G.dde.,.·· .• ·Mackay Heritage Consultants Godden>Macka,Pty Ltd (ACN 001 179362) 78 George Street Redfern NSW 2016 Australia. T;elephone 023194811 Royal Mint Building, Archaeological Monitoring Final Report prepared for The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and the Heritage Council of NSW June 1996
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G.dde.,.··.•·MackayHeritage Consultants
Godden>Macka,Pty Ltd (ACN 001 179362) 78 George Street Redfern NSW 2016 Australia. T;elephone 023194811
Royal Mint Building, Sy~neyArchaeological Monitoring
Final Report prepared for The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and theHeritage Council of NSW
June 1996
ROYAL MINT BUILDING, SYDNEYARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING
FINAL REPORT
Prepared forThe Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
1.5.1 NSW Heritage Act 19771.4.2 Archaeological Zoning Plan for Central Sydney1.4.3 Other Listings
2.0 MONITORING WORK
2.1 PREAMBLE2.2 DESCRIPTION OF WORK MONITORED2.3 METHODOLOGY2.4 PREVIOUS MONITORING
3.0 RESULTS
3.1 AREAS MONITORED3. 1. 1 Mint Forecourt3.1.2 Courtyard3. 1.3 Coining Room
3.2 ENDNOTES
4.0 CONCLUSIONS
4.1 DISCUSSION4.2 ENDNOTES
5.0 APPENDICES
Appendix A PCO Listing for Mint SiteAppendix B Section ofArchaeological Zoning Plan for Central Sydney 1992Appendix C Town and Country Journal, July 14, 1888Appendix D Catalogue ofArtefacts Recovered
PAGE
1
11122222
5
5567
10
1010111112
26
2627
31
GOODENMACKAY
1.1 BACKGROUND
During 1994 and 1995, the Royal Sydney Mint was subject to major development toimprove visitor access, lay service lines and modernise facilities, prior to thereopening of the site as a Museum interpreting the history and significance of goldand minting in Australia. It was clear that the scale of the proposed works had thepotential to disturb extant archaeological remains located within the study area.These areas included the inner courtyard, the forecourt and subfloor spaces in theupper floor of the coining factory.
Godden Mackay Pty Ltd were commissioned to undertake archaeologicalmonitoring and recording of significant features exposed during this work and toprovide specialist advice in relation to archaeological matters while the work wascarried out.
Three previous reports have been completed by Godden Mackay in relation to therefurbishment of the Mint. They are:
The Mint, Sydney, Archaeological Monitoring During Soil Sampling, October1994;
The Mint, Archaeological Research Design, January 1995; and
The "Melting House Site", The Mint, Archaeological Assessment andManagement Strategy, August 1995.
1.2 LOCATION
The study area is located at the southern end of Macquarie Street in the city,adjacent to the Hyde Park Barracks bUilding (Figure 1.1). It is sited on a prominentridge, which dominated the eastern side of the early township of Sydney andbacked onto what was then the Governor's Demesne. It is currently occupied bythe Mint Museum (part of the Powerhouse Museum) and by the NSW District Court(Figure 1.2).
1.3 AUTHOR IDENTIFICATION
This report was written by Matthew Kelly. Archaeological monitoring on site wasundertaken by Matthew Kelly and Sarah Dillane. The report was reviewed byRichard Mackay. All photographs were taken by Matthew Kelly.
GODDENMACKAY
1.4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Assistance provided by the following individuals and institutions is gratefullyacknowledged:
• Rob Webb, Project Manager, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
• Ms Tracy Ireland, Archaeologist, Heritage Council of NSW.
1.5 STATUTORY CONTROLS
1.5.1 NSW Heritage Act 1977
The Mint site is subject to a Permanent Conservation Order (PCO) under the NewSouth Wales Heritage Act, 1977. Section 57 of the Act prohibits in respect of thebuilding, work, relic or place subject to the pca any work which may affect or alterit unless approval is granted by the Heritage Council. A plan of the PCO appearsas Appendix A.
The NSW Heritage Act 1977 also affords automatic statutory protection to 'relics'that form archaeological deposits or part thereof. The Act defines 'relic' as:
any deposit, object or material evidence relating to the settlement of the areathat comprises NSW, not being an aboriginal settlement, and which is 50 ormore years old.
Sections 139 to 145 of the Act prevent the excavation or disturbance of land for thepurpose of discovering, exposing or moving a relic, except by a qualifiedarchaeologist to whom an excavation permit has been issued by the HeritageCouncil of NSW.
1.5.2 Archaeological Zoning Plan for Central Sydney
The site encompassed by this work is listed as an area of archaeological potentialin the Sydney City Council Archaeological Zoning Plan for Central Sydney, 1992 (aportion of the relevant plan is included as Appendix D). This document is anadvisory document only and by itself holds no statutory authority.
