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Interim Report Archaeological Excavation RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM CEMETERY I I i I I. l I I I I I I AUSTRAL ARCHAEOLOGY GODDEN MACKAY I I I I I I I I I I I Completion of Northern Area Prepared for South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service Heritage Council of NSW NSW Department of Health October 1995
Transcript
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Interim Report

Archaeological Excavation

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUMCEMETERY

II

i II.lIIIIII

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

IIIIIIIIIII

Completion of Northern Area

Prepared forSouth Eastern Sydney Area Health Service

Heritage Council of NSWNSW Department of Health

October 1995

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUMCEMETERY

Archaeological Excavation

Summary Report

Completion of the Southern AreaCompletion on Site

Prepared for

South Eastern Sydney Area Health ServiceHeritage Council of NSW

NSW Department of Health

March 1996

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

Austral Archaeology/Godden Mackay have been commissioned by the South EasternSydney Area Health Service to undertake archaeological excavation, management and shortterm curation of the former Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery.

The project is being carried out in accordance with a detailed study brief, research designand methodology, under permits issued by the Heritage Council of NSW, the NSWDepartment of Health and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The project has involved undertaking detailed mitigative archaeological investigation ofcultural deposits associated with all phases of the site's use so that proposed construction ofhospital buildings may proceed.

This document provides a summary report which indicates that archaeological fieldwork atthe Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery Site has been successfully completed.

The following people/organisations hereby certify completion of the Project's fieldworkcomponent, in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements and contract provisions.

..'

Godden MackayProject Team Leader

~/ ~sultant to

SESAHS

c~~~u.t..:>,ve_....--

Heritage BranchNSW Dept. ofUAAP

SESAHS Capital WorksProject Director

Pamela BakerNSW Dept. ofHealth

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

IntroductionThe site investigated is that of the Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery. Thisis located at the southern part of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick, Sydney withina development area where construction of a new Infectious Diseases Clinic is planned.Historic research conducted prior to the commencement of this project indicated that thesite could contain archaeological evidence associated with four general p~ases of site use:-• Aboriginal occupation in the period before European settlement,• Site use in the period before establishment of the Destitute Children's Asylum (1788­

1858),• Use as a Cemetery for interment of deceased children from the Asylum (1863-c1915),

and• Use of the site following establishment of No. 4 Australian General Hospital (c1915­

95).

The following report includes a generalised description and summary of:• The aims of the archaeological investigation,• The course of the archaeological investigation,• Methods employed during the work, and• Results.

The report concludes with a discussion of the status of the fieldwork and of thedevelopment area incorporating the archaeological site. [t is designed to be a briefsummary statement indicating successful completion of the fieldwork component of theproject for endorsement by the. members of the Project's Management Committee. Aformal interim report describing the results of the fieldwork in greater detail will bepresented in May, 1996, followed by a final report on the Project in May, 1997

The Aims of the Archaeological Excavation.• Identification, investigation and recording of all archaeological deposits and features

associated with Aboriginal use of the site.

• Identification, investigation and recording of all archaeological deposits and featuresassociated with use of the site during the period after European settlement, focussingon:-

• The identification, recording and recovery of all in situ burials, dispersed skeletalmaterial and grave contents associated with use of the site as a Cemetery by theRandwick Destitute Children's Asylum, and

• Investigation of all archaeological deposits associated with post-Asylum use of thesite, particularly those deposits related to the period when the site was used as anArmy Hospital.

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

The Course of the Archaeological Excavation.At the commencement of fieldwork the development area incorporating the predicatedCemetery site was divided into two sub-areas. These were:

Area I - incorporating the northern end of the Cemetery site, andArea 2 -' incorporating the central and southern portions of the Cemetery site.

Investigation and recording of deposits revealed within Area I commenced on Wednesday30th August and was completed on Friday 29th September, 1995. A brief interim reportdescribing the results of this work was endorsed by the Management Committee in earlyOctober, 1995.

Investigations within Area 2 commenced on Monday 9th October, 1995 and werecompleted on Friday 9th February, 1996. A sampling programme was then conducted inthe western and south-eastern periphery of the development area outside the Cemeteryboundary to ensure that total clearance of the development area had been achieved. Thiswas undertaken bePNeen Tuesday 12th February and Tuesday 12th March; 1996. The sitewas vacated by the archaeological team and handed back to SESAHS on Friday 15thMarch, 1996.

Methods.Methods employed during the investigations conformed with those described in the TenderOffer and endorsed by the Management Committee.

All work was undertaken in accordance with the provisions of a Research Design and theconditions of an excavation permit issued for the site by the Heritage Council of N.S.W.,pursuant to Section 140 of the Heritage Act.

All work on deposits associated with Aboriginal occupation of the site was undertakenaccording to principles and objectives detailed in a number ofN.S.W. National Parks andWildlife Service Consents to Destroy with Salvage Permits.

Results of the Archaeological Excavation.

Site Formation and Disturbance.Physical characteristics of the site's geomorphology and soil formation sequence are nowwell understood. These are discussed in detail in the Research Design submitted inDecember 1995 (Section 3.1). During the course of the excavation at least eight discretephases of site disturbance which occurred between c1915-1994 were identified. Theseinclude extensive landscaping of the site during formation of the Army Hospital in c1915,multiple episodes of limited disturbance associated with modifications to the Hospitalbuildings on the site, demolition of the Hospital buildings, and extensive removal ofasbestos contaminated matrix by Workcover in 1994. Detailed descriptions of these events,

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

and their effects on the archaeological deposits at the site have been presented in weeklyreports to the Management Committee on the progress of the excavation.

Site Stratigraphy revealed during the excavation in Area 2 was generally as follows:The surface unit in all areas consisted of a thin veneer of demolition materials and re­deposited, wind and waterborne sands. This had been deposited on the surface of a mixed,sandy fill deposited during levelling of the dune surface in preparation for the constructionof the Army huts in c1915. This overlays the original soil profile at the site whichcomprised a grey-brown topsoil (AI horizon), bleached, white loose sand (A2 horizon),black, sandy, organic pan and brown, sandy iron pan known as "Waterloo rock" or "Coffeerock" (B horizon), and massive beds of yellow sand (B horizon, deep subsoil). Excavationin all areas continued to the level of the surface of the B horizon.

Aboriginal use of the Site.The archaeological evidence of the Aboriginal occupation of the site is contained within aleached white aeolian sand deposit which underlies the asylum occupation deposits. Thereis no evidence that the Aboriginal people interacted with the early Europeans at this place.

