I WENDY THORP I Consultant Archaeologist 78 Australia St, I Camperdown 2050 Ph (02) 5163381 I THE PENRITH HERITAGE STUDY I THE HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY COMPONENT I I I I I I I AUGUST 1986 I I I I I I I 11.-- ---' I I INDEX 1.0 Preface to the Report 1 I 1.1 Parameters of study Area 1 1.2 Initiative for study 1 1.3 Objectives 1 I 1.4 Methodology 2 1.5 Abbreviations Used in the Text 3 I 2.0 Synopsis 4 3.0 The Definition and Objectives of Historical Archaeology 6 I 3.1 What is Historical Archaeology? 6 3.2 What Can Historical Archaeology Tell Us? 7 3.3 How Can This Information Be Used? 8 I 3.4 Constraints Imposed By the Nature of the Data In Conflict With the Objectives of the Regional study 9 I 4.0 Historical Context 11 4.1 Phase I: 1789-1840 Discovery, Exploration"and Early Settlement 12 I 4.2 Phase II: 1840-1863 Collapse and Seeds of Change 15 4.3 Phase Ill: 1863-1914 Expansion, Subdivision and Consolidation 17 4.4 Phase IV: 1914-1939 Hiatus 20 I 4.5 Phase V: 1939-1986 New Growth 22 4.6 Conclusions 24 I 5.0 The Development of the Built Environment 26 5.1 Phase I 27 5.2 Phase II 34 I 5.3 Phase III 37 5.4 Phase IV 42 5.5 Phase V 44 I 5.6 Conclusions 46 6.0 The Current State of Archaeological Research and Identified Sites 52 I 6.1 Area Surveys 52 6.2 . Professional and Student Research 52 6.3 Local Historical Research 53 I 6.4 Registers 53 6.5 Compilation of Known Sites By Area 54 6.5.1 Castlereagh 54 6.5.2 Emu Plains 58 I 6.5.3 Jamison Town 59 6.5.4 MUlgoa 60 6.5.5 Regentville 64 I 6.5.6 st Marys 66 6.5.7 Wal1acia 67 I 6.6 Conclusions 68 I I ==== "1 I I 7.0 The Geographic Pattern 70 7.1 Phase I 70 I 7.2 Phase II 72 7.3 Phase III 73 7.4 Phase IV 74 7.5 Phase V 75 I 7.6 Summary 76 8.0 Site Types 78 I 8.1 Domestic Sites 79 8.2 Industrial Sites 83 8.3 Community Sites 87 8.4 Sites Associated With Communication 90 I 8.5 Service Sites ·93 8.6 Recreation Sites 94 8.7 Defence Sites 95 I 8.8· Landscape Modifications 96 8.9 Convict Sites 97 I 8.10 Summary 98 9.0 Factors Influencing Survival 99 9.1 Poor Construction 99 9.2 Floods 100 I 9.3 Urbanisation 101 10.0 The Development and Predictive Model 103 I 10.1 The Development Model: A Predictive Tool 104 10.1.1 Late Eighteenth to Middle Nineteenth Century 104 10.1.2 Middle Nineteenth to Twentieth Century 108 I 10.1.3 Twentieth Century 111 10.2 Testing the Model 113 10.2.1 Late Eighteenth to Middle Nineteenth I Century 113 10.2.2 Middle Nineteenth to Twentieth Century 115 10.2.3 Twentieth Century 117 I 10.3 Conclusions and Priorities 118 10.3.1 Conclusions 118 10.3.2 Priorities 121 I 11.0 Subsidiary Documentation 122 11.1 Footnotes to the Text 122 I 11.2 Bibliography 123 I I I , I ~I I 1 I 1.0 PREFACE TO THE REPORT I 1.1 PARAMETERS OF STUDY AREA The study area is concerned with the greater City of I Penrith which involves a number of suburbs including: Londonderry, Castlereagh, Berkshire Park, Llandilo, Cranebrook, Mt Pleasant, Dunheved, Emu Plains, Penrith, Cambridge Park, st Marys, I Werrington, Oxley Park, Colyton, Kingswood, Jamiston, Leonay, Regentville, Orchard Hills, st I Clair, Erskine Park, Wallacia and Mulgoa. The area also contains a small portion of the Blue Mountains National Park as well as major transport systems including Londonderry Road, Castleareagh I Road, The Northern Road, The Great Western Highway &nd Freeway, Luddenham, Mamre and MUlgoa Roads. The Nepean River is the major natural communication I system throughout the area. I 1.2 INITIATIVE FOR STUDY This study has been undertaken at the request of Fox and Associates as one component of a Heritage study I carried out on behalf of the Penrith City Council. I 1.3 OBJECTIVES Eight major objectives have been determined for this I work, their limitations defined by the constraints of budget, time and the availabe data base. These are as follows: I 1.3.1 To review and determine the historical context of the study area in terms of documented, historical phases of development, rather than themes, as an aid I to determining the development of an archaeological record. 1.3.2 To determine the development of the built I environment in response to these trends. 1.3.3 To consider the geographic pattern of settlement I over the full timespan of occupation by white settlers. I 1.3.4 To define distinctive site types which have emerged as characteristic of the development of the study I , area. I I I 2 I 1.3.5 To consider factors which have influenced the I survival of sites. 