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~: ~;,. , .1 I I I ,_I I o , IIISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOI,OGICAL il ANALYSIS OF. THE SITE FOR THE PROPOSED COMMONWEALTII GOVEP~MENT I OFFICE BLOCK AT PARRAMATTA, :1 N.S.lf. 1- 'I I ,I I: I I Edward I Higginbotham I CONSULTANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL I SERVICES 119 Denison Street. I Campe:rdowr" NSW. 2050 Telephone: 5162726. '1 ,I I r, J (I I 'I HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SITE FOR THE PROPOSED COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT I OFFICE BLOCK AT PARRAMATTA, I N.S.W. I Report compiled by Edward Higginbotham I Historical research by 11 Terry Kass. I· for Leighton Contractors pty. Ltd. 1 March 1985 I 1 I 1 1 ,I www.higginbotham.com.au Dr. Edward Higginbotham. I Edward Higginbotham & Associates Pty Ltd. Phone: +612 9716 5154. I Fax: +612 9716 8547. :1 'I , I I I Contents 1. Introduction. I 2. Historical outline. I 2.1 Early settlement. 2.2 Section 13, lots 1-3, 7 part, 89 part, and 90-92. I 2.3 Va11ack's Brewery, Macquarie Street. 2.4 Stormwater channel and drain. I Notes. I 3. Statement of significance and recommendations. 3.1 Statement of significance. I 3.2 Condition of archaeological remains. 3.3 Recommendations. I Appendix 1. Title search for Section 13, lots 1 to 3, part of 7 I and 89, and 90 to 92, Parramatta. Appendix 2. Description of the new brewery in Macquarie street, I Parramatta, 1885 • .. 1 \ I -I , I 1I I I I I I I I 1. Introduction I Robert Hunter of Leighton Contractors pty. Ltd. commissioned Edward Higginbotham of Consultant I Archaeological Services on 14 February 1985 to undertake an archaeological and historical investigation of the I site of the proposed Commonwealth Government Office Block I at Parramatta, NSW (figure l~l). The site of the proposed office block is contained within I the city block bounded by George, Macquarie, Marsden and O'Connell Streets, Parramatta (figure 1.2). Specifically the site contains that land referred to in Deposited Plan I nos. 703973 and 101367, covenant N300880, and part of Book ~83 no. 979 (figure 1.3). For the purposes of the I historical outline (Section-2) and the title search (Appendix 1), the site originally formed part of Section I 13 of the township of Parramatta, lot nos. 1-3, 7 part, 89 part, and 90-92 (figures 2.3 and 2.4) • I In the time available to complete this study, it has been II impossible to thoroughly research some items, for example, the structures and buildings associated with the settlement between 1788 and 1830, or Vallack's Brewery a from the 1840s to the _early twentieth century. However sufficient research has been undertaken to make valid I recommendations concerning the archaeological remains on I the site. To make a rapid appraisal of this report the reader may I wish to refer direct to the recommendations in Section 3 before consulting the supporting historical evidence in I Section 2. I I I I I 2 I 2. Historical Outline I 2.1 Early Settlement A settlement at Rose Hill (renamed Parramatta) was I founded in November 1788, in the first year of the European ~ccupation of Australia, then the penal colony I in New South Walesl • Little is known of the early settlement, but its I importance as the second site chosen for a township after Sydney Cove is not doubted2 • Parramatta lay at the head 1 of navigation on theParramatta River and served the surrounding agricultural districts on which the early I penal colony became heavily dependent. The historical evidence relating to the earliest 1 settlement at Parramatta may be summarised with reference to an illustration dated to 1790 of George Street, and 1 the -Government House at Parramatta, which was published in 1798 in David Collins' account of the early colony3 1 (figure 2.1). This print depicts the huts or small houses on either side of George Street and in the -I distance Government House. Furthemore the layout of the township is clearly I· indicated in a plan dated to c.1813, which shows the approximate sites of buildings, leases, and other public 1 buildings and establishments4 (figure 2.2) • 1 2.2 Section 13. lots 1-3. 7 part. 89 part. and 90-92. 1 At an early stage in the development of Parramatta, the growing township was divided up according to common practice into a number of sections and allotments or I lots. The subject of this study is part of Section 13, I I - --.";---.