this building during any excavation for the likelihood of revealing drainage I systems and landscaping installed when the building was first constructed; • one other room added to the house in c.1912 is now a visible archaeological I site. The double row of stone foundations that supported the walls of the Bishop Stretch Room, demolished in 1983, have been left on the surface. It I is unlikely that any significant interior deposits remain in this space; • one archaeological site has been identified of an out-building which may have been constructed in this period. It is on the site of an out-building that I existed from the 1840s. The archaeological evidence encompasses a low stone wall and what appears to be timber forms that divided the interior into individual byres. Investigation of this site could provide evidence of the I form, use and date of construction of this feature as well as of the earlier building on this site;

I • there is a dump of materials close to the out-building site associated with a peppercorn tree. The visible materials are of a later period but the position and condition of this site suggests that, like the other out-building, it may I be the continued long term use of an older out-building site of which I evidence may remain in the ground; I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 40 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • at least two Bishops are known to have been keen gardeners although there is little evidence remaining within the site of their efforts. The principal addition is an I avenue of brush box which links the house with the Church. It is said to have been planted in the later years of the nineteenth century. Split rail fences which ran parallel to it on either side have been removed and no visible evidence remains I of them; • at the end of the avenue on Tank Street is a small flight of stone steps claimed to I have been constructed in c. 1903. It is possible that these elements, in association with the low retaining walls on either side, the cobbled paving, stone kerb and I gutter may date from an earlier period. The Church Group

I • Located at the end of the brush box avenue the church, rectory and parish hall were all built during the later 1830s and early 1840s. A book depository constructed across the road from the church which was opened in 1853 was I demolished in the 1840s. It was rebuilt in the grounds close to Closebourne. This group is not part of the study area.

I St Alban's Boys Home: 1922 - 1942

I • The principal works of this period were associated with the modernisation and adaptation of Closebourne House to accommodate the boys;

I • The only known addition to the site, a gymnasium, still stands although modified; it is attached to the 1880s11890s laundry and these buildings are now used as a I- chapel; • There is no visible evidence of any of the additional agricultural activities which I are suspected to have been undertaken in this period to supplement the boys diet; • the adaptation of the hill behind Closebourne during the 1920s for an unregistered golf course may have contributed to the removal of earlier features including a I brick out-building which stood near the crest from the 1840s. I • there are no identified archaeological sites which relate this period. 1 I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 41 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I Broughton Boys' Grammar School: 1942 -1959

I • This period of development had a much greater impact on the site of Closebourne than the previous phase. At the end the site had acquired the Registry (built in 1946 from the materials demolished from the book depot next to the church), the I assembly hall (1946), two cottages on Tank Street (c. 1946), the oval (1947), the dining roomlkitchen (1955). All these buildings and features are still standing.

I • Tennis courts which were built in 1947 have since been replaced by a swimming pool; there is no visible evidence of the earlier use.

I • A third cottage on the northern side of the termination of the brush box avenue has been demolished; there is no visible evidence of this structure I but some may remain in the ground. • An out-building erected on the south-western corner of the kitchen in c. 1955 was demolished to make way for Bishop Tyrell Lodge. There is no visible evidence of I this structure and it is unlikely that much will remain due to the disturbance in this area;

I • several other buildings are known to have been erected for the school including a bicycle shed, staff block and storage shed. These no longer I survive, their precise location is uncertain and no evidence is visible of them. Care should be taken in the immediate environs of the school buildings to ensure that evidence, which is likely to be minimal, is not I destroyed. • a large number of trees and shrubs were added to the site in this period and these I are likely to form some of the elements in the present landscape. As well the land behind the house continued to be cultivated and was probably extended for the I purpose. There is no particular evidence of this activity. St John's College: 1925 -1998

I • All of the buildings added to the site for the purposes of the college including those of the partially completed quadrangle in 1925-6, various types of accommodation for staff and students from the 1950s onwards, the library of 1956, the principal I paths and drives, memorial gates and landscape components all remain within the site;

I • there is no visible evidence of a temporary hut erected in the 1930s at the edge I of the ridge south-west of Morpeth House; • the only identified archaeological site associated with this phase of development is the foundations of a planned extension to the library which I did not proceed beyond these elements. I I Wendy Thorp forEJE Town Planning Page 42 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I The Diocesan Conference Centre: 1960 - 1998

I • The principal works of this phase have been the construction of the Bishop Tyrell Lodge and lesser works such as the swimm ing pool. I • The recognition of this place as a site of cultural significance has led to restoration works on Closebourne House and landscaping which was designed to I compliment the historic landscape; • There are no known archaeological sites of this period. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 43 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I SECTION 5.0

