‘Intended solely for their greater comfort and happiness’: Historical archaeology, paternalism and the Peel Island Lazaret Jonathan Mark PrangneU BA (Hons) Department of Anthropology and Sociology A thesis submitted to the University of Queensland in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 1999 The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original and my own work, except as acknowledged in the text, and this thesis has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university. Jonathan Mark Prangnell Abstract The research presented in this dissertation centres on an historical archaeological analysis of the Peel Island Lazaret. The Lazaret was located on Peel Island in Queensland’s Moreton Bay and operated between 1907 and 1959. It was an isolated, patemalistically run institution for the treatment of Hansen’s Disease. In this study I use the historical archaeological investigation of the lives of the inmates and staff at the Lazaret to examine the role of paternalism as a governing force in the organisation of the place and in the lives of the people forced to live within its boundaries. From this analysis I generate information on the formal and disciplinary power relations that operated to develop and maintain the Lazaret. To undertake this study I develop a methodology based on Kosso (1991) that uses the distinct, epistemic entities of different written sources and the archaeological record to maintain the unique domain of each, yet determine their interrelatedness. This ensures the validity of the original basis for any interpretation of the archaeological phenemona. The written records of the Lazaret are divided into those written during the operation of the place and those written after the closure of the Lazaret and that look back upon it. They differ contextually and both can offer different yet equally legitimate starting points for interpretation. Analysis of archival and other documentary sources and archaeological survey and excavation are the methods employed in this research. From this analysis a number of developments occur. These include an understanding of the role of control and the iii use of space at the Lazaret, an understanding of the spatial and material aspects of paternalism and a demonstration that philosophies, such as paternalism, can be accessed archaeologically. IV Contents List of Figures in text vi List of Tables in text vili Building a Partial Shelter 1 Institutions, Power, Paternalism and Historical Archaeology 42 The Documents 81 Introduction to the Physical Evidence 137 The Physical Evidence from Site D1 161 The Physical Evidence from Sites 34, 39, 71 and 80 246 They Gave You Everything B ut... 331 Full Cycle 364 Bibliography 398 V Figures Figure 1. Map of Moreton Bay, Southeast Queensland Showing the 4 Location of Peel Island Figure 2. Plan of Lazaret Showing Compounds 5 Figure 3. Schematic Representation of the Analytical Categories of Paternalism and Disciplinary Power 83 Figure 4. White Male Patients’ Hut 108 Figure 5. Coloured Patients’ Compound 109 Figure 6. The Hierarchical Structure of the Lazaret Staffing 124 Figure 7. Surawski Name Plate on Building Remains 139 Figure 8. Male Patients’ Compound in the 1950s 141 Figure 9. Male Patients’ Compound in the 1990s 141 Figure 10. Survey Transects 151 Figure 11. Results of Survey of Peel Island 155 Figure 12. Plan of Site D1 165 Figure 13. Figurative Representation of the Slope on Site D 1 166 Figure 14. Site D1 167 Figure 15. Stratigraphic Profile of Trench A, Site D1 169 Figure 16. Stratigraphic Profile of Site Trench B, D1 170 Figure 17. Parts of a Bottle 180 Figure 18. The Three Main Bottle Rim Types 181 Figure 19. Comparison of Frequency and Weight of Ceramics in 182 Site D1 as Percentages vi Catedral Design 187 A van Hoboken Seal 199 Details of Clay Pipe Artefacts 218 Variables of Green Beer Bottle Glass Sherds from 235 Grid Unit B1 of Site D1 Comparison of Percentage of Glass and Metal in each SU 243 in the Six Grid Units Plan of Site 34 255 Stratigraphic Profile of Site 34 256 Plan ofF 1 257 Queensland Government Crest on Cup Rim Sherd 259 Plan of Site 39 276 Stratigraphic Profiles of Site 39 277 Cut-Throat [Straight] Razor in SU II of Site 39 285 Plan of Site 71 293 Stratigraphic Profiles of Site 71 294 Plan of Site 80 311 Stratigraphic Profiles of Site 80 312 Figurative Representation of the Arrangement of Compounds 346 Structure of the Thesis 365 vii Tables Comparison of Characteristics of Total Institutions 53 and Disciplinary Power The Historical Documentary Record of the Peel Island 85 The Documentary Record of the Peel Island Lazaret 86 Lazaret Staff in 1938 126 Roster Worked by Male Attendants at the 127 Peel Island Lazaret in 1937 Restoration and Maintenance Work as per Conservation Plan 143 Classification System for Ceramic