A deflated Aboriginal hearth dated to approximately 8,OOOBP was subject to detailedrecording and salvaged from the western portion of Area 2. A Radio Carbon date oncharcoal recovered adhering to a hearth stone and a Thermoluminescence date from anactual hearth stone are completely consistent. Analysis of the fats on a hearth stone haveshown the hearth was used to cook a salt or fresh water protein meal. The absence of allother food remains such as shell fish or bone is explained by the age and acidity of deposit.The absence of stone implements associated with the hearth indicates, as predicted, asporadic occupation of the dune margins where exploitation of the local resources are likelyto have been affected by an undurable wood or shell tool kit.

A highly dispersed scatter and fragmented series of sandstone manuports within the aeoliandune deposit throughout Area 2 suggest possibly another 3-4 hearths may have also beenpresent here. A number of sandstone manuports were recovered from the white aeoliansands in the western and southern areas of the development site. They are not sufficientlyclustered or in sufficient numbers to suggest a hearth or a dispersed hearth. No othercultural material was located in these deposits.

Historic Cultural MaterialCultural material identified during the investigation associated with use of the site duringthe historic period may be assigned to three discrete phases:(I) Use of the site before the establishment of the Randwick Destitute Children's

Asylum,(2) Use of the site as the Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery,(3) Post-Asylum use as the site ofNoA Army General Hospital (later Prince of Wales

Hospital).

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AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

(1) The Pre-Asylum PhaseNon-Aboriginal evidence associated with land use during this period is limited to recoveryof material associated with the vegetation cover present during the period immediatelypreceding establishment 9fthe Asylum. No cultural material that can be reliably assbciatedwith occupation of the site between 1788-1858 was recovered.

(2) The Cemetery PhaseA total of sixty five burials were recovered during the course of the excavation in Area 2.These were located exclusively on the lower western side of the surveyed Cemetery area.Matching of skeletal ages with death certificates from the Asylum records permittedtentative identification of a number of individuals and identification of the location ofdiscrete Roman Catholic and Church of England sections of the Cemetery.

(3) The Army Hospital PhaseNumerous cultural deposits and features associated with all phases of post-Asylum use ofthe site were identi·fied throughout Area 2. These include evidence associated with cuttingand filling of the sloping Cemetery ground surface during establishment of level terracesfor the Hospital buildings, remnants of services and footings associated with the buildings,numerous sub-phases of"repairs and modifications to the buildings, and deposits whichincluded artefact assemblages indicating the range of daily activities conducted at the site.

Summary:- Current status of fieldwork and of the development area.Archaeological investigation of the Cemetery proper is complete. All deposits associatedwith interment of individuals within the Cemetery area were completely investigated.100% clearance of the surveyed Cemetery area has therefore been achieved.

Sampling of post-Asylum deposits on the western side of the site after completion of theinvestigation within the Cemetery proper indicated absence of disturbed human skeletalmaterial in this part of the development area. It appears that human skeletal materialassociated with 108 individuals interred in the Cemetery and not recovered during thepresent archaeological project were removed from the Cemetery area prior to 1995. It ispossible, but unlikely, that the remains of these 108 individuals were re-buried elsewherewithin the Asylum grounds, in a mass grave/re-burial. While the provision should be madeto deal with these remains, if they are found, there is little likelihood of this and nojustification for further archaeological investigations on site.

The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) was an integral part of the project,providing input into the project design, NPWS Permit documentation and application, andthe field investigations. The La Perouse LALC are preparing exhibition space for thereconstruction and display of the excavated hearth and other materials generated by thisproject. The La Perouse LALC are satisfied with the outcome of the field program and theextent of archaeological excavation.

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Conclusion

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

There are no Aboriginal or historical archaeological constraints to the proposeddevelopment.

Required analysis, reporting and associated activities will proceed over the next 12 months.

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~ 18'/0 . rsPamela BakerNSW Dept. ofHealth

--' g/'---SESAH:ca~ital WOrk~ 7IQ.

Project Director J

GODDENMACKAY

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

Kate SullivanConsultant toSESAHS

~O/7/~

This document provides an interim report which indicates that work in the NorthernArea has been successfully completed.

The following people/organisations hereby certify completion of the Northern Area,in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements and contract provisions.

A crucial component of the overall project is complete clearance of a nominated'Northern Area' of the subject site, which will allow other building works to proceed.

The project is being carried out in accordance with a detailed study brief, researchdesign and methodology, under permits issued by the Heritage Council of NSWand the NSW Department of Health.

Austral Archaeology/Godden Mackay have been commissioned by the SouthEastern Sydney Area Health Service to undertake archaeological excavation,management and short term curation of the former Randwick Destitute Children'sAsylum Cemetery.

~ ~~1JfRililrdackaY 0~~,tin McCa' hyGodden Mackay~ et\ Ah~tral ArchaeologyProject Team Le~d:lr~ , Project Manager

71----J;1-I

-1»

JJJIJlj

'1.!iJ

J'IiiI

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Methods.

A 5m x 5m grid was laid over the site for excavation and recording purposes.Excavation was initially conducted using a 20 tonne backhoe excavator to removeestablishment fill from within the predicated cemetery boundary and an additional5m wide buffer zone on the north, west and eastern sides of the area (Figure 1).This proceeded until units comprising mixed grey sand and white sand wererevealed. Archaeologists then manually shovel cleaned the rubble veneerproduced by the machine excavation in this part of Area 1. The grey sand wasthen investigated by excavation of 1m x 1m test squares designed to provide astatistically valid 5% systematic random sample of the deposit (Figure 2). Allexcavated matrix from these squares was sieved. No skeletal material, grave

Introduction.

The archaeological investigation of Area 1 (north end) of the development area wascompleted on Wednesday 4th October, 1995 (Week 6). A 100 % Clearance of thepredicated cemetery area in this part of the site has been achieved.

Excavation commenced Wednesday 30th August, 1995 and work proceeded forthe following five weeks, working six days per week. During this period four dayswere lost due to rain.

This brief interim report has been prepared for the Project Management Committeeas required by the Contract for the Archaeological Excavation of the Prince ofWales Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery. The report describes:

• The aims of the investigations in Area 1.

• Methods employed.

• Progress of the excavation.

• The present status of Area 1.

• A summary of the sequence of site disturbance in Area 1, as requested by theManagement Committee.

Aims of the investigations in Area 1.

• Clearance of this part of the site, including recovery and recording of all in situburials, dispersed skeletal material and associated grave contents by 29thSeptember, 1995.

• Investigation of all archaeological deposits associated with Aboriginal use ofthis part of the site.

• Investigation of all archaeological deposits associated with post-Asylum use ofthe site, particularly those deposits related to the period when the site wasused as an Army Hospital.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

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goods or grave furniture was recovered during this process. The deposit was thenremoved by a 12 tonne backhoe using a 30 inch wide mud bucket. All phases ofmachine excavation were archaeologically monitored in order to prevent damage tothe underlying deposits.

All deposits stratigraphically below this unit and above Waterloo rock, ie white sandand relict patches of 1915 fill were manually excavated and sieved.

