Heritage Citation Report – Ploughed Field and North Bluff

Heritage Citation Report

Name Ploughed Field and North Bluff

Address Bentinck Street, Portland

Place Type Landscape / memorial

Citation Date 28 June 2006

Heritage listings Victorian Heritage Inventory, Ploughed Field (D7221-0030), Glenelg Shire Planning Scheme, HO115 (no extent provided).

Recommended heritage protection Glenelg Shire Planning Scheme (PS) Heritage Overlay (HO)

Figure 1 : The North Bluff viewed from the south, the four remaining Cypress Pines are evident as are the Norfolk Island Pines lining Bentinck Street

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Figure 2 : Proposed HO extent (map dated April 2016)

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History and historical context

Indigenous background

As noted by other researchers, information which relates to the Aboriginal occupation of the Portland area is derived from publications and other surviving forms of documentation which were compiled by early non- Aboriginal settlers, missionaries and government officials who went to the region during the mid to late nineteenth century (Barwick 1984). The following information was compiled from a number of written sources based on language research and ethno-historic observations. It should be noted that the information provided here does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gunditj Mirring people regarding their tribal affiliations and boundaries.

Aboriginal occupation of the Portland region has been dated to at least 11,000 years ago, with use of the coastal regions demonstrated by the presence of recorded shell middens and artefact scatters (Freslov 1992; Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Climatic change over the past several thousand years, however, has impacted the coastline of , and the date ranges may not reflect the full timeline of use (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). According to Freslov (1992), the last 1,000 years of Aboriginal occupation became more focused on coastal and inland regions, with stable settlements established. This enabled ‘an increasingly specialised use of coastal marine and terrestrial resources’ (Freslov 1992; Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

Prior to the non-Aboriginal arrival and settlement of Victoria, the Portland region was occupied by the Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) people. The Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) language group extended west from (), north to Mount Napier and just south of Hamilton, to just south of Casterton, and along the south to the coast (Clark 1990, p 54). According to Clark (1990, p 54), there were 59 different Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) clans. The Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) language was comprised of eight dialects, on a continuum (Clark 1990, p 23). Population estimates for the Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) range from 3,500 to 7,000 people at the time of non-Aboriginal settlement (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

Clans comprised the basic 'land owning' group in Aboriginal society (Clark 1990, p 8; Stanner 1965). In Victoria, clans were generally patrilineal descent groups with territories defined by ritual and economic responsibilities, however, the Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) were of matrilineal descent (Clark 1990, p 28). Clark (1990, p 55) has listed the [Ng]Ure gundidj clan for the Portland area. The Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) had two moieties, the Grugidj (white cockatoo) and the Gabadj (black cockatoo); however, it is unknown which clan belonged to what moiety (Clark 1990, p 28). Clan chiefs were known as Wung’it (Clark 1990, p 28).

It is thought that the Aboriginal people of western Victoria were in contact with whalers and sealers from the early nineteenth century (at least 1810, according to Clark (1990, p 33)). The arrival of non-Aboriginal fishermen and traders brought violence and disease, although due to their seasonal occupation, contact was not continuous (Clark 1990, p 32; Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). However, Aboriginal lifestyles were soon subject to a different set of constraints: the arrival of the Hentys affected Aboriginal land tenure arrangements (Clark 1990, p 33). Initially, Aboriginal people practised burning-off to drive away the intruders. Robinson, however, noted that the few surviving members of the Portland Dhauwurd Wurrung (Gundidjmara) clans had joined with the Gard gundidj clan of Mount Clay. By 1841, it was said that the Gard gundidj had banned Aboriginal people from going into Portland (Clark 1990, p 33).

There are also records of whalers attacking and massacring clans of Aboriginal people. A site now known as the Convincing Ground – approximately 10 km north west of the North Bluff at Portland, at Allestree – was the location of a massacre. Whalers murdered almost the entire Kilcarer gundidj clan, in a dispute over the butchering of a beached whale carcass, potentially in 1833-1834 ( 2006; Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

There are no registered Aboriginal Places recorded on the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register (VAHR) within the extent of this citation.

The following statement was sourced from Parks Victoria (2015) Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan about the Sea Country: Ploughed Field and North Bluff Hermes No XXXX Place Citation Report Page 3 Heritage Citation Report – Ploughed Field and North Bluff

Defined by the meeting of the fresh and salt water, Koonang Mirring was a place of contact where the earliest Europeans and Aboriginal people first met. A place of conflict over abundant ocean resources, of violence where Europeans massacred ancestors, of danger with tales of shipwrecks and of abundance of fish, shell fish and birds. The place where eels come from the sea to travel to Tungatt Mirring.