1.3.6 To review the current state of research and knowledge with regard to the archaeological resource I i.e. establish a data base. 1.3.7 To analyse the combined data of known sites and historic patterns of development in order to create I a predictive" model of settlement which may be tested against the data base. I 1.3.8 To provide recommendations, on the basis of this predictive assessment, for future archaeological I work and management planning purposes. 1.4 METHODOLOGY I The allowances of time and budget inhibited any new or original field or archival work being carried out for the purposes of this programme. The only data I available for analysis," therefore, was contained within existing studies or histories. To this end, in addition to the historical work I prepared for the current Heritage study, a number of works were located which consider aspects of the study area, for example, the Penrith Lakes Scheme I Regional Environmental Study (D.E.P. 1984), the MUlgoa Valley Regional Environmental Study (Kinhill Stearns 1983) and various local histories such as Stickley,C. The Old Charm of Penrith (1979). A I number of student works were located in universities and incidental articles in libraries. I The end result of this body of data is to provide a patchy coverage of the study area, with some large ommissions, in varying detail and degrees of I ,accuracy. The type of information contained within these sources varies as well, depending on the intent of the work, from anecdotal to scientific. I For the purposes of the archaeological analysis it is not as consistent and reliable as would be desirable, however, it does provide a reasonably I homogenous view of the study area development over time and this Qan be used as a basis, with some degree of accuracy, for the predictive model. It I does not, however, provide many new sites. This aspect is within the realm of detailed site survey , and this tool is now acknowledged to be well beyond I the scope and means of the Heritage Study scheme. I I I 3 I This work is viewed as being part of the management and planning strategy which arises out of the I completed study. I 1.5 ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT D.E.P Department of Environment and Planning E.P. Steege,J. Emu Plains M.V. MUlgoa Valley Regional Environmental study I O.C.P. Stickley,C. The Old Charm of Penrith. P.L.S. Penrith Lakes Regional Environmental study R.D.V. Long,M. Reminiscences of a District I Veteran. I I I I I I I I I I I I , I I I 4 I 2.0 SYNOPSIS The archaeological component of a heritage study is I undertaken to determine what is often a "hidden" resource; material remains of past settlement which may be buried, partially standing or concealed I within a building. It is concerned with finding sites and/or areas that are significant in explaining the development of a particular area or a particular facet of that development, for example, I the industrial development. The sites which are located during this analysis may I become important sites . for investigation, for display, for community involvement; the processes of investigation may become as much a part of the display and involvement as the finished product be I that a site, museum display or book. To ensure that elements of this essentially fragile and very finite resource are not lost or detroyed through ignorance I this survey attempts to define areas of high, medium and low priority for archaeological investigation I and/or involvement. To achieve this a new method has been employed, that of· the predictive model. In past studies the emphasis has been on the recognition and recording I of known or potential sites; in the case of archaeological material, where so much that has happened in the past has been forgotten and lies I buried, the approach is, at best, like "finding a needle in a haystack". I To achieve a more useful planning tool the predictive model of settlement for Penrith has been created and tested and sets of priorities, based on the results of this work, etablished to be used to I guide future development. To arrive at a predictive model various analyses of I the study area have been undertaken each designed to establish certain patterns and responses.