-- ~I I I 3 bounded by George, Macquarie, Marsden and O'Connell I Streets (figures 2.3 and 2.4). Detailed evidence on lot numbers 1 to 3, parts of 7 and 89, and 90 to 92 has been I obtained by undertaking a title search for each lot (Appendix 1). Prior to the grant or town purchase from I the Crown the evidence relating to each lot may be obscure. In this case the land was alienated from the Crown between 1831 and 1853. Prior to alienation, and in I general in the earlier periods, land transactions may not have been registered. A proportion of these transactions I may be traced from other sources but others are lost. I In general prior to alienation from the Crown, and with title vested only in leases, individuals were not I encouraged to make substantial improvements to the property in their possession. Only with the granting of secure title did the situation change, with owners then I willing to commit large amounts of capital to building and other improvements. Thus before alienation there is I little evidepce for structures of a more substantial type than those illustrated in the 1790 engraving (figure I 2.1) • I The title search demonstrates an increasing rate of development on each lot after alienation from the Crown. From vacant land, or la~d with only a small building or I hut upon it, most lots develop and serve a residential function. A brief glance at the Department of Lands I detail map of 1895 indicates that most of the buildings are of a type common in the residential areas of the I older suburbs of Sydney, namely large examples of Victorian detached and terraced buildings (figure 2.5). Both the title search and the 1895 map indicate the I . subdivision and regrouping of various lots and other I blocks of landS. I I rt -------------------------------- - I I 4 Of note is the reference to a house which stood on lot 89 I' as being let to 'Mr. Cunningham, the Botanist,6. This person may be identified as Allan Cunningham who apart I from his botanical interests was responsible for several major discoveries and exploration in Australia. He found and opened up a viable route onto the Liverpool Plains in I 1823, and in 1827 discovered vast tracks of excellent I grazing land which he named the Darling Downs. The two exceptions·to the predominantly residential role I of this section (no. ~3) at Parramatta are illustrated on the 1895 plan (figure 2.5), namely the Park Gate Hotel at I the corner of O'Connell and George Streets, and Vallack's Brewery on Macquarie street. 'A contemporary photograph I of the hotel indicates the date 1911 on the parapet, but this need not be the construction date for the building (figure 2.6). The same bu~lding appears to be I illustrated on the 1895 map, (figure 2.5). i'l Vallack's Brewery. Macguarie street I I Lot 91 of Setion 13 (figure 2.4) was granted to Thomas Reynolds, a licenced innkeeper of Parramatta on 18 I January 18417 • Reynolds' daughter, Elizabeth Mary, married James Edward Vallack, a brewer. On his death in 1849, T. Reynolds left lot 91 to his daughter, the I property being described in the will of 2 April 1849 as 'now in the occupation of his son in law James Edward I Vallack,8. The most probable interpretation is that Vallack had established a small brewery on Lot 91 between I 1841 and 1849. The next significant development began on 3 November 1883 with the sale of Vallacks Brewery to I Messrs. William Barnard Walford of Sydney, and Solomon Emanuel of Goulburn for £15009 • On the same date Messrs. Walford and Emanuel bought lot 90 and part of lot 9210 I (figure 2.7). I ~ I I 5 I Solomon Emanuel and william Walford had been closely associated with Goulburn Brewery between 1864 and 187511 • I They had purchased the brewery in partnership with W.E. Sparke and were responsible for the modernisation and enlargement of the establishment. With their purchase of I lots 90, 91 and part of 92 Walford and Emanuel immediately set about rebuilding and extending Vallack's I Brewery and had nearly completed this task by 188512 (figure 2.8). The plan of the brewery is illustrated in I the 1895 map (figure 2.5). The buildings bear a strong resemblance to Goulburn Brewery, both in layout, function I and appearance, and confirm that Walford and Emanuel played a major role in designing both establishments. I The Brewery closed early in the twentieth century and was leaped to Henry William Meggitt in 190712 • Meggitt Ltd. I . subsequently bought the property in 1911 and used the buildings to house equipment for the manufacture of I linseed oil and related products13 (figure 2.9) • I Stormwater channel and drain I A watercourse originally drained across Macquarie and George Streets as it flowed towards Parramatta River. The present stormwater drain along this course is I illustrated in figure 2.10.