Recording of excavated deposits within the area took place using the 5m gridsquares as nominal trench boundaries. All phases of the excavation werephotographed, and recorded on scaled plans and standard proforma site recordforms.

Excavation in Area 1 ceased when either undisturbed Waterloo rock was reached,or where cultural deposits had been removed to bedrock.

Areas adjacent to the western and eastern site fences were investigated by eightmachine-excavated test trenches (Figure 2: MT 1-8). Recording of depositsrevealed in these trenches followed standard methods employed during theexcavation.

IIIIIIIIIII

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

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Results.

Taphonomy

Excavation within Area 1 confirmed the initial interpretation of the site formationprocesses. This is as follows:

In the pre-European period coastal sand dunes resting on a sandstone substratewere stabilised by vegetation. A thin humic loam developed on the surface of thedunes. Water percolation leached iron sesquioxides from the upper levels of thedune creating white, bleached sand overlying a layer of semi-indurated Waterloorock.

The earliest evidence of cultural modification is associated with cutting and levellingof the surface of the dune during establishment of terraces for the Army Hospital in1915. This created a mixed brown sand unit interpreted as c1915 levelling fill. Thismaterial survived in a localised patch in the southern part of the area (Figure 4).

Following this, the next phase of site modification involved the excavation of 5trenches by Anne Bickford during preliminary investigations conducted in 1993-94(Figure 4).

The final phase of site modification was associated with the removal of quantities ofsand and cultural units and replacement of these with hard-packed fill during late1994.

2

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Present status of Area 1.

A one hundred percent archaeological Clearance of the site area north of theboundary between Areas 1 and 2 (Figure 1) has been achieved.

Sequence of site disturbance in Area 1.

The following description of the sequence of site disturbance in Area 1 derives fromthe results of the archaeological investigations conducted within the northern partof the Cemetery. This work indicates that five phases of site disturbance haveoccurred in this area. In chronological order these are as follows:

1. Down-cutting of the dune surface/cemetery surface c1915 to produce levelledterraces for construction of the Army Hospital huts.

2. Localised disturbance caused by construction of an un-identified building(possibly an ablution block) at the rear (west) of Hut N before 1952.

3. Excavation of archaeological trenches during investigations conducted by AnneBickford in 1993-94.

4. Demolition of the Huts and subsequent removal of the top 30-50cm from thesite during operations designed to clear the site of asbestos in June/July 1994.

5. Excavation of large quantities of sand in the northern part of the site in October1994.

Evidence of Cultural Activity.

No evidence was recovered for use of this part of the site in the period before 1915,ie no evidence of pre-European use of the site, no in situ burials, no scatters ofhuman skeletal material, grave goods or grave furniture that can be associated withuse of the site during the Asylum Cemetery phase. Similarly, no evidenceassociated with a Cemetery fence was recovered.

The earliest evidence of cultural activity on this part of the site is associated withuse of the site as an Army Hospital c1915. Preparation of the site for the Hospitalinvolved cutting a number of level terraces into the surface of the dune. Theresulting mixed brown sand contained fractions of all previously existing deposits.Artefacts recovered from within this unit are few in number, however they representmaterial deposited during the Asylum and post-Asylum period. The assemblagecontains material associated with both domestic and institutional activities.

Evidence for post-World War 1 use of the site is represented by footings associatedwith an ablution block at the rear of Hut N, a single concrete footing related to thesouth wall of the same Hut and a very small rubbish pit (O.50m diameter) in thearea between Huts Nand L.

GODDENMACKAY

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

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Discussion of the results of these phases of site disturbance follows.

The first phase of site disturbance involved down-cutting of the surface of the sanddunes that formed the surface of the site in 1915. This produced a siteconfiguration featuring a series of levelled transverse terraces which sited the ArmyHospital buildings. Observation of the stratigraphy visible in eroded sections on thewestern side of the site indicates that material cut from the eastern and centralparts of the site was deposited as fill on a shallow slope adjacent to the westernside of the cemetery. This appears to have been performed in order to extend theterraces to the west.

The re-deposited fill incorporated portions of each of the deposits forming the siteprior to 1915, ie a thin humic topsoil, white dune sand and a small fraction ofWaterloo rock, and it is likely that burials located in the central area of theCemetery during the Asylum period were disturbed during this process.

The second phase of disturbance occurred during construction of a building at therear (western end) of Hut N. Aerial photographs of the site indicate that thisbuilding was constructed between 1915 and 1952. Excavation revealed that thefooting for the structure was cut into the surface of the underlying Waterloo rock.Site disturbance associated with this event was minimal, being confined to theimmediate area below the building.

The third phase of site disturbance in Area 1 is associated with the excavation offive trenches within this part of the site during archaeological investigationsconducted in 1993-94. The location of these trenches is shown in Figure 4. Sitedisturbance associated with this process was also limited to the excavatedtrenches.

The fourth phase of site disturbance in Area 1 occurred in June/July 1994 whenhuts on the site were demolished during the preliminary stages of the CapitalWorks Programme. Videotape of the demolition shows that heavy machinery wasemployed during the process. Disturbance to the surface of the site almostcertainly occurred at this time. Following demolition of the huts the ESAHS wererequired by Work Cover to remove approximately 3D-5Dcm of sand from thesurface of the site in order to prevent asbestos contamination. This wasundertaken without archaeological supervision. As a result there is no record ofcultural deposits that were disturbed and removed from the site. On the basis ofthe archaeological excavations completed, it appears that these may includeportions of the 1915 levelling fill and the upper layer of the white Aeolian sand. Thenatural slope of the site (slightly elevated on the eastern side) indicates that largerquantities of these units may have been removed from the eastern side of theCemetery area.

The final phase of site disturbance in Area 1 occurred in two stages during October1994.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

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Initially, it appears that machines were employed to excavate deposits within a 20mwide area situated immediately west of Easy St. (Figure 4). Excavation in this areaextended to the sandstone bedrock as revealed in machine excavatedarchaeological trenches 3, 4, 5 and 8 (MT 3, 4, 5, 8).

This was followed by excavation and removal of all sand deposits down. to Waterloorock within the remaining part of the north area, except for three locations whereintact deposits of white sand and 1915 fill were revealed. Remnant areas of whitesand were located on the northern and eastern periphery of the predicatedCemetery area, and 1915 fill adjacent to a large tree with an extensive root system(Figure 4). Two deep pits (058, 083) were then excavated. Pit 083 was excavatedinto the Waterloo rock. Pit 053 was excavated into yellow sand. The purpose ofthese excavations is unclear, however Pit 053 probably represents opportunisticexploitation of an "outcrop" of clean sand normally used by builders as a beddingmedium.

