12925 ID Bentley1982penrithl
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PENRITH LAKES DEVELOPMENT SCHEME REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT ON THE NON-ABORIGINAL ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE RESEARCHED BY MS. FRAN BENTLEY FOR MS. J. BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY JUNE 1982 -'" --- CITY OF PLNRITH w w o 01 \ o t'27l+ 500 N w' o o PLAN m o "(\,.1. SHOWING PART OF THE LAND ZONED RURAL A2 INTERIM DEVE.LOPMENT ':2:~ 000 N ORDER NI? 93 CITY OF PENRITH. IS u PARISH CA~,TLEREAGH COUNTY CUMBE.RLAND (\ 'O() 200 +O~i 500 ,,,;P SCA~E. ~">/ / / / "', ''<-<:'A' ,-, RAV·\ ~.~ ,"",'l/\J$ / / ...... ',:. ; '. , \, ___ J 1-- I 1271 soc \1 \ ---~---+ ---- ._. ., .,.~~~ ", \ 11 ,I --t ,j j-, i ! , , ~ A q ST1,'\i'SCN -~~--~-------~-~---r - - -f--,----~.-----~~ . /-., , .I1-~ ; < .' w..; I Cl I c l/" w, / 0, o ". b,','I' o -- -~, 4- -'-_-.(."""_ -----t - -" --d-f \, ); / , I ~--' w 1.1);' o ! ,; o<c, Ni 1' N _______ ~ _~ _--,- __'2_7_0000 N . ' C.·,5CC N -, 126", 500 11 \ , , " " !2(C~OOO \ : :-;." ____-l-- - --~---. '. -- ,'. '."l , '~ j~ j I i 1'2:0 8 COO N ----~---t-- --, +-_. ! I / -' -,1.- --'~ I '.'. , , ___ I ... ' ------ - - --- C4MAlCO . ----------- PQODUc1S I/ ' , .... ' PT";' '-r ... ', - - - :..., -,0.< '," 1267000 N -~ -~-"-------o::-.:t_-------:-~, '--,.~,"-------,-.-.~ --~""'------- t-i- --1- ---~-- i- 1206500 N ---+- --- ---·--I----~-- <"\.'" .........", >:- '" I 126::; CC;:) ~i 1266000 N - --,r'-- -i- , I, I / " '; LEGEND --~------ ----NOTE. : ~ .., ....... ;' .. .. BLL'[ ~1ETAL INDUSTRIES LTD PLAN SHOWS LANDS IN WHICH THE FARLEY AND LEWERS LTD RESPECTIVE COMPANIES HAVE A DIRECT .+ •••••• , PIONEER CONCRETE SERVICES LTD OR BENEFICIAL INTEREST AT '2 ,IIOIi£~BO / READY M IXED CONCRETE LTD GRAVEL BOUNDARY FROM B M I ............ PENRITH LAkES DEVUOPMENT DRAWING Ne MS -'291/A AND IS CORPORATION LTD APPROXIMATE ONLY , AREA "ZONED I. RURAL "A '2' UNC'U: I DO. ~3 GI>-7ETTE.D 881%0. RURAL A2 ZONING *******~ GRAVEL BOUNDARY ------------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------~ Contents Summary of Report 1. Introduction 1.1 Preamble 1.2 Scope of Report 1.3 Categories of Cultural Item 1.4 Assessment of'Nature of Significance 1.5 Assessment of Degree of Significance 1.6 Conservation Policy Options 1.7 Summary of Identification, Assessment and Conservation Policy Options 2. Historical Summary 2.1 The First Phase (1775-1806) 2.2 The Second Phase (1806-1867) 2.3 The Third Phase (1867-1950) 2.4 The Fourth Phase (1950-Present) 2.5 Historical References 2.6 Summary of Phases of Settlement at Castlereagh 2.7 Historic Themes in the Castlereagh Region 3. List of Items of the Environmental Heritage 3.1 Procedures for Assessment 3.2 List in Numerical Order 3.3 List in Categories of Cultural Item 3.31 Class A: Visible Structures, Complexes & Ruins Class B: Non-visible Structures & Features: Archaeological Sites 3.33 Class C: Historic Roads and Routes 3.34 Class D: Scenic Areas 4. Schedule of Significance and Conservation Policy Options for each Item 4.1 Schedule of Class A Items 4.2 Schedule of Class B Items 4.3 Schedule of Class C Items 4.4 Schedule of Class D Items 1. Summary 1. This report on the value of the Castlereagh area viewed as an item of the European cultural heritage makes the following points < 1.1 that the region of the Penrith Lakes Development Scheme has a history of European settlement back to 1793, i.e. longer than most parts of the County of Cumberland, let alone N.S.W; 1.2 that because of the slow growth and/or development rate of the region it has retained a number of discrete historic and archaeological sites of considerable interest.; 1.3 that because of its slow growth and development (until recently) it has retained considerable scenic or aesthetic quality as a rural landscape embodying relicts of a succession of land uses from the present day back to 1793; 1.4 that because it is now on the rural urban fringe in a particularly marginal situation between western suburbs development and the Blue Mountains it takes an additional heritage significance. 2. In this report assessment of cult~ral significance has been made.in terms of the following authorities: the Australian Heritage Commission codes of significance for the Register of the National Estate, the Environmental Planning Act of N.S.W. (1979) and the Heritage Act of N.S.W. (1977). Reference has also been made to The Burra Charter on the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance (Australia ICOMOS 1981) and to the Scenic Landscapes Study of the National Trust of Australia: N.S.W. (1978) . 2.1 Accordingly significance has been listed in this Report under the following headings: historical, scientific, cultural, social archaeological, architectural, aesthetic (Heritage Act of N.S.W. (1977), Section 4 (1) environmental heritage) which also incorporate reference to the other cited authorities. 