Bantry Bay Conservation Management Plan (draft) Garigal National Park, NSW Cover image: Receiving shed and telegraph office, including magazines No. 7 & 9, 2001 Prepared for the National Parks and Wildlife Service by: Graham Brooks & Associates Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects Mary Dallas Consulting Archaeologists NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service May 2002 BANTRY BAY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT Table of Contents Part A Introduction_______________________________________________________7 1.0 Introduction__________________________________________________________ 8 1.1 Background __________________________________________________________ 8 1.2 Report Objectives______________________________________________________ 8 1.3 Report Methodology, Structure and Terminology ______________________________ 9 1.3.1 Methodology _____________________________________________________ 9 1.3.2 Structure________________________________________________________ 10 1.3.3 Terminology_____________________________________________________ 10 1.4 Site Identification_____________________________________________________ 10 1.4.1 Precinct Identification______________________________________________ 11 1.5 The Study Team ______________________________________________________ 11 1.6 Documentary Sources__________________________________________________ 13 1.7 Report Limitations ____________________________________________________ 13 1.8 Acknowledgments ____________________________________________________ 14 Part B Understanding the Resource _________________________________________15 2.0 Thematic History _____________________________________________________ 16 2.1 Introduction _________________________________________________________ 16 2.2 Gu-rin-gai And Settlers_________________________________________________ 17 2.3 Isolation And Romance ________________________________________________ 21 2.4 The Public Magazines__________________________________________________ 25 2.4.1 Origins of the magazine ____________________________________________ 25 2.4.2 History of the Magazine ____________________________________________ 25 2.4.3 Buildings and structures: Powderhulk Bay_______________________________ 28 2.4.4 Buildings and Structures: Eastern shore_________________________________ 29 2.4.5 Buildings and Structures: Western shore ________________________________ 34 2.4.6 The Explosives Department _________________________________________ 37 2.4.7 The Industrial Process______________________________________________ 42 3.0 Nature of the Resource ________________________________________________ 44 3.1 An Integrated Natural and Cultural Landscape _______________________________ 44 3.1.1 Natural Landscape ________________________________________________ 44 3.1.2 Cultural Landscape________________________________________________ 44 3.2 Greater Gu-Ring-Gai Setting ____________________________________________ 46 3.2.1 Natural Setting ___________________________________________________ 46 3.2.2 The Aboriginal Landscape __________________________________________ 48 3.3. Aboriginal Archaeological Resource_______________________________________ 48 3.3.1 Greater Sydney Region_____________________________________________ 48 3.3.2 Aboriginal Sites in Bantry Bay _______________________________________ 49 3.3.3 Aboriginal Sites located within the Study Area ___________________________ 53 3.3.4 Summary _______________________________________________________ 53 3.4. Resource Exploitation _________________________________________________ 55 3.4.1 Old Bullock Track ________________________________________________ 55 GRAHAM BROOKS & ASSOCIATES, TAYLOR BRAMMER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS MARY DALLAS CONSULTING ARCHAEOLOGISTS Page 1 BANTRY BAY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT 3.4.2 Lime Burners’ and Oyster Gathers ____________________________________ 55 3.5 Recreational Use _____________________________________________________ 56 3.5.1 Walters Family___________________________________________________ 56 3.5.2 Balmain New Ferry Company _______________________________________ 56 3.6 Bantry Bay Explosives Magazine Complex _________________________________ 56 3.6.1 Precinct Identification _____________________________________________ 57 3.6.2 Development of the Magazine Complex Setting __________________________ 61 3.6.3 Development of the Landscape Setting _________________________________ 61 3.6.4 Description of Key Building and Site Elements __________________________ 64 3.6.5 Specific Design Criteria Which Reflect the Explosive’s Storage Use of the Site __ 77 3.6.6 Demolished Elements______________________________________________ 79 3.6.7 Integrity of the Site, Buildings and Infrastructure _________________________ 80 3.6.8 Condition of the Site, Buildings and Infrastructure ________________________ 