Deposits removed were replaced by a thin layer of grey sand consisting of a re­deposited amalgam of 1915 fill, former dune topsoil and white Aeolian sand. Thiswas interpreted as a by product of the sand extraction process. The entire site wasthen filled with a thick layer of crushed sandstone fragments and sand (Figure 3)which was rolled to provide a relatively level surface (Capital Works Unit videotapeshowing the site in November 1994). The apparent aim of the sand extraction andfilling was to provide a "hard base" for machinery and trucks employed during theconstruction of the Acute Care Services Block and the Royal Hospital for Women.

Assessment of the vertical extent of disturbance caused by this process is difficultto estimate. No survey levels of the site are available for the period between AnneBickford's investigation and the subsequent work, therefore we are unable toaccurately assess the depth of deposit removed.

Assessment of the horizontal extent of the disturbance was clearly revealed intrenches investigated during the archaeological excavation. These indicate thatexcavation of deposits in October 1994 extended as far as the western fencebordering the site, along most of the northern boundary of the Cemetery, to thefenceline formerly near the southern boundary of Area 1, and within an areaapproximately 20m west of Easy St. The only areas where relatively intact depositssurvived appear to be those that were protected by site sheds and, in the case ofthe 1915 fill, a large tree.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

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II

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Figure 1: Area 1: Site plan prior to manual excavation showing boundary ofmachine excavation, grid layout, cemetery boundary and boundarybetween Areas 1 and 2.

II

Prince of Wales Project 1995Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum Cemetery

Archaeological InvestigationAustral Godden Mackay for South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service

I 6

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II

Prince of Wales Project 1995Randwick Destitute "Children's Asylum Cemetery

Archaeological InvestigationAustral Godden Mackay for South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service

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Figure 3: Area 1: N-S profile along E50 and E-W profile along N280.

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mixed grey sand redeposited over Waterloo Rockduring 1994 sand extraction process

IPrince of Wales Project 1995

Randwick Destitute Children's Asylum CemeteryArchaeological Investigation

Austral Godden Mackay for South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service

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Weekly Excavation ReportsWeeks 1-6

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APPENDIX

AUSTRALARCHAEOLOGY

GODDENMACKAY

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week 1 (11/9/95 - 16/9/95)

Preparatory work at the site commenced as planned on Monday 28th August, 1995. Thisincluded assembling and transporting the remaining excavation gear to the site andcompletion of establishing the site infrastructure (screening of the perimeter fence andinstallation of lockable gates). This was followed by a comprehensive briefing for theexcavation team on Tuesday 29th August as described in the Tender Offer submitted on 4thAugust 1995. Briefing was conducted by the Project Manager and Team Leader.

Excavation proper commenced 9.30 am on Wednesday 30th August upon receipt of anExcavation Permit from the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning. Excavation workconducted since this time has primarily focussed on the northern section of the site (Area 1)where the deadline for site clearance is 29th September 1995.

In addition to the work in Area 1, agrid consisting of 5m x 5m squares has been laid over anarea that includes the predicated cemetery boundary (as recorded in 1892), and the remainderof the development area surrounding this nominal cemetery boundary. The purpose ofestablishing such an extensive grid is to ensure that excavation of the area outside thepredicated cemetery boundary proceeds immediately and without modification of the fieldmethodology, if required.

In the southern part of the site (Area 2), excavation of the three burials identified by Bickfordcommenced on Thursday. Excavation was conducted by members of the forensic andosteological team, and by Friday the first burial was recovered and conservation of theskeletal elements had been achieved.

Discussion of progress made in the northern section of the site (Area 1) follows.

Aims of the excavation.

• Clearance of this part of the site, including recovery of all in situ burials and dispersedskeletal material and associated grave contents by 29th September, 1995.

• Investigation of all archaeological deposits associated with aboriginal use of this part ofthe site.

• Investigation of all archaeological deposits associated with post-Asylum use of the site,particularly those deposits related to the period when the site was used as an ArmyHospital.

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Results to date.

Work conducted within Area 1 has focussed on two localities: The northern section of thepredicated cemetery area, and the large sand stockpile located within the south westernsection of Area 1.

1. The northern area of the predicated Cemetery area.

Investigation of the northern area of the Cemetery site commenced on Wednesday 30thAugust. A 20 tonne backhoe excavator was employed to remove the thick levelling filldeposited over the area in 1994 by Concrete Constructions in preparation for their work onthe new Royal Hospital for Women. Excavation of this fill and test trenching on theperiphery of the predicated Cemetery area revealed that site stratigraphy appears to differmarkedly from that predicted in the Tender Offer.

Preliminary assessment of the site conducted by the excavation supervisor and excavationconsultant indicated that stratigraphy in Area 1 was likely to consist of two layers of fill(1994 site establishment fill and a mixed fill deposited during levelling of the site for theArmy hospital ca. 1915). These appeared to have been deposited directly upon a relativelyintact natural soil profile comprising a thin humic paleosol. This paleosol had developedover a unit consisting of fine white Aeolian sands approximately 30-50 cm thick, and yellow­brown semi-indurated sands known as "Waterloo Rock", the latter being weathering productsfrom the basement sandstone.

This assessment of site stratigraphy suggests that redeposited skeletal material and gravecontents may be recovered from the fill layers deposited in 1915, and that in situ burials,redeposited skeletal material and associated grave contents may be recovered from theunderlying humic topsoil, the white Aeolian sands, and from the upper levels of the semi­indurated Waterloo Rock. Accordingly, the excavation strategy presented in the TenderOffer and Tender Qualifications was designed to systematically investigate these units and toprovide 100% clearance of the site for The Client.

The results of excavation within Area 1 up to this point reveal that a thick surface fill wasdeposited by Concrete Constructions as a levelling medium for their site sheds directly upona redistributed amalgam consisting of remnants of the 1915 fill, the humic topsoil and thewhite Aeolian sand unit. This disturbed layer varies between 20-40cm thickness and wasdeposited directly upon undisturbed Waterloo Rock. The deposit contains fragments oftimbers that may be associated with grave furniture and a mixed assemblage of culturalartefacts with date ranges consistent with use of the site in the period between 1840-1920; iethe Asylum and Army Hospital phases.

In summary, there are strong indications that deposits associated with use of the site as aCemetery and for an Army Hospital have been extensively modified or completely removedin the period between Anne Bickford's excavation in early 1994 and the current work.

To date excavation of fill covering the site of the cemetery has been conducted using abackhoe excavator. By the end of the first week of the excavation 122 truckloads ofexcavated fill (approximately 2,500 tonnes) had been removed from the site by the truckingcontractor. We estimate that the site will be stripped of the recently deposited fill andprepared for manual investigation of the underlying deposits by Wednesday 6th September.Given the date range of the artefacts revealed in the underlying mixed sand unit werecommend that a statistically valid 5 or 10% sample of the deposit should be sieved as aminimum measure. To ensure that all burials and dispersed skeletal material have beenrecovered, all of the deposit within the predicated Cemetery boundary should bearchaeologically excavated and sieved.