I ICUlTURAl SIGNIFICANCE I I 5.1 Evaluation Criteria The significance of the site and its various building and landscape components has been assessed on the basis of the standard evaluation criteria detailed by the I Heritage Office of NSW. These criteria are divided into two categories: I • Nature of Significance • Comparative Significance

I The four basic criteria used in the nature of significance category are those of Evolution and Associations (Historic), Creative and Technical Accomplishment (Aesthetic), Community Esteem (Social) and Research Potential (Scientific). I Comparative significance is assessed according to rarity or representative values. I Items have value if they meet at least one of the nature of significance criteria and are good examples of either or both of the comparative criteria.

I 5.2 Assessment of Significance

The assessment of significance presented in the Conservation Management Plan I prepared for this site determines the place to be of state significance for the following reasons:

• for its connections with E.C. Close a'prominent figure in the development of Newcastle (as Engineer of Public Works) and of Morpeth and its region as the I principal first settler and major landholder in the town (Historic values); • its association with the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle as the primary administrative headquarters, seat of the Bishopric and as a theological place of I education (Historic values); I • for its demonstration of historic processes of settlement and land distribution in the region (Historic values);

I • for a collection offine buildings and works which demonstrate and commemorate these historic values as well as having individual merit in their own right through I design, craftsmanship and/or rarity (Aesthetic values); I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 44 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I • important landscape components and views representative of particular periods, aesthetics and the particular interests of individuals and needs of the various I establishments (Aesthetic and Historic values). • it has importance to, particularly, the community of students and teachers and, by I association the greater Anglican community of NSW. It also has importance for the town of Morpeth for the influence of this establishment of the growth and I fortunes of the town (Social values). The principal value of the archaeological resource, both identifiable and potential, is for its scientific or research values. Although relatively few sites have been identified I with certainty they encompass important elements ranging in date from the early to mid years of the nineteenth century to the same period in the twentieth century. Principally they reflect the services and staff requirements, cottages, out-buildings I and additions, which were required to support the residential and institutional needs of both Closebourne and Morpeth House.

I There is an identifiable potential for a much greater resource to be exposed during the course of any works, particularly in the near environs of both houses. Archaeological evidence which could be exposed through earth-works include the I relics of other out-bUildings and, in the case of Morpeth House, the fourth wing of that residence, services, landscape components, environmental evidence and the debris il of nearly one hundred and fifty years of occupation. I The value of this information is of high cultural significance because: • it is likely to add considerable depth and dimension to the relatively poorly documented history of use and occupation of these two places by means of I recording evidence which was never available through archival sources or has been lost;

I • it may provide information that will help to more accurately determine particular activities and periods of development through specific investigation of relics and I the technology and cultural material contained in them; • it is likely to provide environmental information which has historical value as well I as practical uses for the development of the landscape; • it is likely to provide evidence which will provide valuable and rare comparative I data for contemporary sites of a comparable typ~ • it is likely to provide tangible evidence of the lives of those who have occupied I the site. I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 45 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I SECTION 6.0

I IMANAGEMENT I 6.1 The Proposal It is proposed to develop the site as a Centre of theological learning and Christian 1I outreach. This is to be achieved by several substantial works which encompass: I • major roadworks • a motel and associated development which includes the adaptive reuse of a I. heritage building, alterations to other existing buildings; • provision of services

I • construction of a swimming pool, two tennis courts and one gymnasium; I • demolition of one building and the relocation of another. The motel is to be built to the south-east of Closebourne House in an area which largely has been devoted to agricultural activities. It is close to the site of a I mid-nineteenth century cottage which has visible surface evidence.

I It is inevitable that some or all of these works will impact upon known, potential or unidentified sites or relics of past occupation.

I 6.2 Management of the Archaeological Resource

This analysis has identified that the proposed development is likely to disturb relics I which have cultural significance for the place and for sites of a contemporary period and type. It will be necessary, therefore, for the proponents of the development to make application to the Heritage Council for an Excavation Permit prior to the I commencement of the work. This is a provision of the Heritage Act of NSW which requires appropriate management of relics by those who will be responsible for their I destruction or disturbance. Management of archaeological relics can take one of several forms or combinations I of those options. At the level of lowest impact is a "do-nothing" option. This is recommended when the relics are considered to have no significance or have been disturbed to such a degree that no meaningful information is likely to be retrieved I through any form of exploitation.

