• = -" .. ,~---=--~ -- -~-----. --~~---'--- ___ .~_"'. ____ 4-'" _. '- . IL. I~ L .1 I :1 SCARBOROUGH HOUSE ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I E.C.J.LYOON 1992 I SYDNEY COVE AUTHORITY I I , I I I I I PREFACE This project formed part of the Sydney Cove Authority's I on-going archaeological management program. I would like to acknowledge the work carried out on site by Trevor Kelly and the Kelly Gang, contractors, and the I assistance of David Philpott and Helen Lochhead of the Sydney Cove Authority. I am also grateful for the advice of Tracy Ireland of the Heritage Branch of the Department I of Planning. I I I The cover photograph shows the 1978 construction of I Scarborough House, from inside the basement. This was the subsequent area of archaeological investigations. (SeA I file) I I I I I I I I I .. I I I PORT JACKSON I I I Bennelong Point I I I I SYDNEY I COVE I Cahill Expressway I / I I 0 500m I Location of Scarborough House, the Rocks, Sydney I I I I .1 I I CONTENTS I 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.0 INTRODUCTION I 3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 Study area 3.2 Previous studies I 4.0 HISTORY 5.0 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION I 5.1 Research Design 5.2 Methodology I 5.3 Excavation summary 6.0 DISCUSSION I 7.0 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS I 9.0 ILLUSTRATIONS 10.0 REFERENCES I 11.0 APPENDICES 11.1 Artefact catalogue 11.2 Excavation permit I 11.3 Sand's Sydney NSW Directory 1858-1932/3 11.4 Field notes I I I I I I I I I I I 1.0 EXECUTIVE SL~RY I 1.1 The project This report presents the results of an archaeological test excavation and monitoring program carried out for the Sydney Cove Authority, which owns and administers the I Rocks, .. Sydney. The program preceded and accompanied building works to Scarborough House and Rocks Square, I between Mill Lane and Argyle Street. By excavating test trenches in the basement area of Scarborough House, it was apparent that construction of the modern building in 1978-9 had destroyed all evidence I of earlier occupation. While massive footings probably comprising part of Frederic Unwin's 1843 warehouses were exposed, all associated strata had been removed. I Monitoring of the rest of the building works was recommended, and subsequent excavation in the basement I area confirmed the test results. Our knowledge of the original topography of the area was extended; the levels of deposit and natural horizons suggest that a substantial layer reflecting human I occupation exists below the Kendall Lane surface. The site's significance lies chiefly in its association I with prominent figures and processes in the area's development- Frederic Unwin, Lawrence Kendall, Thomas Playfair, and mixed industrial, commercial and I residential activities. It demonstrates changes in government attitudes towards the area in the 1970s and specifically the large-scale I alterations required to transform the site from its former use to an open public and commercial space. I Disturbance of the Rocks Square area was slight, however it is likely that archaeological remains survive. Future disturbance in the Rocks Square and other adjacent sites, including Kendall Lane and Penryhn House should be I assessed and prior investigation considered. Consideration should be given to signs or displays I informing visitors of the long history of the site and the dramatic changes which have occurred on it. I I I 'I I 'I • I, I 2.0 Introduction Archaeological test excavations were carried out in the I basement car-park beneath Scarborough House and The Rocks Square, The Rocks, in April, 1991. Monitoring of building works was subsequently carried out between April and July, 1992. Direction of the test excavations, monitoring I and ,subsequent preparation of this report were carried out by Jane Lydon of the Sydney Cove Authority. I The Sydney Cove Authority owns and has jurisdiction over The Rocks, bounded by the Sydney Harbour foreshore to the east and north, Grosvenor Street to the south, and the eastern side of the Harbour Bridge to the west. It is I committed to archaeological investigation of The Rocks wherever disturbance of the existing fabric occurs, recognizing the area's great archaeological potential. I Works in this area are preceded by an assessment of archaeological potential, enabling the formulation of management strategies. Recommendations are implemented by either the Sydney Cove Authority staff archaeologist or I by other archaeological consultants. 2.1 Reasons for Study I This investigation was initiated by the need to assess the archaeological potential of the site, preceding works carried out to Scarborough and Penryhn Houses. The I Archaeological Management Plan for The Rocks and Millers Point (Higginbotham, Kass and Walker 1991) assessed the site's condition as "mostly disturbed", recommending monitoring of disturbance of both above and below ground I remains (Figure 2). Baseline assessment of the site involved research and I collation of documentation of the 1970s development of the precinct. Unfortunately, this had been on such a large scale that an accurate prediction regarding the I potential resource could not be made without physical investigation. (Refer photos 1978-9 Redevelopment of Penryhn House) The aim of the test excavations was to determine the nature and depth of deposit to enable I assessment of the site's archaeological resource. I Based on the test program results, it was decided to I carry out monitoring of the subsequent building works. 