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2. The sand stockpile.

During preliminary assessment of the site it was estimated that the sand stockpile containedapproximately 100 cubic metres of sand, and that processing of this material would requirethe services of four archaeologists, assisted by a mechanical sieve, for a period ofapproximately 4 weeks.

Due to problems associated with purchasing and/or leasing of a mechanical sieve we haveemployed eight archaeologists to sieve the stockpile. While it is difficult to accurately assessthe progress of the work, we estimate that approximately 20% of the stockpile had beensieved by the end of the week.

To date no human skeletal material has been recovered from the stockpile, however smallquantities of nineteenth century cultural artefacts have been retrieved for analysis.

Excavation of in situ Burials.

Three burials were recorded during preliminary work at the site conducted by Anne Bickford.These burials are located within the southern area of the site (Area 2) beyond the area whereClearance is required by 29th September 1995. As such they are located outside the criticalpath of the development.

Immediate excavation of these burials was deemed necessary for three reasons. First, torecover and conserve the fragile skeletal material. Second, to provide a preliminaryassessment of the nature and contents of burials likely to be encountered in other areas of thesite. Third, to assess the effectiveness of recording systems developed for the excavation ofsuch archaeological features.

By the end of Week one, excavation and conservation of a single burial had been completed.Preliminary assessments indicate that the burial has been disturbed after being interred andthat the individual was 12-13 years of age at the time of death.

Proposed Strategy for Week Two.

Northern Area.

• Completion of removal of recent fill and assessment of the underlying deposits revealed;

• Determination of strategy for the excavation of these deposits;

• Establishment of site grid within this area;

• Commencement of excavation.

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Stockpile.

• Continue sieving of the stockpile using available staff, with or without assistance frommechanical sieve.

In situ Burials

It Complete excavation and conservation of the two remaining identified burials;

• Re-assess excavation methodology and recording of burials.

Newsworthy Items (Newsletter)

• Archaeological team on-site - 28th August.

• Site establishment and briefing - 29th August.

• Excavation and Exhumation Permits received.

• Work proceeding in the northern area.

• One burial recovered from southern area.

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week 2 (11/9/95 - 16/9/95)

Six work days were completed during week two of the excavation. Archaeologicalinvestigations have proceeded in both the northern and southern area's of the site with goodprogress being made towards completion of the northern area (Area 1) by the designatedClearance deadline, September 29, 1995. The following sections of this report discuss thework conducted during Week 2, the results of this work, and preliminary interpretation ofresults.

The Northern Area ( Area 1).

Work conducted within Area 1 has again focussed on two localities: (i) The northern area ofthe predicated cemetery area, and (ii) the large sand stockpile located within the southwestern section of Area 1.

(i). The northern area of the predicated Cemetery.

Machine excavation of fill deposited over this part of the site was completed by midday,Wednesday 6th September. At the completion of this exercise approximately 240 truckloadsof fill had been removed· from the site by the trucking contractor. Removal of this fillindicated that this part of the predicated cemetery site has been extensively modified and thatthe stratigraphy in this location differs markedly from that expected (Refer to ProgressReport: Week 1 for description of predicted site stratigraphy based on preliminary visits tothe site and the results ofAnne Bickford's excavations).

Site stratigraphy revealed in two test trenches on the periphery of the predicated Cemeteryarea indicated a generalised soil profile consisting of three units:

Unit 1: Surface fill consisting of mixed soils and crushed sandstone deposited tolevel the site in preparation for the construction of the new Royal Hospital for Women. Thethickness of this material varies between 90cm and 220cm.

Unit 2: A mixed unit consisting of remnants of the 1915 fill, a dark humic paleosol,white Aeolian sands, and a small fraction of the underlying "Waterloo Rock" substrate. Thethickness of this redistributed amalgam varies between 5 and 50cm.

Unit 3: Natural "Waterloo Rock", the surface of which is extremely uneven as aresult of site disturbance.

Machine excavation of Unit 1 confirmed that this general stratigraphic profile is presentacross most of Area 1, with the exception of three locations where variations were revealed.These are as follows:

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I. The southern part of Area I. This has been extensively disturbed by excavation ofa pit measuring approximately I5m x 8m in surface area. The pit is approximately 2.0mdeep and was back-filled with site-establishment fill (Unit 1). All deposits associated withuse of the site prior the excavation of the pit have been removed within the area of thisdisturbance.

2. The northern edge of Area 1. This location is situated between the predicatednorthern boundary of the Cemetery and the Capital Works batter. Here a 10 and 50cm thicklens of white Aeolian sand (Unit 4) remains in situ. Test trenches revealed this materialsandwiched between Units 2 and 3.

3. The eastern side of Area 1. [n this location a comparatively extensive deposit ofwhite sand was revealed between Units 1 and 3. This deposit appears to be in situ, andmeasures approximately 20m x 8 m in area. A test trench excavated on the eastern peripheryof the Cemetery area revealed the deposit to be 60-90cm thick.

When machine excavation of Unit 1 was completed, Unit 2 was sampled by manuallyexcavating twenty three test squares measuring Im x Im in area. The number and location ofthese squares was designed to provide a statistically valid systematic random sample of theunit. All excavated matrix was sieved through nested 5mm and 8mm screens.

These investigations confirm that Unit 2 is a mixed remnant of white sand, humic paleosoland post-Asylum deposits. This material has been redistributed across the surface of theWaterloo Rock substrate by machine activity within this part of the site. The unit containscultural artefacts with date-ranges between 1850 and 1994. No human skeletal material wasrecovered, and none of the cultural artefacts recovered can be definitely assigned to theCemetery phase of site. No evidence of intact deposits or cultural artefacts relating that tothe Army Hospital phase were recovered.

Summary.

The northern area of the predicated Cemetery Site has been extensively modified and this hasresulted in correspondingly extensive disturbance of archaeological deposits associated withuse of this part of the site during the historic period.

Extent of Site Disturbance. Investigations conducted during the past week indicate thatdeposits associated with use of the site as an Army Hospital (1915 fill) and Cemetery (WhiteAeolian sand) have been extensively modified by machine excavation. All intact depositsrelating to the Army Hospital phase have been removed, and perhaps 90% of the white sandconsidered likely to contain evidence of the Asylum Cemetry phase has been truncated. Bothhave been replaced by a thin, mixed redeposited soil (Unit 2) which is found above thenatural Waterloo Rock.

Precise assessment of the vertical and horizontal extent of this disturbance is difficult todetermine. However, there is evidence to suggest that the white Aeolian sand (Unit 4) mayhave extended from east to west across most of the northern part of the Cemetery area(Bickford, Feb. 1994: Fig 7). Excavation during the past week reveals that only limitedremnants of this material remain on the northern and eastern periphery ofthe area.

