The University of Queensland Archaeological Services Unit Report No. 423b Cultural Heritage Report for the Proposed Northern Link Project Report to Sinclair Knight Merz Connell Wagner Joint Venture Jon Prangnell PhD, Karen Murphy BA(Hons), Tam Smith MA and Linda Terry BA(Hons) School of Social Science The University Of Queensland Brisbane Q 4072 September 2008 Executive Summary This report details the results of the cultural heritage investigations undertaken of the Northern Link Project area (henceforth known as the Study Area). The University of Queensland Archaeological Services Unit (UQASU) was contracted by the Sinclair Knight Merz Connell Wagner Joint Venture on behalf of Brisbane City Council to undertake a study of the existing cultural heritage values of the proposed Northern Link route. This report details the results of studies of both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural heritage places within the Study Area and the likely impacts and mitigation measures required. It is based on existing knowledge, registers and reports of the Study Area, community consultation, survey reports produced by the relevant Aboriginal Parties and surveys of standing structures conducted between October and December 2007. The Study Area consists of a corridor that traverses the inner western suburbs of Brisbane from Toowong in the west to Kelvin Grove in the east, taking in parts of the suburbs of Auchenflower, Bardon, Bowen Hills, Brisbane City (Petrie Terrace), Fortitude Valley, Herston, Kelvin Grove, Milton, Mount Coot-tha, Paddington, Red Hill, Spring Hill, Taringa and Toowong. For the purposes of the Cultural Heritage Study, a 300m buffer was applied around the Study Area to ensure that all places that may be affected by the proposed development were captured in the study. Therefore the Cultural Heritage Study includes well known locations such as the Royal Brisbane Hospital, the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, Lang Park and Government House. There are two Aboriginal Parties for the Study Area: Jagera Daran Pty Ltd and Turrbal Association Inc. Both Aboriginal Parties have undertaken separate Aboriginal cultural heritage studies of the Study Area and reported separately. The Turrbal Association Inc identified a number of places within the Study Area as areas of cultural significance, namely: o Mt Coot-tha – identified as a Dreaming site of the Turrbal People, associated with the honey- bee dreaming; o Toowong – identified as a low-lying swampy area rich in resources. o Milton – identified as a low-lying, swampy area rich in resources; and o Victoria Park – identified as a major occupation area known as Barrambin. It was the site of ‘acrimony and hostility toward the Turrbal People’ by non-Aboriginal inhabitants of Brisbane. The Turrbal Association Inc has also identified that an important Aboriginal pathway existed between the area of Mt Coot-tha and Roma Street. Coronation Drive and Milton Road follow part of the route of this pathway. In terms of Aboriginal occupation and significance the Northern Link Study Area is a small part of a larger dynamic landscape that hosted not only the Brisbane-based group but also a diverse range of neighbouring groups involved in economic, subsistence, social, ritual and political activities. There are two places on the Queensland Indigenous Cultural Heritage Database that are located within the Study Area, namely: o LB:N51, the campsite referred to by Petrie (1992:160-1) in the vicinity of the present day Normanby Hotel on Kelvin Grove Road. This was the camp used by the northern Aboriginal groups participating in ritual combat following a corroboree. o LB:N62, the extensive camp, contact and cultural site at Victoria Park. This is the area of York’s Hollow, the semi permanent base of the Brisbane Aborigines. Other Aboriginal cultural heritage places have been identified during this research, namely: o An axe collected from Munro Street, Toowong and now housed in the Queensland Museum; o The Mount Coot-tha and Toowong Scrub that was a major resource area and form which human bones and artefacts are known to have been collected; and o The Bowen Hills/Spring Hill/ New Farm Food Place that was a large scale resource area. A total of 137 registered non-Aboriginal heritage places are located within the Study Area, being entered on the Register of the National Estate, Queensland Heritage Register or Brisbane City Plan Heritage Register, or a combination of these. All places that are entered on the Queensland Heritage Register are also listed on the Brisbane City Plan Heritage Register. There are no places in the Study Area that are entered on the National Heritage List or the Commonwealth Heritage List. The majority of registered places (77) are listed solely for their local level of significance, with 35 registered for state significance, and 25 for national significance values. There are a wide range of registered place types in the Study Area, with the majority being Residential places (44), followed by Education/Research (15), Religion/Worship (14), Transport (14), Parks/Gardens/Trees (13) and Commercial places (11). The majority of heritage places are registered for their historical values (92), followed by aesthetic value (77) and for demonstrating the principle characteristics of a particular class of places (68). The likely impacts from construction activities such as tunnelling and worksites on heritage places during the construction period of Northern Link include the following: o Disturbance to places of Aboriginal cultural heritage value; o Construction and location of the portals requiring demolition or relocation of heritage places; o Location and construction of feeder lanes and connection roads requiring demolition or relocation of heritage places; o Vibration from road header and tunnel boring machines and during ventilation outlet construction may cause structural damage to heritage places; o The transportation and storage of excavated spoil material may increase dust levels at heritage places; o Settling of sediments during and following tunnel construction may cause structural damage to heritage places; o The shallow depth of tunnels at the portals may cause structural damage to heritage places; o The large amount of open space required for construction worksites may disturb heritage places near the portals; and o Location of ventilation outlets may have aesthetic impacts on heritage places. The likely on-going impacts on heritage places following construction of Northern Link include: o Ongoing vibration from the traffic, particularly where the tunnel is close to the surface, may cause damage to heritage places; and o The emissions from ventilation outlets located in close proximity to heritage places may potentially cause corrosion problems for significant stone and brickwork. The proposed Northern Link Project has a number of cultural heritage impacts that will require the implementation of a large number of mitigation strategies. These impacts can be seen as both cultural heritage risks and opportunities. Cultural Heritage Opportunities: o Improved heritage values at Toowong Cemetery o Reduced noise and vibration from passing traffic o Enhanced pedestrian access to the Cemetery o Reduced effect of exhaust emissions on the monumental masonry o Structural audit will provide a baseline for future conservation planning o Preventative and restorative work undertaken on grave sites and monumental masonry will assist in the long term management of the cemetery Cultural Heritage Risks: o Legislative requirements o All work must conform to the requirements of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and any notifications required by that Act o All work must conform to the requirements of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 o All work must conform to the requirements of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 o All work should conform to the principles of the Burra Charter o Presence of Aboriginal cultural heritage o All work must conform to the requirements of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 o Conclude a CHMP with both Aboriginal Parties that includes provisions for: o Aboriginal Parties to monitor surface earthmoving activities o Aboriginal Parties to monitor vegetation removal o Aboriginal Parties to deliver cultural awareness training o Arrangement for the disposition of collected Aboriginal artefacts o Potential for the discovery of historical archaeological places (particularly at the Toowong Connection, the Kelvin Grove Connection and the Inner City Bypass Connection) o All work must conform to the requirements of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 o If during earthworks at these places archaeological deposits are discovered then: o Under Part 9 of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 the discovery of any important historical archaeological artefact or place must be reported to the Chief Executive of the Environmental Protection Agency o Consultant archaeologists must assess the archaeological potential of the place and determine any follow-up archaeological activity o Historical archaeology and cultural heritage legislation needs to be included in the workplace induction program o Access to state and city heritage registered places o Public access to state and city heritage registered places must be maintained throughout the entire project o State and city heritage registered places must not be used for access to the construction zones o Storage of project related materials and equipment o No state or city heritage registered place must be used for the storage of any project related