2006 Report on the Cape Inscription National Heritage Listing Archaeological Survey 2006 Report on the Cape Inscription National Heritage Listing Report on the 2006 Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Cape Inscription National Heritage Listing Archaeological Survey Edited by Jeremy Green with contributions by Ross Anderson Patrick Baker Jon Carpenter Darren Cooper Carmela Corvaia Adam Ford Jeremy Green Michael McCarthy Richenda Prall Myra Stanbury Report—Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum, No. 223 Special Publication No. 10, Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology 2007 Report on the 2006 Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Cape Inscription National Heritage Listing Archaeological Survey Dirk Hartog Landing Site 1616 CARNARVON Bernier Island - Cape Inscription Area Dorre Island Place ID: 105808 File: 5/14/193/0014 WA National Heritage List - Listed Place WOORAMEL ROADHOUSE YARINGA Dirk Hartog Island DENHAM USELESS LOOP OVERLANDER HAMELIN ROADHOUSE Produced by: Heritage Division Projection: GDA 94, Date: 27 April 2006 Canberra, © Commonwealth of Australia 0 0.5 1 2 Kilometers / Figure 1. Map of the north end of Dirk Hartog Island showing the National Heritage Listing area. (Plan: Courtesy of Department of the Environment and Heritage). First published 2007 by the Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology Department of Maritime Archaeology Western Australian Maritime Museum Cliff Street FREMANTLE Western Australia 6160 This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be to the publisher. © 2007 Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data Western Australian Museum. Dept. of Maritime Archaeology. Report on the 2006 Western Australian Museum, Department of Maritime Archaeology, Cape Inscription National Heritage Listing archaeological survey. Bibliography. ISBN 10876465360 (pbk.). 1. Archaeological surveying - Western Australia - Cape Inscription Region. 2. Historic sites - Western Australia - Dirk Hartog Island. 3. Historic sites - Western Australia - Shark Bay. 4. Underwater archaeology - Shark Bay Region. 5. Cultural property - Western Australia - Cape Inscription Region. I. Green, Jeremy N., 1942- . II. Anderson, Ross. III. Baker, Patrick, 1943- . IV. Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology. V. Title. (Series : Special publication (Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology) ; 10). 930.109941 Printed by: PK Print, Fremantle Cover design: Jeremy Green Typsetting: Jeremy Green Proofreading: Myra Stanbury The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government and the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for any information or advice contained herein. Contents List of Figures iv List of Tables ix Acknowledgements ix Summary and Recommendations x Summary x Recommendations xiv General recommendations xiv De Saint Aloüarn site management xiv Persévérant survivors’ camp site management xiv Notch Point pearling camp xv Quoin Bluff military encampment xvi Turtle Bay marine infrastructure sites xvi Sammy Well xvii List of abbreviations xvii Project overview 1 Surveying procedures Cape Inscription 9 The de Saint Aloüarn Annexation Site at Cape Inscription Dirk Hartog Island 12 The de Saint Aloüarn voyage of 1772 13 Post-settlement activity at the French ‘annexation site’ in Turtle Bay 25 De Saint Aloüarn Annexation Site 2006 Archaeology Report 44 Turtle Bay maritime infrastructure 73 The Hartog, de Vlamingh and Hamelin plates 79 Persévérant Sites 105 Background history 106 Surveying Persévérant Survivors’ Camp 122 The archaeology of the Persévérant camp site 125 Maritime survey for the wreck of the Persévérant 154 Notch Point pearling site 156 Pearling at Shark Bay: the early beginnings 157 Survey of the Notch Point pearling camp 162 Quoin Bluff military encampment 171 The Shark Bay guano industry: a background 172 Survey of the Irwin Station (1850), at Quoin Bluff 183 Miscellaneous sites 195 Sammy Well 195 The Turtle Bay ‘grave’ 203 Mystery Bay 207 The Herald Bay outcamp 210 Aboriginal sites 220 Miscellaneous inspection sites 226 Artefact register 232 Conservation 246 Conservation recovery and transport of the ‘third French bottle’ 247 Conservation Dirk Hartog Island 30 September–21 October 2006 252 References 255 iii List of Figures NOTE : all photographs by Patrick Baker, WA Museum, unless otherwise stated. Figure 1. Map of the north end of Dirk Hartog Island showing the National Heritage Listing area. (Plan: i Courtesy of the Department of the Environment and Heritage). Figure 2. Plan of Dirk Hartog Island showing locations of major sites investigated. xviii Figure 3. Aerial photograph showing Cape Inscription and Cape Levillain and the de Saint Aloüarn site 2 and the Persévérant survivors’ camp site. (Aerial photograph courtesy Department of Land Information, Perth). Figure 4 a & b. Close up of de Saint Aloüarn site (a) and Persévérant survivors’ camp site (b). (Aerial 2 photograph courtesy Department of Land Information, Perth). Figure 5. Coastal profiles of New Holland and map of Shark Bay made by William Dampier in 1699. 