The most intensive level of archaeological investigation is a comprehensive I archaeological excavation of all or part of a site. This is recommended when an assessment has determined that a substantial resource 6f significant relics is likely I to be retained in the ground and which, through detailed investigation, will provide a I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 46 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

:1 unique database. It requires a clear understanding of the pre-existing landscape and its relationship to contemporary features so that excavations may be placed with a I degree of accuracy. A third option of archaeological involvement can require a monitoring and recording I programme that is undertaken during the course of the bulk excavation of a site. It is usually recommended when the assessment has indicated a substantial resource of some significance but for which the documentation is insufficient to allow informed I and accurate decisions to be made for an archaeological excavation strategy, that is, the relationship of the former landscape and its improvements to the present I cannot be resolved. Occasiona"ya combination of the latter with a detailed archaeological investigation is recommended where the latter is undertaken on a part of the site and the remainder I of evidence is retrieved during the course of the bulk excavation.

I In the case of the St John's Centre of Ministry it is likely that archaeological investigation will require a combination of both monitoring and recording and, in some places, detailed archaeological investigation, excavation and recording prior to the I commencement of earthworks. The level of involvement will depend on the status of the site in question (indentified archaeological site, potential, indeterminate) and the scale of work proposed and its impact on. that site. There is the option also to I undertake work on sites which may not be directly impacted upon by the proposed development but which would make clear the significance and historical place of I those sites, for example, the tank at the back of Closebourne House. The most appropriate means of managing the archaeological resource for the St Johns Centre of Ministry is to prepare a detailed schedule of required works and I research design in consultation with the Project Managers. This schedule and research design should accompany the application for an Excavation Permit made I to the Heritage Office. It should be noted that, because the site is subject to a Permanent Conservation I Order, the time allowed to process this application may be up to sixty days. The cost of the perm it is proportional to the project.

I As we" as the implementation of the work on site it is a condition of the permit that a" archaeological investigation is documented, that a" relics retrieved from the site are curated to professional standards and that a complete report of the programme I is lodged with the Heritage Office, the local council and a suitable archival repository. Those responsible for disturbing significant relics are responsible for their long term maintenance. The permit application requires clear identification of a future repository I for any relics which may be retrieved and retained from the site as we" as for the I report. I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 47 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth ,I It is recommended that:

I • application is made to the Heritage Council of NSW for an Excavation Permit which has provisions for investigation and monitoring and recording as I appropriate based on a schedule of works and research design; • provision is made for a suitable repository for relics which may be retrieved I from the site during the course of excavation; • a repository is nominated for the report that is produced from this work. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 48 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I SECTION 7.0

I IDOCUMENTATION I I 7.1 Endnotes Section 3.1

I 1. Bishop Tyrrell quoted in "The Morpeth Story 1821-1871"

2. "Close's Estate Morpeth" October 30 1920, ML Subdivision Plans Morpeth TP I M24/3 I Section 3.2 1.Morpeth Progress Association, lIIalaung Green Hills: Morpeth A Chronicle of Some I Events of Morpeth's Story. I 2. Howard Tanner, The Art of Gardening in Colonial Australia, 28. 3.Survey of Morpeth and Closeboume 1840, ML M2 811.25/1840/2

I 4 .Morpeth Progress Association, lIIalaung Green Hills: Morpeth A Chronicle of Some I Events of Morpeth's Story. I I I I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 49 I I Archaeological Assessment: St John's Centre of Ministry, Morpeth

I 7.2 Bibliography I 7.2.1 Books and Reports EJE Town Planning I Sf John's Centre of Ministry Statement of Environmental Effects Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. 1998

I EJE Town Planning Conservation Management Plan and Draft Development Control Plan St John's Centre of Ministry I Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. 1998.

Morpeth Progress Association :1 lIIa/aung Green Hills: Morpeth A Chronicle of Some Events of Morpeth's Story. I 1971 Howard Tanner The Art of Gardening in Colonial Australia I National Trust. 1980 I 7.2.2 Maps and Plans

I Surveyor General "Plan of Mr Close's Village at the Green Hill" 1838 I SAONSW Surveyor General Sketch Books Volume 4 Folio 80 (Reel 2778) Survey of Morpeth and Closeboume 1840 I ML M2 811.25/1840/2

Morpeth June 221849 I Contained Conservation Plan - unsourced.

"Close's Estate Morpeth" October 301920 I ML Subdivision Plans Morpeth TP M24/3 I I I I I Wendy Thorp for EJE Town Planning Page 50