Koonang Mirring includes the submerged lands that bear the footprints of Gunditjmara ancestors. It is a place where the spirits of Gunditjmara ancestors cross over the sea to Deen Maar (). It is a place of stunning beauty where people flock to have fun, holiday, enjoy nature and solitude. Its coastal cliffs, dune fields, beaches, and woodlands continue to provide the healthy environment and plentiful resources that sustain communities and wildlife. The coast of Discovery Bay is filled with Aboriginal artefacts that are evidence of earlier ages of plenty and integral to the cultural heritage of the Gunditjmara people. Sealers and whalers massacred almost the entire Kilcarer gundidj clan at the ‘Convincing Ground’ in Koonang Mirring…one of many recorded massacre sites throughout the Countries (Parks Victoria 2015, p 11).

The Gunditjmara people state that:

‘For Gunditjmara people, ‘Country’ includes all living things – none better than the other but equal in its importance in forming this diverse natural landscape that is Gunditjmara Country.

Country means people, plants and animals alike. It embraces the seasons, stories and spirits of the creation. This flowing, connected cultural landscape possesses its own sacred places, languages, ceremonies, totems, art, clan groupings and law.

Our spirit is in this Country, from Koonang Mirring (Sea Country) up through Bocara Woorrowarook Mirring (Glenelg River Forest Country) where Boandik Country north-west of Bocara (Glenelg River) embraces Woorrowarook Mirring (Forest Country) and across the wetlands to and Tungatt Mirring (Mount Eccles and Stone Country).

Our Country is a place of belonging and pride that comes with this belonging. We are proud to share many aspects of our land, art and culture with visitors/guests. It is a part of us and who we are, and we ask that you care for it when you visit. It is our responsibility to look after Country, our children will continue to look after Country, because that’s the way it is and will be’ (Parks Victoria 2015, p 23).

Early settlement and

The non-Aboriginal use of extends back into the early nineteenth century, where the bay was named by Lieutenant , Royal Navy, (Captain of the Lady Nelson) in the year 1800, after the Duke of Portland (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002; Turton 1968; Wiltshire 1984). The bay was said to be ‘large enough to anchor all the navies of the world in perfect safety’, however, sealers and whalers were the first non-Aboriginal to operate in the Portland Bay area during the late nineteenth century (Wiltshire 1984). Sealers hunted Australian and New Zealand fur seals for their pelts, which they then traded. Sealers were recorded as working in from 1891-1892, with ships from England, France, and the United States purported to have used the area. Portland Bay was also suggested to have been used to shelter smaller vessels (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). After seal numbers rapidly declined due to over-predation, international sealers abandoned the area, which allowed ‘colonial gangs’ to continue sealing (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Evidence of sealing at Portland dates back to 1822, with a sealer’s grave on Lady Julia Percy Island dated to the same year (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

Whalers were present in Portland Bay from the 1820s when ‘shore-based whaling was the most profitable means of exploiting the great marine mammals, especially the Southern Right whales, which wintered each year in the bays of south-western Victoria’ (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Blubber from whales was boiled down on the beaches, with bone collected for use in women’s fashion accessories, such as corsets (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Trading vessels would then collect the oil and bone each season. Over 700 tons of oil were shipped in 1836 (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). William Dutton was the first to establish a shore-based whaling station at Portland in 1833, at Double Corner (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). By 1836, almost 100 whalers were Ploughed Field and North Bluff Hermes No XXXX Place Citation Report Page 4 Heritage Citation Report – Ploughed Field and North Bluff

operating from Portland and , with over seven whaling stations present at Portland by 1838 (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Whaling stations employed a variety of workers year round, despite the seasonal nature of the industry. Aboriginal people may also have been used as whale spotters at the Convincing Ground, where smoke signals would be sent after a whale was sighted (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

The Hentys, famous for being some of the first pastoralists in the Glenelg Shire, were also involved in the early whaling business (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). arrived in Portland in 1834 with the goal of undertaking a range of activities, including whaling and farming (Heritage Victoria 2006; National Trust nd-a; Tucker, Falvey and Hyett 2010). The Hentys established a whaling station at the Convincing Ground, which became the site of an Aboriginal massacre (discussed earlier) (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). A ‘trypot’ (a large cauldron used to render oil from whale blubber) is now located at the North Bluff (Figure 3) (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002). Whaling was eventually abandoned by the end of 1860s – with the last whale caught by Dutton in 1868 (Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