Assessment of the thickness of this deposit prior to modification is also problematic becausethe 1994 excavation reports shows survey levels for only one of the trenches excavatedwithin this part of the site. In addition, it is unclear whether the Waterloo Rock substrate,generally found below the Aeolian sand, was reached in more than one of these trenches.

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However, the remnant of the unit revealed in Area I during this excavation indicates that theunit may have been as thick as 90cm.

Given these problems, it appears that approximately 300 square metres of the site may havebeen modified, and that up to 150 cubic metres of archaeological deposit may have beenremoved from the site prior to commencement of this project.

Timing of Site Disturbance. Videotape of the site recorded during construction of theadjacent Acute Care Block indicates that huts covering this part of the site had beendemolished and removed by September 1994. By November 1994 it appears that thenorthern part of the site had been levelled and that the surface was covered by grey-whitesand (possibly Unit 4). This indicates that excavation of the 19 I5 fill and white Aeoliansands occurred between November 1994 and August 1995. Excavation of the large pit on thesouthern part of Area 1 and deposition of establishment fill (Unit 1) probably occurredduring this period.

Proposed strategy for investigation of remaining units in Area 1.

Investigations conducted during the past week indicate that it is unlikely that human skeletalmaterial will be recovered from within the remaining deposits in Unit 2. In addition, becausethe Unit was deposited during the recent site disturbance it is unlikely that archaeologicalinformation of any value remains within this·Unit. Accordingly, we recommend carefulmachine excavation of the remaining portions of Unit 2 down to the surface of the white sand(Unit 4), where this is present, and the Waterloo Rock. We do not recommend sieving ofmatrix removed during this process.

Upon completion of excavation of Unit 2 we intend to manually investigate and sieve allremaining deposits of white sand (Unit 4). This will be followed by trowel cleaning of thesurface of the basal Waterloo Rock to ensure that that all burials and dispersed skeletalmaterial have been recovered from within the northern part the predicated Cemetery area.

(ii). The sand stockpile.

During preliminary assessment of the site it was estimated that the sand stockpile containedapproximately 100 cubic metres of sand, and that processing of this material would requirethe services of four archaeologists, assisted by a mechanical sieve, for a period ofapproximately 4 weeks.

Due to problems associated with purchasing and/or leasing of a mechanical sieve we haveintermittently employed up to eight archaeologists in sieving the stockpile. While it isdifficult to accurately assess the progress of the work, we estimate that approximately 40­50% of the stockpile had been sieved by the end of the week.

To date no human skeletal material has been recovered from the stockpile, however smallquantities of nineteenth and twentieth century cultural artefacts have been retrieved foranalysis.

Arrangements have been made for the landscape contractor, lames Wallace and Sons PL., totransport sieved matrix from the stockpile off the site three times per week until processingof the material at this location is complete.

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Excavation of in situ Burials.

In the southern part of the site (Area 2), excavation of the three burials identified by Bickfordhave been completed and conservation of the skeletal elements recovered has been achieved.Investigation of the deposits in the immediate vicinity of the known burials revealed skeletalmaterial associated with three further individuals. Preliminary analysis indicates that five ofthese individuals were children under the age of 14, and that one may have been 17 or 18years of age at the time of death. Determination of the sex of the individuals recovered hasproven to be difficult, however it appears that at least one of the children was female.

Excavation of the burials was largely conducted by members of the forensic and osteologicalteam who will now be employed in the on-going investigations within the northern area ofthe site (Area 1).

In addition to the excavations discussed above, surveying and pegging out of trench locationsexcavated by Anne Bickford has been completed. This will enable disturbed deposits inthese locations to be interpreted.

Summary - Proposed Strategy for Week Three.

• Machine excavation of re-deposited Unit 2 (Area 1),

• Manual investigation and sieving of the all remaining deposits of white Aeolian sand inArea 1;

• Trowelling of the basal Waterloo Rock to ensure that all remaining in situ burials are re­located in Area 1;

• Continue sieving of the stockpile using available staff, with or without assistance frommechanical sieve;

Newsworthy Items (Newsletter)

• Archaeological team completes second week on-site.

• Work proceeding in the northern area.

• No burials recovered in northern area of the site.

• Skeletal remains of six individuals recovered from southern area, five of these were sub­adolescent, one may be 17 or 18 years of age at time of death.

• Media conferences held on site.

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week3 (11/9/95 -16/9/95)

The archaeological clearance of the North Area continued throughout Week 3. One day waslost through rain (Saturday 16 September). The two 5m by 5m grid squares (H16 and Il6)opened in the South Area in order to recover skeletal remains exposed during 1994continued. Following the recovery of these remains and the clearance of surface depositswork was suspended in order to transfer the teams working in this area to the North Area.Square Il6 has reached a point at which sterile deposits now form the surface. Square H16was closed at a stage where the white sand substrate was exposed. Into the surface of thisdeposit five undisturbed grave cuts were observed and recorded but not excavated. These willbe removed during Stage 2 of the project.

The results from these two squares indicate that the minimum number of individuals towhom skeletal remains may be attributed is six. (see Appendix 1). A minimum number offive other burials is also possible.

Testing of the grey sandy loam created during the removal of sand from the North Areaduring late 1994 occupied most time and effort during Week 3. A programme of controlled1m by 1m test squares across the whole area of exposed loam indicated that the original loamsurface, the underlying white sand and fill associated with the 1915 hut construction phasehad been removed in large measure north of the southern sand mining cut. No intact 1915fill, nor pre-1915 loam was encountered during testing. Similarly no skeletal material wasrecovered despite sieving.

Following approaches to the Management Committee approval was given for the monitoredmachine removal of the remaining 1994 grey sandy loam. This was achieved using a 12­tonne excavator followed by hand clearance. By the end of Week 3 all of this disturbedmaterial had been removed and considerable progress made on the removal and sieving ofthe surviving patches of pre-1915 white sand. The presence of the machine sieve greatlyassisted in the processing of this material.

In summary more than 60% of the area north of the main southern cut had been cleared toundisturbed Waterloo rock or the basal, massive yellow sand. No skeletal material, grave cutsnor structures associated with the cemetery were observed.

In order to expedite clearance of the North Area on the southern side of the south cut, thesand stockpile accumulated in 1994 was moved by machine to a point 10m south of theborder between the North and South Areas. This border has been indicated by the ProjectLiaison officer as running east-west, across the site through the middle of the site office. Thisas yet unpegged line has been taken as the 29th September goal.