Body 176 (Thompson and Wilson 1987:2-3) Counts of Artefacts by Class and by Stratigraphic Unit 183 in Site D1 Distribution of Food Class in Site D1 183 Tableware Identifiable by Backstamp in Site D1 185 Summary Data for Cups in Site D1 189 Patterned Plate Sherds in Site D1 191 Frequency of Glass by Colour in Site D1 194 Percentage of Glass by Colour in Site D1 194 Distribution of Glass Food Artefacts in Site D1 195 Bottle Body Part of Food Glass in Site D1 195 Distribution of Bottle Rim Types in Site D1 196 Fragmentation of Beer Bottle Glass in Site D1 197 Fragmentation of Cordial Bottle Glass in Site D1 198 vili Fragmentation of Mineral Water Bottle Glass in Site Dl 199 Fragmentation of Sauce Bottle Glass in Site Dl 201 Fragmentation of Unidentified Bottle Glass in Site D1 203 Distribution of Clothing Artefacts in Site D1 206 Distribution of Accommodation Artefacts in Site D1 208 Metal Accommodation Artefacts in Site D1 210 Distribution of Hospital Related Artefacts in Site D1 211 Distribution of Lotion Pot Sherds in Site D1 212 Distribution of Personal Artefacts in Site D1 215 Distribution of Unassigned Artefacts in Site D1 221 Distribution of Charcoal in Site D1 222 NISP of Faunal Remains in Site D1 223 Distribution of Bone in Site D1 223 Distribution of Bone in Trench A and Trench B 224 Bone Identifiable at the Class Level 225 Distribution of Coral in Site D1 225 Distribution of Shell in Site D1 226 Decoration Style by Ceramic Body Material in Site D1 231 Underglaze Decoration Colour and Ceramic 231 Body Material in Site D1 Overglaze Decoration Colour and Ceramic Body 232 Material in Site D1 Summary of Internal Rim Measurements (in mm) of Green 236 Beer Bottle Glass from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 ix Summary of Minimum External Rim Measurements (in mm) 237 of Green Beer Bottle Glass from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Summary of Maximum External Rim Measurements (in mm) 238 of Green Beer Bottle glass from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Summary of the Height (in mm) of Green Beer Bottles from 238 Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Summary of the Height (in mm) of the Kick of Green Beer 239 Bottles from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Summary of the Diameter (in mm) of the Base of Green Beer 240 Bottles from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Summary of the Diameter (in mm) of the Body of Green Beer 240 Bottle from Grid Unit B1 in Site D1 Average Weight (in grams) of Artefact Materials at Site D1 241 Distribution of Artefact Classes in Site 34 258 Materials in Food Class in Site 34 258 Distribution of Accommodation Artefacts in Site 34 262 Distribution of Metal Accommodation Artefacts in Site 34 264 Species of Shell in SU 2 of Site 34 265 Distribution of Personal Artefacts in Site 34 266 Distribution of Unassigned Artefacts in Site 34 267 Distribution of Charcoal in Site 34 268 NISP of Unassigned Faunal Remains in Site 34 268 NISP of Unassigned Shell in Site 34 270 Unassigned Metal Artefacts in Site 34 271 Distribution of Artefact Classes in Site 39 278 Distribution of Food Artefacts in Site 39 278 X Accommodation Artefacts in Site 39 280 NISP of Faunal Remains in F 3 Site 39 281 Species of Shell in F 3 in Site 39 282 Distribution of Metal Accommodation Artefacts in Site 39 283 Distribution of Unassigned Artefacts in Site 39 285 Distribution of Charcoal in Site 39 286 NISP of Unassigned Faunal Material in Site 39 286 Distribution of Unassigned Shell in Site 39 287 Distribution of Artefact Classes in Site 71 295 Distribution of Food Artefacts in Site 71 295 Distribution of Metal Food Artefacts in Site 71 297 Distribution of Clothing Artefacts in Site 71 297 Distribution of Accommodation Artefacts in Site 71 298 Distribution of Metal Accommodation Artefacts in Site 71 299 Plastic Accommodation Artefacts in Site 71 300 Distribution of Wooden Artefacts in Site 71 300 Distribution of Hospital Artefacts in Site 71 300 Distribution of Personal Artefacts in Site 71 301 Count of Post-Lazaret Artefacts in Site 71 303 Distribution of Unassigned Artefacts in Site 71 304 Distribution of Unassigned Charcoal in Site 71 305 Distribution of Unassigned Shell in Site 71 306 Distribution of Unassigned Metal Artefacts in Site 71 307 xi Distribution of Artefact Classes in Site 80 310 Distribution of Food Artefacts in Site 80 313 Distribution of Faunal Material Food Artefacts in Site 80 314 Distribution of Clothing Artefacts in Site 80 315 Distribution of Accommodation Artefacts in Site 80 316 Distribution of Fibro Artefacts in Site 80 317 Distribution of Metal Accommodation Artefacts in Site 80 318 Count of Post-Lazaret Artefacts in Site 80 320 Distribution of Unassigned Artefacts in Site 80 321 Distribution of Charcoal in Site 80 321 NISP of Faunal Material