Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Preliminary Due Diligence Assessment Report City Administration Centre Maitland City Council 263-283 High Street Maitland NSW January 2019 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Preliminary Due Diligence Assessment Report City Administration Centre Maitland City Council 263-283 High Street MAITLAND NSW Prepared for: Maitland City Council by Eureka Heritage Project No 181001AH Report written by: K Kath Beech & Sue Singleton Sue Singleton Heritage Consultant & Archaeologist Draft issued January 2019 Final issued March 2019 Cover Illustration: 3D concept design showing High Street elevation. Eureka Heritage Strathalbyn 669 Comara Road RETREAT via BENDEMEER NSW 2358 [email protected] | 0416 027 417 Maitland City Council City Administration Centre Aboriginal Heritage - Preliminary Due Diligence Assessment CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSE This is an open report. As at the date of this report, there are no known or perceived restrictions on who may view the information presented. COPYRIGHT Copyright of this preliminary Aboriginal Heritage Assessment report belongs to Eureka Heritage. However, the proponent specified within the report, may use, copy and distribute the report as they require. For this reason, culturally sensitive information will not be included in the report. It is a requirement of copyright that any reference made to the information contained in this report be appropriately acknowledged. REPORT FORMAT The format and contents of this report adhere to those suggested by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW), now incorporated into the Office of Environment and Heritage. DISCLAIMER The authors are not accountable for omissions and inconsistencies that may result from information that was unknown or not available at the time of preparing the report. AUTHORS Kath Beech, Anthropologist and sub-consultant to Eureka Heritage, prepared this report. Archaeologist Sue Singleton reviewed and finalised the report. BIBLIOGRAPHY This report contains a bibliography rather than a list of references. A bibliography refers to both textual references and other work viewed by the author, which may have provided background and regional information, but may not have been explicitly cited in the text. 181001_AH_FINAL March 2019 Page | i Maitland City Council City Administration Centre Aboriginal Heritage - Preliminary Due Diligence Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. COMMISSION .............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. PROJECT TEAM & PROJECT BRIEF ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. OVERVIEW OF DUE DILIGENCE REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................. 1 1.4. SITE LOCATION & DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.5. PROPOSED PROJECT WORKS ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.6. STATUTORY FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 2 UNDERSTANDING THE STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................... 11 2.1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2. ABORIGINAL HERITAGE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ................................................................................... 11 2.3. NATIVE TITLE REGISTER ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4. OTHER REGISTERS ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.5. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.6. REGIONAL CONTEXT .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 2.7. ANTIQUITY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD ............................................................................................................... 18 2.8. SYNTHESIS OF LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 18 2.9. INTEGRITY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD ................................................................................................................ 20 2.10. ETHNOGRAPHIC CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................................... 21 2.10.1. THE WONNARUA ............................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.11. PRE-CONTACT LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................. 30 2.12. EUROPEAN INCURSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 2.13. EUROPEAN (HISTORICAL) LANDUSE OF STUDY AREA ................................................................................................ 32 2.13.1. HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT) ................................................................................................ 33 2.13.2. HIGH STREET, WEST MAITLAND ................................................................................................................................... 34 3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL REVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 38 3.1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................................... 38 3.2. PREDICTIVE MODEL ............................................................................................................................................................... 38 3.2.1. PREDICTIVE MODEL GUIDELINES ................................................................................................................................... 38 3.3. GENERAL PATTERNS OF ABORIGINAL OCCUPATION ........................................................................................................ 39 3.4. REVIEW OF PATTERNS OF ABORIGINAL OCCUPATION – HUNTER VALLEY .................................................................. 40 3.5. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................................. 42 3.5.1. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 42 3.5.2. THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 42 3.5.3. IMPLICATIONS OF DISTURBANCE ON THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD .................................................................... 43 3.6. ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF THE STUDY AREA............................................................................... 44 3.6.1. CAMPSITES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 45 3.6.2. BURIALS .............................................................................................................................................................................. 46 3.6.3. CEREMONIAL GROUNDS, CORROBOREE SITES, GATHERING PLACES ......................................................................... 46 3.6.4. STONE ARRANGEMENTS................................................................................................................................................... 46 3.6.5. CARVED TREES .................................................................................................................................................................. 46 3.6.6. SCARRED TREES ................................................................................................................................................................ 46 3.6.7. GRINDING GROOVES ......................................................................................................................................................... 47 3.6.8. QUARRIES