Sieving of the sand stockpile has been suspended until clearance of the North Area has beenachieved - the machine sieve having been deployed to process white sand in the North. In

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relocating the stockpile the formerly obscured surface beneath the stockpile was investigated.This was found to consist of a 50mm to 200mm thick deposit of mixed sand and loam of thesame form as that observed in the North Area. Sample sieving of a 5m by 5m squarecontaining this material provided no skeletal remains. Other artefacts recovered from thisdeposit indicate a post-1985 deposition. An area of approximately 70 m2 was then removedby the 12-tonne excavator revealing remnants of disturbed fill across the site. Two 5m by 5mgrid squares containing this material were cleared down to Waterloo rock and basal yellowsand. Neither skeletal remains nor grave cuts were observed. Excavation of two further Smby Sm grid squares is close to completion.

A small test square excavated on the border between the North and South Areas in the formerposition of the sand stockpile revealed a sixth in situ burial. This has survived as a 40mm to50mm thick grave fill deposit containing the remains of a 10-year old child. The grave is cutinto Waterloo rock and appears to have been almost removed during levelling operations in1915 or after. Excavation and recording of this burial shall follow the clearance of the NorthArea.

Processing of the non-skeletal artefacts recovered from both the grid square trenches andfrom sieving the sand stockpile has also commenced. A system of recording, cataloguing andstoring has been put in place. In most other archaeological circumstances material from thesand stockpile would be considered as unstratified and thus not worthy of examination.Given the particular nature of the site, however, all artefact material recovered from thestockpile has been recorded and catalogued and a representative sample retained. Theartefacts examined cover a date range from the second half of the nineteenth century to thepresent. No item can be securely tied to the site's use as a cemetery. No item can be securelyattributed to a provenance within the immediate bounds of the excavation site itself and thereis compelling evidence to suggest that the stockpile was accumulated elsewhere within thedevelopment area and redeposited on the cemetery site in late 1994. A single, damaged bonefragment was recovered from the stockpile. At this stage it has not been determined with anycertainty if this is human.

The work undertaken during Week 3 has confirmed the opinion formed at thecommencement of excavation regarding site formation processes prior to the occupation ofthe site as an Asylum and processes undertaken in c.1915 that modified the site's topography.During clearance of the North Area it also became clear that a considerable part of the sitehad been removed during late 1994 resulting in the loss of up to 25% of the potentialcemetery site.

It has also become apparent that cutting and filling of sections of the site between 1915 and1994 has resulted in the possible reduction of the area within the cemetery in which burialsmay survive intact. The greatest degree of survival is likely to occur in the central andsouthern parts of the site in the area between the cemetery's north-south axis and its westernmargin. Burials to the north and east may survive in a damaged state or may have beenredeposited along the western edge of the site during terracing (c.191S).

Work during Week 4 will see the continued clearance of the North Area. Completion of thistask by the 29th September appears to be achievable barring inclement weather ormechanical breakdowns.

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week 4 (11/9/95 -16/9/95)

During Week 4 work continued on the clearance of the Northern Area of the site. One day'swork was lost through rain.

The boundary between the North and South Areas was surveyed and pegged (pale greenline). Five 5m grid squares excavated during the previous ten days on the southern side ofthis line were completed (4) or closed (I) and the teams transferred to the northern side of theline.

No changes were observed in the stratigraphy in the north section of the site. The white sandhas been removed and sieved (by hand and by machine) for all but a few remaining gridsquares. No skeletal remains were observed and no structures that could be ascribed to thecemetery were encountered. The white sand appears to be sterile in all but its upper layerswere some treadage during the period after 1915 has created some disturbance. One largebrick and concrete structure was uncovered along the western margin of the Area. Thisappears to be an ablutions block attached to one of the military huts and dates between 1944and 1952 (based on aerial photograph evidence).

Small patches of the 1915 fill survived along the southern and south-eastern margin of thesite. This consists of a brown sand formed by the mixing of massive yellow sand, loam andWaterloo rock with a small fraction of white sand. This material is being removed andsieved.

The surviving establishment fill on the eastern margin of the site adjacent to Easy Street wastested by machine. Three test pits were excavated at five metre intervals in order todetermine if white sand survived in this area. Excavation was carried down to 2.65m, 2.75mand 2.85m. In each case scraped bedrock was encountered at the base with no evidence forthe survival of white sand, Waterloo rock or massive yellow sand between Easy Street andthe eastern margin of the north-south "island".

Progress to Date

In the North Area 25 5m grid squares have been cleared by hand and 4 by machine. Fourother grid squares are almost complete and await final recording or cleaning prior to beingphotographed. Six squares remain to be cleared by hand and six others by machine.Approximately 71 % of the North Area has been cleared archaeologically. The attached planshows the status of the North Area on 23 September 1995.

Clearance of the remaining 29% of the North Area will take approximately four to five days.The 29 September deadline for clearance appears to be achievable if weather conditionsremain favourable.

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The disparity in the figures between clearance time for 71% (21 days) and 29% (5 days) maybe explained by time spent sieving the sand stockpile, set-up time in the first week, absenceof a mechanical sieve during the first three week period and clearance of six squares in theSouth Area.

Systems Operation

The various systems put in place during the first week are now in operation. Skeletal remainsexcavated to date have been successfully transferred to the Shellshear Museum. Preliminaryexamination and recording of skeletal material on site is in train. Recording and preliminarycataloguing of non-skeletal artefacts has commenced and appears to be working efficiently.

Recording processes and cross-checks in the field indicate that with a few minor changes therecording system is working well. Photographs taken to date are of a high standard in botharchaeological terms and for general interpretive use.

On-going archival research is providing addition information regarding the operation of theAsylum and the Military Hospital. Collection of relevant death certificates has beencompleted and the transfer of this information to a data base linked with the osteologicalinformation recovered by excavation is being undertaken.

Research Design

Additions and modifications to the Research Design are approaching a stage for submission.Work by Mary Dallas has been undertaken to provide a more comprehensive set of researchquestions in regard to the pre-European occupation of the site. Similarly questions regardingsite formation processes in the pre-European period are to be addressed.

Estimates for Stage 2 - South Area

Based on the time taken to clear the North Area it is estimated that seven to eight weeks willbe required to clear the remainder of the designated cemetery area with a further three to fourweeks being required to clear the peripheral zone along the western and south-westernmargin of the site. This estimate of 10 to 12 (six-day) weeks includes one full week for thesieving of the remainder of the sand stockpile.

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week 5 (11/9/95 - 16/9/95)

During Week 5 work continued on clearance of the Northern Area of the site. fntact whitesand units in the ten un-excavated grid squares remaining in the northern area of the site wereremoved and sieved (by hand and by machine). Stratigraphy remained un-changed from thatrevealed in squares completed during the preceding weeks (Weekly reports 1-4). No skeletalremains were recovered, and no structure.s that could be ascribed to the cemetery wereencountered.

One footing associated with Army Hospital Hut N was revealed. This was a concrete wallpad related to the south wall of the hut. The footing was set in a localised patch of 1915 fillwhich survived along the southern and south-eastern margin of the site. This materialconsisted of a fine brown sand formed by the mixing of massive yellow sand, loam andWaterloo rock with a small fraction of white sand. This was manually excavated and sieved,however no skeletal remains were recovered.