Figure 3 : Early whale try pot (boiler)

When Edward Henty arrived in Portland Bay in 1834 on the Thistle his intention was to establish a whaling and farming base in the region. His early explorations were encouraging, finding good quality land and resources in close proximity to the bay. On the Thistle Henty brought labourers, stock, potatoes and seeds. After a voyage of 34 days the Thistle arrived at Portland Bay on 19 November 1834. A second ship brought Francis Henty, who landed on 11 December followed by Thomas Henty, Stephen Henty and his wife Jane. Sheep, including valuable merino sheep ere brought over from Tasmania. Within a few years the Hentys had cleared land, built houses, re-invigorated the whaling industry, established early trade and cultivated the land. The Hentys were the first family to permanently settle Victoria, and were ‘for their number and quality: a father and seven educated sons experienced in farming and trading, occupations of prime importance to a new colony, and

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importers of unusually substantial capital in money, skilled workers and thoroughbred stock’ (Bennett cited in Kellaway and Rhodes 2002).

The Ploughed Field is referred to as such as it represents the start of agriculture in the colony. Researchers have argued that it may not be the exact location of the first cultivation in Portland, as this is more likely to have occurred at the Henty farm in Bentinck Street. Regardless of these interpretations, the Ploughed Field is symbolic for the people of Portland and Victoria as the location of the first ploughing and cultivation in the State.

Tree plantings

The planting of pine trees, particularly Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) and Norfolk Island Pines (Araucaria heterophylla) was popular in southwestern Victoria in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These trees were typical of Victorian era planting and were planted as features trees, for avenues and as wind breaks.

The exact age of the Monterey Cypress on the North Bluff and the Norfolk Island Pines along Bentinck Street is not known, however, based on historic photographs these ages can be approximated. The photograph in Figure 4 : View of North Bluff with Whaler’s Bluff lighthouse in the background (approx. date post-1889-90) can be dated to after the lighthouse was relocated to Whalers Bluff (1889-90) and after the spire was added to the Loreto Convent (1903). The Monterey Cypress and Norfolk Island Pines at the North Bluff and the Ploughed Field are not present at this date (approx 1905). It is likely that the Monterey Cypress and Norfolk Island Pines were planted in the period 1910 – 1930.

Figure 4 : View of North Bluff with Whaler’s Bluff lighthouse in the background (approx. date post-1889- 90)

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Figure 5 : View to the south along Bentinck Street, showing mature Norfolk Island Pines planted in road reserve

Memorials

In 1910 the Portland Borough Council proposed that an obelisk be constructed in the Ploughed Field to mark the ‘turning of the first sod’ (Portland Guardian 7 Oct 1910).

‘In a century or two, when the present inhabitants have all peacefully passed away, it may become a disputed point as to who really cultivated the first plot of arable land in Victoria, and in order to put all doubts at rest, a suitable monument to commemorate the landing of the Henty family should be erected by the Government, or better still-by the people of the whole State, to mark the exact plot of ground ploughed, sowed and harvested’. (Portland Guardian 31 Oct 1910)

Funds for the building of the memorial were commissioned from the community and the memorial was dedicated on the 30 April, 1914.

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Figure 6 : The Henty Memorial, 1970s (Source: Nu Colour Vue Postcard series)

The Glenelg Shire Council developed the concept of a memorial to the many immigrants who landed at Portland between 1841 and 1857 (Figure 7). The Immigration Wall was established as a perpetual memorial to these early settlers. Space is provided to descendants of these families for installation of a plaque in memory of an ancestor.

Figure 7 : Immigrants Wall, with plaques for early immigrants

A memorial garden was established in the Ploughed Field to commemorate Gilbert Pritchard who was the Portland Parks and Gardens curator from 1949 to 1982. This garden is square in shape with a low boundary hedge and some plantings including Norfolk Island Pines.