2.2 Items of the European cultural heritage have been assessed both as discrete sites and in terms of their aesthetic, scenic and/or landscape contrib ution to their setting. Accordingly., there are four categories of cultural item: A. Visible structures, complexes and ruins B. Non-visible structures and features: archaeological sites C. Historic roads and routes D. Scenic areas 2.3 Assessment of items within these categories has been made in terms of four grades of significance: Great Considerable Some Li ttle 2.4 On the basis of this grading one of five conservation " policy options is recommended for each site or area. In brief these options are: l. Retain undisturbed 2. Retain undisturbed as long as possible 3. Retain in part 4. Record and investigate before disturbance 5. Record and relocate 3. As a result the following preferred conservation options have been recommended: A B C Sites of significance Total 44 11 15 (Categories A-C) Preferred Conservation 1 11 6 (10) Policy Option 2 29 (26) 4 a 5 (11) 4 4 (7) 11 5 D Scenic Areas Total 9 ( Ca tegory D) Preferred Conservation Policy Option·l 4 2 5 (2) 3 0(3) 1.1 Preamble 1. This Report was commissioned as a working paper in reference to the Regional Environmental Study for the Penrith Lakes Development Scheme projected for the Castlereagh region of the County of Cumberland. The subject areas with which it deals relate essentially to the 'environment' (Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (NSW) 1979 section 4(1) and specifically the environmental heritage as defined in the Heritage Act of NSW 1977 section 4( 1) • Its thrust is to further the aims of the E.P.A. as defined ibid Section 5(a)(i) and 5(a)(vi), including the matters noted in ibid. Section 90 ( 1 )( b ) and (c). -- 2. The outstanding characteristic of the Castlereagh region in terms of its physical, social, scenic and heritage environment is the impact and surviving evidence of nearly two hundred years of European settlement on the singular terrace and flood-plain topography of the Nepean-Hawkesbury junction area. This settlement history is among the oldest in the County of Cumberland, and therefore in Australia. 3. Because of the ,slow rate of change in the region much of this environmental heritage -both individual heritage items and larger scenic land scapes - has survived intact until the present, with comparatively little intrusion or damage until recently. 4. Because of its position on the rural-urban fringe in a marginal location between' the vigorous housing development of the Western Suburbs and the Blue Mountains barrier it takes on additional heritage significance as a community resource. 5. This Report identifies, itemises and assesses the significance of the environmental heritage in order that its protection can be appropriately accommodated in the overall rationalisation of the region's resources. 1.2 Scope of Report 1.21 This Report is concerned with the non-aboriginal as opposed to the aboriginal environment, where environment is defined as "all aspects of the surroundings of man whether affecting him as an individual or in his social groupings" (Environmental Planning and Assessment Act of N.S.W., 1979, section 4 (1). Specifically it concerns the identification and assessment, in the Castlereagh region, of that part of the physical environment which comprises "those buildings, works, relics or places of historic, scientific, cultural, social, archaeological, 'architectural, natural or aesthetic significance for the State" where "'place' means an area of land, with or without improvements" (Heritage Act of N.S.W. 1977 section 4 (1). 1.22 In this definition the concepts of buildings, work~ and relics (where relics is defined as "any deposit, object or material evidence relating to the settle ment prior to 1st January 1900 or such other date as may be prescribed of the area that comprises New South Wales, not being aboriginal settlement") are already well-established in current practice. Guidance on the identification and range of such items is already well-advanced in New South Wales on the basis of the National Trust of Australia (N.S.W.) Register together with the Register of the National Estate (Australian Heritage Commission). Further input will be available from the N.S.W. State Conservation plan (forthcoming). 1. 2 3 Newer to the public to date is the concept of places of historic, scientific and cultural, social, archaeological, architectural, natural or aesthetic significance including man-made landscapes with a major c;::omponent of historic features as well as "high scenic quality".* Studies which have begun to explore the identification of man-made historic landscapes in contrast to the natural scenic landscape include the Norfolk Island Management Plan, Illawarra Region Landscape Survey and Scenic Landscapes: Guidelines for their Protection (National Trust of Australia (N.S.W. 1976 and 1979 respectively) and the Gosford- Wyong Rural Lands Study P.E.C. 1975. The Hawkesbury Nepean Valley Regional Environmental Study D.E.P. 1981 remains in draft. 1. 24 The importance of all types of landscapes is recognised in the Recommendations of Unesco (to which Australia is signatory) of 1962.