4 (From: Dampier, 1703). Figure 6. Detail of Figure 5 showing map of Shark Bay. 5 Figure 7. Screen shot of the OmniStar View8400 software interface showing scatter plot and position 10 details. Figure 8. Ross Anderson operating the Total Station. 10 Figure 9. Screen shot of the OmniStar scatter plot for 1000 readings, axies in standard deviation. 11 Figure 10. Plan showing location of the de Saint Aloüarn bottle deposition site. 12 Figure 11. Detail from the de Rosily chart of April 1772, showing Turtle Bay at the north end of Dirk 25 Hartog Island, the Gros Ventre’s anchorage, the depth soundings, and the annexation site. The ‘A’ inland is believed to mark the furthest point travelled inland. Figure 12. The coin dated 1766 and the lead capsule. 26 Figure 13. The bottle and capsule, before being opened. 27 Figure 14. The light rail and jetty, with the builders’ camp. (C.R. Hunter collection, WA Museum). 28 Figure 15. Construction at Turtle Bay. (C.R. Hunter collection, WA Museum). 29 Figure 16. A builder’s tent near the winder shed. (C.R. Hunter collection, WA Museum). 30 Figure 17. Construction on the ridge at Turtle Bay. (C.R. Hunter collection, WA Museum). 31 Figure 18. The coins donated by the Hunter family. Top: French 2 sol piece dated 1792. Bottom: Dutch 32 copper duit dated 1768 with crowned Arms of Overijssel. Figure 19. The site of the first find. The coin was found at the foot of the bush near the sign. (Photo: 34 Michael McCarthy, WA Museum). Figure 20. Metal detector operators Bob Sheppard and Bob Creasy at work in one of the grids. (Photo: 36 Myra Stanbury, WA Museum). Figure 21. A view of the site showing some of the ‘strikes’ awaiting analysis. The coin tree is to the right. 36 Out of frame right is the fence line, with the rail out of picture left. (Photo: Myra Stanbury, WA Museum). Figure 22. The bottle in situ. The ‘coin tree’ is visible behind the finders R. Sheppard, M.McCarthy and 38 R. Creasy. Photo: Myra Stanbury, WA Museum). Figure 23. The excavated bottle. (Photo: Rodney Harrison, University of Western Australia). 38 iv Figure 24. Detail from the de Rosily chart of April 1772, showing Turtle Bay at the north end of Dirk 41 Hartog Island, de Saint Aloüarn’s anchorage, the boat soundings, and the annexation site. The ‘A’ inland is believed to mark the furthest point travelled inland. Figure 25. A track of cyclones in the Shark Bay area. Source:<http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/ 43 cyclone/about/carnarvon/carnarvon_tracks.jpg> Figure 26. The écu (or louis d’argent) found by the Godard expedition. 46 Figure 27. The 18th century bottle found by the WAM expedition in 1998 with cap enclosing the coin in 47 place. Figure 28. View showing the line of the incline railway and piers of the jetty visible on the beach below. 48 Figure 29. Plan showing location of Harrison trenches. (From Harrison, 1998). 51 Figure 30. View showing metal detection in progress. 54 Figure 31. View showing general view of site looking north-west with Cape Inscription behind. 56 Figure 32. A pre-excavation view of site looking towards Cape Levillain showing a photograph of the 56 site in 1998. Figure 33. Plan showing distribution of plotted targets. 57 Figure 34. Showing group of rocks south of ‘coin tree’. 58 Figure 35. Disturbed and loose surface deposit [001] and flags showing locations of detected targets. 60 Figure 36. Typical stratigraphic sequence experienced across the site. 60 Figure 37. Clear strata; [001] A—horizon the tan brown top layer, [002] B—horizon the thin dark brown 61 layer, and [003] C—horizon the pink base layer ([004] is not visible on this image). Figure 38. Southern section of Trench 1. Note the Godard pit is clear in the centre of the section cutting 64 through the B and C—horizons down to bedrock. The coin tree is visible centre. Figure 39. A general view looking south of Trench 1 fully excavated. The coin tree is visible centre. 64 Figure 40. Location of Harrison’s bottle trench (T4) re-excavated in Trench 2. 65 Figure 41. Northern half of Trench 2 fully excavated. Note the square pit is an exploratory sondage and 65 not the Harrison’s bottle trench. Figure 42. Two iron fasteners found in Trench 3 close to the stone arrangement. 66 Figure 43. Partially excavated leather hobnail boot found in Trench 3. 66 Figure 44. Stone alignment found in the western half of Trench 3 during excavation. Note leather boot 67 being excavated at the north-east corner of the feature. Figure 45. A section through the grey deposit found in association with the rock alignment.