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Relevant Historical Australian Themes 2. Peopling 2.1 Living as Australia’s earliest inhabitants 2.4 Migrating 2.4.2 Migrating to seek opportunity 2.5 Promoting settlement 4. Building Settlements, Towns and Cities 4.5 Making settlements to serve rural Australia 4.6 Remembering significant phases in the development of settlements, towns and cities 8. Developing Australia’s Cultural Life 8.5 Forming associations 8.5.1 Preserving traditions and group memories

Description

Physical description

The North Bluff and the Ploughed Field areas are a continuous expanse of landscaped ground. There is no clear definition between the two areas. The northern end (the North Bluff) is dominated by the four remaining Monterey Cypress trees. There is a playground, public toilets and some additional picnic tables and facilities. The North Bluff drops off steeply on the eastern side to Nuns Beach

The southern end (the Plough Field area) is the location of several memorials. The Henty Memorial, the Gilbert Pritchard Gardens and the Immigrants Wall are all located within this southern area. There is no remaining visible evidence of the use of this area for agricultural purposes.

Archaeological potential

No items of archaeological potential are listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (VHI) within the Plough Field or North Bluff. A ‘D’-listed item, the Ploughed Field, is on the VHI, however the ‘D’ classification indicates that its archaeological potential is low.

Physical condition

Good

Usage/Former usage

Farming

Memorial

Recommended management

Maintain generally as existing

Prepare a tree removal, replacement and management strategy for the North Bluff and the Ploughed Field , with a focus on the Monterey Cypress and Norfolk Island Pines.

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Comparative analysis

HO5 Esplanade Foreshore Heritage Precinct, Esplanade, Williamstown, City

The Esplanade Foreshore Heritage Precinct listing comprises the foreshore land adjacent to the Esplanade (from Thompson Street to Bayview Street, Williamstown). The Esplanade Foreshore Heritage Precinct demonstrates the 140 years of Williamstown’s recreational use, and contained the earliest public bathing facilities in the western suburbs of . The landscaping and structures illustrate the popularity and importance of the ‘Back Beach’ from the 1890s to the 1930s. The foreshore has aesthetic significance for its surviving buildings and landscaping, which show the Edwardian and Interwar origins. The following buildings are considered significant: the former Williamstown Dressing Pavilion, former Band Rotunda, shelter shed, Williamstown Life Saving and Swimming Club and pool and the remnant Edwardian and Interwar landscaping including cypresses, rock beds planted with Mirror Bush and bluestone rubble wall.

HO161 Tooradin Foreshore Reserve, South Highway, Tooradin, Casey City

The Tooradin Foreshore Reserve was established between the 1930s and 1960s, and includes the entrance gateways, jetty and shelter, seawall and associated mature trees. The Tooradin Foreshore Reserve illustrates the Tooradin community’s dedication to growing tourism as an industry for the area, through the improvements made to the foreshore. It also contains strong associations with the community for its long-term recreational use, and has aesthetic significance for its picturesque environment, which adds to the amenity, character and identity of Tooradin.

National Trust 71755, Mallacoota Coastal and Inlet Foreshore, Mallacoota, Shire

Mallacoota Coastal and Inlet Foreshore is significant for its use by Indigenous, colonial and contemporary communities. The foreshore precinct is considered to be significant due to its ‘ecological integrity, aesthetic and historical importance and accessibility for residents and visitors to the area’ (National Trust 2007). The following statement of significance was developed for the foreshore:

‘The Mallacoota Coastal and Inlet Foreshore's scientific values are significant, as they comprise vital ecological habitats for birds protected under International Agreements, and are ecologically contiguous with the Croajingolong National Park World Biosphere Reserve (declared in 1977 by UNESCO). The Mallacoota Coastal and Inlet Foreshore landscape is aesthetically significant as a natural and diverse landscape. It forms and provides access to one of very few expansive estuarine landscapes in Victoria that is both accessible and substantially undeveloped. These aspects of the region provide tourist attractions, with lookouts at Bastion Point, Mortimer's Paddock, Captain Stevenson's Point, Tip Beach and at various points along the coast. Also of aesthetic and scientific value are the wilderness views, unique geomorphology and dynamic estuarine processes. The social and historical values include on-going recreational use in the area. Bastion Point and other parts of the landscape are of social and spiritual significance to Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous communities also have social and spiritual attachment to the tranquil charm, beauty and unspoilt serenity of the landscape and many burial services have taken place in various spots. The various bushland areas and coastlines are the active interface between the township and the surrounding National Park. A network of walking tracks and long beaches enables the public to access all these areas’ (National Trust 2007).

Summary

The comparative analysis indicates that bluff and foreshore areas are often important for their historical, aesthetic and social significance, due to their long-term use and association with local communities. In addition, their picturesque environments are of aesthetic value to local communities.

