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! 1-1-' WENDY THORP L Consultant Archaeologist 1 ~ 78 Australia SI. rl Camperdown '2050 ph (02) 516 3381 l 11 r' , [r I ·11 I. I I 1I ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT .I I I I 11 DAIRY AND HOUSE SITES I COOLANG,ATTA HISTORIC VILLAGE. ·11, 1I I I SEPTEMBER 1986 1I I , , 11 il { .. _0 [ t: I I J: :I I I, I I ''r , , I I I ·PREPARED FO'R THE DEPARTMENT OF ENV'fr10NMENT AND PLANNING r [. LJ-----··---· ,'-_' ---.~~----.-... _-_.:~-----_._-_._-----_._------ ---- I WENDY THORP I Consultant Archaeologist I I I I ARCHA.EDLOGICAL REPORT DAIRV AND HOUSE SITES I CDDLANGATTA 1-1ISTDRIC VILLAGE I I I I I I I I I I I I 78 Australia St, Camperdown 2050 IL-------Ph (02) 516-3381 ----' I I INDEX TO THE REPORT I Acknowledgements ii 1.0 Preface to the Report 1 I 1.1 Location 1 1.2 Heritage Recognition 2 1.3 Initiative for Investigation 3 I 1.4 Objectives 4 1.5 Methodology 5 2.0 Synopsis and Recommendations 6 I 2.1 Synopsis 6 2.2 Recommendations 8 2.2.1 Site I 8 I 2.2.2 Site II 9 3.0 Historic Context 10 I 3.1 Discovery and Opening the South Coast 11 3.2 Alexander Berry 12 3.3 Berry and the South Coast 13 3.4 The Coolangatta Estate: The Beginnings 14 I 3.5 Development 17 3.6 Later History 20 3.7 New Beginnings 23 I 3.8 Graphics 24 4.0 ·Site Investigation 25 I 4.1 Preface 25 4.1.1 Location 25 4.1.2 Current Status 26 4.1.3 Objectives 27 I 4.1.4 Methodology 28 4.2 Site I 29 4.2.1 Trench 1 30 I 4.2.2 Trench 2 31 4.2.3 Trench 3 32 4.2.4 Conclusions 33 I 4.3 Site II 34 4.4 Conclusions 35 5.0 Subsidiary Documentation 36 I 5.1 Footnotes to the Text 36 5.2 Bibliography 38 I 6.0 Graphics to the Text 39 I I I I I ii I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I I would like to thank Mr Graham Wilson for his assistance with the field work and Mr Colin Bishop and his staff for their I assistance. I W.T. 1986 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I 1.0 PREFACE TO THE REPORT I 1.1 LOCATION I The areas which are the subject of this report are located within the Coolangatta Historic Village. The Village is located on Bolong Road, Coolangatta a I short distance from Shoalhaven Heads. It is within the Shellharbour Municipality. The site is owned and managed by Mr Colin Bishop as a resort centre. I The sites which are considered within this report are those of the former principal residence (Site I) and a dairy (Site 11). These are both located within I the area of the major building complex; the dairy site is to the west of the stables and the former house site to the south-west of the restaurant. I Plan No. 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I 2 I 1.2 HERITAGE RECOGNITION I Various elements within the site have been classified by both the National Trust of NSW and the Australian Heritage Commission. These listings cover I the stables and coachman's quarters, "The Cottage", the former tinsmith's shop and residence, coach house, billiard room, blacksmith's shop, the remains I of the original homestead including maids' quarters and dairy, the "Convict Cottage", former estate office, former community hall, the Berry monument I and cemetery. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3 I 1.3 INITIATIVE FOR INVESTIGATION I The work carried out during this programme was initiated at the request of the Department of I Environment and Planning. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 I 1.4 OBJECTIVES I Three main objectives were identified for this work. These were as follows: I 1.4.1 To locate archival detail sufficient to enable a satisfactory assessment of the significance of the I two sites and any remnant archaeological material. 1.4.2 To carry out sufficient site work to enable a definition of the nature of the two study areas as either potential archaeological sites with I recognizable deposits and/or features or historic sites of association. I 1.4.3 To provide a· statement of archaeological significance for the two sites and recommendations I with respect to the proposed future developments. I I I I I I I I I I I I I 5 I 1.5 METHODOLOGY I Archival data sufficient to define the role of the village within the development of the South Coast already existed and was collated for the purposes of I the assessment of archaeological significance. Site work consisted of the excavation of three minor I trenches across the site of the house and a survey of the dairy site. This work was carried out by one person over two and a half days. I The excavation was recorded by means of a site log and pro-forma system, black and white photographic I record and log. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 6 I 1.6 CONSTRAINTS I Time constraints imposed by the contract and brief limited the degree of archival work which could be carried out during the course of this programme and I this has constrained some of the objectives expressed within the brief. I The available archival material is sufficient to define to a limited degree the role of the estate in the development of the region, however, -it would require a much longer programme of research and I survey to define the development sequence of the estate and, therefore, to arrive at an accurate I statement of significance. The estate comprises many standing and sub-surface features and the limited quantity of archival I material and a short site inspection indicates that these have been established over a long period of time, have undergone many changes and additions and have served many purposes. To accurately define this I complex development will require detailed and comprehensive archival research and site by site analysis. This work was well beyond the scope of the I current programme. The objectives of the current programme, therefore, are severely limited; to explore the archaeological I potential of each site and to comment on the significance of each as a potential research tool for site specific investigation. It cannot comment I on the significance of these sites as -part of the overall development of the estate. I I I I I I I I ------------------------------------- --- --- I 6 I 2.0 SYNOPSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS I 2.1 SYNOPSIS I The small programme of archaeological work which is the subject of this report has been undertaken at the request of the Department of Environment and Planning. The subjects of the work are two sites I within the Coolangatta Historic Village for which developments have been proposed. The objectives of the work are, primarily, to determine the I archaeological potential and integrity of the two sites as a basis for assessing the effect of the I proposed developments on the resource. The Historic Village and its components are the remnants of the former Berry and Wollstonecraft property. This property was first granted in 1822 I and gradually expanded throughout the ninteenth century to incorporate most of the surrounding territory including at least two private towns. From I the later ninteenth century the size and holdings of the property have gradually decreased; in 1947 Mr Bishop bought the remnants and has since established I the Historic Village Motel and Resort. The importance and uniqueness of the original property, its developments and subsequent history I cannot be overstressed. It is comparable to and in many respects eclipses similar properties such as Regentvi1le and has played a singular role in I directing the development of a large area of the state. I Professional research into the documentary history and investigation of the physical remnants on and associated with the site would undoubtedly reveal much about the role of such estates in the I development of the country. One the basis of the available documentary evidence I at the time of this study it was impossible to comment on the significance of the two subject sites within the development of the estate although, in I the case of the house, the situation is fairly self evident. The intent of the report, therefore, is to comment on the nature and integrity of the two I sites. Site I, that of the house, is marked by small sections of standing walls at eithern end of the I house. Both sections have been partially rebuilt in I I I 7 I recent times. Small excavations within the area of the house, along the lines of the external walls and in areas immediately adjacent to the site have I revealed that all the foundations have been dug up and the foundations trenches destroyed in the process. Most of this stonework can now be seen in I garden edgings and extensions to the community hall. In addition to this work the site has obviously been I levelled to bedrock probably by means of a mechanical device such as a rotary hoe.