80 3.6.9 Contamination of the Site, Buildings and Infrastructure ____________________ 88 3.6.10 Moveable Heritage Items ___________________________________________ 88 3.7 Incorporation into NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service____________________ 88 3.7.1 Maintenance Works _______________________________________________ 89 3.7.2 Park Infrastructure ________________________________________________ 89 4.0 Assessment of Cultural Significance ______________________________________ 91 4.1 Assessment of Cultural Significance NSW State Heritage Register Criteria _________ 91 4.2 Natural Heritage Assessment of the Site____________________________________ 94 4.3 Comparative Assessment _______________________________________________ 96 4.3.1 Explosive Magazine complexes ______________________________________ 96 4.3.2 Pleasure Grounds_________________________________________________ 97 4.4 Statement of Cultural Significance ________________________________________ 98 4.5 Grading of Relative Significance._________________________________________ 99 4.5.1 Primary Significance ______________________________________________ 99 4.5.2 Contributory Significance__________________________________________ 100 4.5.3 Little or No Significance __________________________________________ 101 4.5.4 Actions which have had a detrimental Impact on the significance & integrity of the complex: 101 Part C Opportunities and Constraints _______________________________________103 5.0 Obligations and Constraints ___________________________________________ 104 5.1 Retention of the Integrated Cultural and Natural Significance Values _____________ 104 5.2 Opportunities and Constraints Arising from the Statement of Significance _________ 104 5.3 National Agencies ___________________________________________________ 105 5.3.1 Australian Heritage Commission ____________________________________ 105 5.3.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) ________________ 106 5.3.3 The Native Title Act 1993 _________________________________________ 107 5.4 State Government Agencies ____________________________________________ 107 5.4.1 Regional Environmental Plan No. 23 Sydney And Middle Harbours__________ 107 5.4.2 NSW Heritage Council____________________________________________ 108 5.4.3 NSW Waterways Authority ________________________________________ 108 5.4.4 NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services ____________________________ 108 5.4.5 Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983____________________________________ 110 5.4.6 Planning NSW__________________________________________________ 111 5.4.7 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 ____________________________ 111 GRAHAM BROOKS & ASSOCIATES, TAYLOR BRAMMER LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS MARY DALLAS CONSULTING ARCHAEOLOGISTS Page 2 BANTRY BAY CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT 5.4.8 Noxious Weeds Act 1993 __________________________________________ 111 5.4.9 Rural Fires Act 1997______________________________________________ 112 5.5 Local Government Agencies____________________________________________ 112 5.5.1 Warringah Council _______________________________________________ 112 5.5.2 Manly Council __________________________________________________ 112 5.5.3 Willoughby City Council __________________________________________ 112 5.6 Community Groups __________________________________________________ 112 5.6.1 National Trust of Australia (NSW) ___________________________________ 112 5.6.2 Australia ICOMOS_______________________________________________ 113 5.6.3 Local Community Groups__________________________________________ 113 5.7 Occupational Health and Safety Constraints ________________________________ 114 6.0 Conserving the Cultural Resources _____________________________________ 115 6.1 NPWS Management __________________________________________________ 115 6.1.1 NPWS Management Obligations for Natural and Cultural Resources__________ 115 6.1.2 Garigal National Park, Plan of Management ____________________________ 115 6.1.2 Staged Capital Works Programs _____________________________________ 118 6.2 Evolutionary Change and Development ___________________________________ 118 6.3 Environmental Conditions _____________________________________________ 118 6.4 Condition of the Site, Buildings and Infrastructure ___________________________ 119 6.4.1 Condition of the Receiving Shed No. 1 ________________________________ 120 6.5 Contamination of the Site, Buildings and Infrastructure________________________ 121 6.6 Managing the Landscape Setting_________________________________________ 122 6.6.1 Visual Curtilage _________________________________________________ 122 6.6.2 Precinct 1: Western Shore__________________________________________ 122 6.6.3 Precinct 2: Eastern Shore __________________________________________