Progress to Date.

By the end of week five a total of 38.5 grid squares in the northern area of the site had beencleared by hand and 4 by machine. Approximately 90% of the North Area, including 98% ofsquares where manual excavation was required had been cleared.Remaining squares where excavation is required were:• Five squares located adjacent to the western and eastern site fences on the extreme

periphery of the site; and• One square adjacent to the southern boundary of the area (a small area of intact deposit

remaining beneath a large tree stump).

During week 6 (excavation break) the tree stump will be removed. This will be performedby chain sawing through exposed roots to allow gradual leverage on the stump. This workwill be monitored by the site supervisor who will ensure that the process is completed withdue care for any burials and other cultural deposits revealed. Two archaeologists will attendthe site to excavate and sieve the remaining deposit. It is estimated that this work will takehalfa day.

Stratigraphy within the five squares adjacent to the western and eastern site fences will beinvestigated via machine-excavated test trenches. Recording of deposits revealed in thesetrenches will follow standard methods employed during the excavation.

Summary.

By Friday 29th September archaeological excavation of the North Area was complete,despite the loss of four days through rain. (Some ancillary tasks such as spoil rearrangementand sampling remain to be completed during Week 6 (excavation break).

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All field records made during the preceding weeks were checked and the field team wasdispatched for a week's break from the excavation.

Research Design

Additions and modifications to the Research Design were completed and the document wassubmitted to the management committee and to NPWS.

Strategy for Week 6

A proposed schedule of tasks to be completed during week 6 (Break) was drafted. Thisincluded:

• Removal of the tree stump and excavation and recording of deposits beneath the stump(discussed above).

• Excavation and clearance of squares located adjacent to the western and eastern sitefences on the extreme periphery of the site (discussed above).

• Transfer of the site office from the NE corner of Area 2 onto the timber plankingadjacent and outside the cemetery boundary.

• Machine excavation of fill underneath the former location of the site office down to thesurface of the 1915 fill.

• Removal of the sand stockpile from the southern part of the site subject to receipt ofwritten approval by La Perouse LALC.

• Construction of a fence on the boundary between the northern and southern areas of thesite.

• Sampling of white sand and Waterloo rock units on the periphery of the northern area ofthe site for Thermoluminescence dating.

• Preparation of interim report on work in the northern area of the site.

A copy of this schedule was approved by the Project Director.

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PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL - RANDWICK

RANDWICK DESTITUTE CHILDREN'S ASYLUM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT: Week 6 (11/9/95 -16/9/95)

Work during Week 6 commenced on Wednesday 4th October.

The first task completed was removal of a large tree stump concealing a small patch of intactdeposit located near the boundary between Area I (north) and Area 2 (south). Rootssurrounding the stump were cut with a chainsaw to allow leverage and removal of the stumpwith minimal damage to the deposits below. This was successfully achieved, and thedeposits manually excavated, sieved and recorded. Stratigraphy remained un-changed fromthat revealed in squares completed during the preceding weeks (Weekly reports 1-5). Noskeletal remains were recovered, and no structures that could be ascribed to the cemeterywere encountered. No features associated with the Army Hospital huts were revealed.

Clearance of squares located adjacent to the western and eastern site fences on the extremeperiphery of the site was then completed. A total of three trenches were excavated bymachine in locations between the site fences and the predicated cemetery boundaries. Twoof these were located between the western bulwark and site fence, the third was between theeastern bulwark and site fence adjacent to Easy St.

Both trenches excavated on the western side of the cemetery displayed stratigraphyconsisting of thick establishment fill, mixed grey sand and Waterloo rock. The stratigraphyin the southern trench however, also contained a IO-15cm thick layer of cinder and ashimmediately below the mixed grey sand unit deposited during excavations conducted prior todeposition of establishment fill. The cinder unit was interpreted as material raked from plantused in the Boiler House formerly situated adjacent to this location (Bickford 1994: Figure1). Stratigraphy in both trenches on the western side of the cemetery indicates that sitedisturbance prior to deposition of establishment fill extended beyond the western fenceline.

The single trench excavated on the eastern side of the site was excavated to bedrock. Thisinvestigation revealed that all deposits pre-dating 1994 in this part of the site had beenremoved during excavations conducted prior to deposition of establishment fill.

The site shed was transferred by crane from its location in the north east corner of Area 2(s,outh) onto the timber planking adjacent to the east cemetery boundary. Thick rubble fillunderneath the site office was then removed by machine down to the surface of the 1915levelling fill. Removal of this rubble fill revealed that an extensive area of 1915 fill is presentin this part of the site.

Written approval to remove the large sand stockpile situated on the western side of Area 2(south) was received from the La Perouse LALC on Friday (copy of letter appended). Thestockpile was removed by machine from the southern end of the site on Thursday 5thOctober. Before the backhoe entered the southern part of the site brightly coloured plasticsheets were laid over the un-excavated surface of the site. These were then covered with a30-50cm thick layer of fill borrowed from spoil heaps at the north end in order to provide a

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buffer between the machine and un-excavated surfaces in the south area. The machine thenproceeded to the stockpile across this "bridge", and gradually pulled the stockpile from southto north. The surface of the site remained un-damaged as a result of adopting this method.

Arrangements were then made for construction of a fence along the boundary between thenorthern and southern areas. This will be completed by Monday 9th October.

A small area on the periphery of the northern area of the site has been retained so thatThermoluminescence dating samples of the white Aeolian sand and Waterloo rock may beobtained. These will be taken on Monday 9th October.

Strategy for Week 7.

Machine work conducted during Week 6 has prepared Area 2 for archaeologicalinvestigation. This will commence on Monday 9th October. It is proposed that work shouldproceed in a similar fashion to that undertaken in Area 1, ie manual excavation by Srn gridsquare, proceeding from the northern end of the area towards the south end. The initial focuswill be on squares located within the cemetery boundary, particularly those in the northeastern corner of the site. This will allow clearance of areas which can then be used forstockpiling of excavated, sieved matrix.

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Dear Richard,

Ref: Prince Of Wales HospitalArchaeological Site DigRandwick

I have received advice from our sites officer Mr David IngreyRe: the Spoil Heap, situated at the Northern End Of The Hospital,advice I have received from David is that we would recomnend todispose of this particular spoil Heap as soon as possible.

Yours Sinc;::erelya L_lj:~ ~-----"""'. ---Donalo WilliamsAdministrator28/09/95

Godden, Mackay pty Ltd,78 George Street,Redfern NSW 2016

LA PEROUSE LOCALABORIGINAL LAND COUNCILP.O. BOX 365 MATRAVILLE, N.S.W: 2036TELEPHONE 311 4282 311 4325FACSIMILE 661 7423

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