2.2 Proposed development I In 1990 the Authority approved a proposal to transform Penryhn House into a 'speciality retail centre' with access from Argyle and Playfair Streets and Kendall Lane, I aiming to revitalize The Rocks Square Precinct. Excavation of the basement of Scarborough House became necessary. I 11 - --- - -- - -- - - - -- - .. iiii The Rocks and Millers Point Archaeological Management Plan. Inventory page 1 Locatioii details. Historic sequence of development. Inventory 40 Buildings by Land category Allotment of land. Historical notes Section Allotment Title 246100. Street no Location Argyle and Playfair Streets, Kendall and Mill Lanes. References Suburb The Rocks. Nam. Above ground archaeological remains. Site category Management plan. Recommendations Above ground archaeological remains. Original use Warehousing. An archaeological watching brief or monitoring programme is recommended. Description 1924, 1979. Below ground archaeological remains. An archaeological watching brief or monitoring programme is recommended. Reference. SCA. Building Data Sheets. Refer to the 'Base map " to locate any site included in this Inventory. This plan is included in the Archaeological Management Plan, Volume 1 •. Below ground archaeological remains. Assessment of condition Mostly disturbed. A recommendation for an archaeological watching brief or monitoring Basis for assessment Ground floor and basement parking, terraced into hillslope from Argyle programme is made for all streets not included in the Inventory. Street and Kendall Lane. Refer to the Archaeological Management Plan, Volume 1, for: 1. Legal obligations for the protection of archaeological resources (Chapter 6). 2. Circumstances in which archaeological investigations are required (Chapter 7). 3. The types of archaeological investigations and the procedures associated with them (Chapter 8). 4. Permits and other approvals (Chapter 9). The Archaeological Management Plan does not affect, or remove any Archaeological investigations. obligations or requirements that apply by way of legislation to The Rocks and Type of Investlgstlon Millers Point. References Edward Higginbotham, Terry Kass & Meredith Walker. 1991. Department of Planning & Sydney Cove Authority. I I I 3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 Study area The geological basis of the site is Hawkesbury sandstone I with_occasional shale and laminite beds. Sandstone has been-exposed wherever excavation occurs(Mahaffey Associates P/L 1991). The site is on the lower slopes of I the ridge which separates the Rocks from Millers Point to the west, and slopes east towards George Street and Sydney Cove. I Scarborough House was constructed against the north side of Penrhyn House, and is bounded by Playfair Street to the west, Kendall Lane to the east, and Mill Lane to the I north (refer figure 3: site plan). The Rocks Square forms a pedestrian mall from the former Playfair Street, extending to the north and west of the buildings and forming a broad terrace over the naturally sloping I terrain. A basement car-park extends from below Penrhyn House,-northwards under Scarborough House and Rocks I Square to Mill Lane. Results of a geotechnical investigation carried out before works began indicate that past developments have I caused a build up of fill directly overlying the sandstone bedrock. At the locations investigated in the basement, the average depth to bedrock was 1.64m - this depth was reached along the eastern side. Externally on I the western limit of the new work in Rocks Square the depth to bedrock from the current level was approximately 3m. On the eastern side the depth to bedrock was an I average of 1.3m below the footpath in Kendall Lane (Mahaffey Associates P/L 1991). Photographs taken during the 1978-9 redevelopment of the site demonstrate these I large-scale changes of level (refer photographs 1978-9 redevelopment). When Scarborough House was constructed in 1978, the site was levelled and cemented. I 3.2 Previous Studies. Several studies have been carried out in the vicinity of the site, investigating unwins Stores at 77-85 George Street (Lydon 1991a), the CoachHouse (Bairstow 1989), Samsons Cottage (Lydon 1991b), the Ambulance Station (Sheedy 1992) and Observer Hotel (Lowe 1992), 'Tara Terraces" (Green 1988), Foundation Park (Noble 1991; Grave 1991) and the Argyle Centre (1990). The adjoining building, Penrhyn House, was the subject of a conservation plan (Orwell and Peter Phillips Architects I 1991) which included Archival and Archaeological Investigation (Thorp 1991).