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Statement of significance

What is significant?

Significant elements of the North Bluff and Ploughed Field include:  The remaining Monterey Cypress on the North Bluff area  The Norfolk Island Pines along the road reserve in Bentinck Street  The monuments, including the Henty Memorial and the Immigration Memorial Wall and portable items of historical heritage

How is it significant?

The Ploughed Field and North Bluff are of historical significance (HERCON criterion A), has the potential to yield information (HERCON criterion C), is of aesthetic significance (HERCON criterion E), social significance (HERCON criterion G), and associative significance (HERCON criterion H) to the Glenelg Shire.

Why is it significant?

The Ploughed Field and North Bluff are of historical significance as it represents the pattern of the Shire’s history through its use by Aboriginal people, early settlers and contemporary cultures. The Foreshore would have been an important resource zone for Aboriginal people, with ready access available to marine foodstuffs and supplies, with dates in the surrounding region indicating Aboriginal occupation stretching back to at least 11,000 years ago.

The Ploughed Field has historical significance for its association with early agriculture and is symbolic as the first agricultural site in Portland, and in Victoria.

The Ploughed Field and North Bluff are of aesthetic significance due to the commanding views of the harbour and town they provide and the view of the Ploughed Field and North Bluff from the Bay. In addition, the established trees, in particular the Monterey Cypress and he Norfolk Island Pines, planted within the Ploughed Field and North Bluff are of aesthetic significance for the contrast they evoke in an otherwise neat and landscaped area. The Monterey Cypress trees planted on the North Bluff are of particular aesthetic significance. These provide a dramatic contrast to the landscaped nature of the Bluff and serve as a visual marker for the town of Portland. The Monterey Cypress provide a dramatic visual impact to visitors arriving at Portland by boat. More so than any buildings, which are hard to discern from a distance, the trees provide an immediate, definitive marker of the town.

The Ploughed Field and North Bluff are part of the Gunditjmara people’s Koonang Mirring (Sea Country) and are of social significance to the Gunditjmara people.

The Ploughed Field and North Bluff are of social significance for the community of the Glenelg Shire as the location of several community memorials.

The Ploughed Field is of associative significance for its association with the Henty family, who landed at the Portland in 1934 and used the area for cultivation and agriculture. They were the first non-Aboriginal people to settle Portland, and became prominent members of the community. The family were also associated with the early whaling industry.

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Recommended Controls (2016) External Paint Controls No Internal Alteration Controls No Tree Controls Yes Fences & Outbuildings No Prohibited Uses May Be Permitted No Incorporated Plan No Aboriginal Heritage Place No

References

Barwick, D.E. 1984 Mapping the past: an atlas of Victorian clans 1835-1904. Aboriginal History 8(2):100-131.

Clark, I.D. 1990 Aboriginal languages and clans: an historical Atlas of western and central Victoria, 1800-1900. Melbourne: Monash Publications in Geography No. 37.

Freslov, J. 1992 Prehistoric and historic resources on the Victorian coast. Report to the Land Conservation Council.

Heritage Victoria 2006 Victorian Heritage Register Citation: Convincing Ground, Ferguson Road, Allestree. Report to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.

Kellaway, C. and D. Rhodes 2002 Glenelg Shire Heritage Study: An Environmental History Part One. Report to Heritage Victoria and the Glenelg Shire.

Mennell, P. 1892 Henty, Edward. The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co.

National Trust 2007 Mallacoota Coastal & Inlet Foreshore National Trust Citation. Retrieved from http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/71755.

Nu Colour Vue Postcard series, John Young Collection. Accessed on 29 June 2016 from http://www.victorianplaces.com.au/node/70723

Parks Victoria 2015 Ngootyoong Gunditj Ngootyoong Mara South West Management Plan. Report to Parks Victoria and the Gunditjmara Traditional Owners.

Tucker, C., L. Falvey and J. Hyett 2010 Archaeological Assessment: Portland Foreshore. A report to Glenelg Shire Council.

Turton, K.W. 1968 The Portland Railway. Melbourne: ARHS.

Wiltshire, J.G. 1984 Official Souvenir Program: Portland's 150th Anniversary. Portland.

Newspapers

Portland Guardian, Portland, Victoria 1876-1953.

This information is provided for guidance only and does not supersede official How documents,is it significant? particularly the planning scheme. Planning controls should be verified by checking the relevant municipal planning scheme.

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