1.5.3 Other Listings
The Mint precinct is also listed by the National Trust and is on the Register of theNational Estate.
2
Figure 1.1 Site location of the Mint Complex.
3
PORT
FARM
COVE
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L) J J J l J l J J l U
INiN(i ROOt'\
SECURITY
COURTyARD
o
M 1.6
~M l.S 0
M 1.1 M l.2
\
L---------l
M 1.10
ROYAL MINT 8UILDI~~GS - MACQUARIE STREET SYDNEY
FOR THE ~1USEUM OF APPL lED ARTS AND SC iENCES
GODDENMACKAY
2.1 PREAMBLE
The monitoring of works associated with this project took place over a period ofseven months, from late 1994 to the opening of the new Museum in February 1995.Due to the length of time over which this monitoring took place and the nature ofthe work being monitored, there were difficulties in attempting to provide an holisticapproach to the archaeology of the site, control the excavations themselves andintegrate the disparate information gleaned from the various excavations across thesite.
This report presents a description of the monitoring of work undertaken duringrefurbishment. It primarily addresses the archaeological resource and relatedissues. Issues relating to the conservation and retention of the existing structuresare beyond the scope of this study.
2.2 DESCRIPTION OF WORK MONITORED
The work was undertaken for a variety of purposes and included monitoring ofwork:
• associated with the landscaping and change in levels in the courtyard;
• prOViding service lines across the courtyard for telephone, electricity, fire alarms,etc. to the Melting House;
• associated with the removal of asbestos contamination from the interior of theMelting House;
• testing and the subsequent removal of deposits of heavy metals contaminationin the ground floor and immediate environs of the Melting House;
• lowering the ground floor in the north east of the Melting House for theinstallation of an operating coin press;
• repaving the eastern pathway adjacent to the Melting House;
• excavating footings for a temporary ticket office in the forecourt of the Mintcomplex; and
• gardening works along the Macquarie Street frontage.
5
GODDENMACKAY
2.3 METHODOLOGY
The archaeologist was present during work that had the potential to disturb subsurface relics. The majority of the excavation was undertaken by hand. The majorservice trench excavated diagonally across the interior courtyard of the complexwas excavated by machine.
During all excavation work it was possible to call for a cessation of work whilefeatures were examined, assessed and recorded as required. Excavations wererecorded photographically and sketch plans and sections were drawn.
In general, artefacts were not present in deposits excavated outside the structures.Some fragments of building material were present in some deposits. These werenoted, but not collected or retained.
The excavation of the ground floor of the Coining Room uncovered a fill depositbeneath the concrete slab floor. A wide variety of artefacts were exposed duringremoval of this deposit and some were retained. A catalogue of these artefacts isprovided at Appendix D. A number of other artefacts were handed to thearchaeologist by workers at the site. Many of these were surface finds duringlandscaping, etc. The provenance of the artefacts has been recorded.
None of the artefacts retained were determined to be in situ. All derive fromsecondary deposition or are surface finds. As a result, analysis of the artefactswas restricted to simple listing and division into groups and subgroups based onuse, as set out on the artefact sheets.
The excavation permit for the archaeological monitoring was issued afterconsideration of an archaeological Research Design, prepared by Godden Mackay,which was submitted with the permit application. This Research Design outlinedfour basic questions which, because of the nature of the resource and the methodsby which it would be exposed, we considered should be addressed. These were:
1. What physical evidence of former activities survives at the site?
2. What is the extent of the surviving archaeological evidence?
3. What is the nature of the extant archaeological features?
4. What is the date of particular identified items?
6
GODDENMACKAY
2.4 PREVIOUS MONITORING
The work undertaken as part of this project forms part of large corpus of monitoringwork performed both inside and outside the standing structures. It was undertakenby numerous archaeologists, over a long period of time (1980-1994), for a varietyof reasons. The results of this disparate work (of varying quality and usefulness)have only been recently compiled by Wendy Thorp (Thorp, W. 1994, Royal MintBUilding Sydney, Precis of Archaeological Worl<, 1980-1994, Assessment ofArchaeological Requirements), who recommended that work conducted in the Mintshould, as a minimum, be undertaken subject to a monitoring and recordingprocedure. In the case of the subfloor areas of the main building and the courtyard,these areas should be subject to investigation, recording and assessment prior toany work being conducted there. This is due to the potential for both these areas tocontain intact archaeological deposits, and their research value.
Figure 2.2 Areas previously monitored/excavated, 1980-1994.
10m
-------~ 9
GOOOENMACKAY
3.1 AREAS MONITORED
The monitoring work conducted at the Mint can be divided into three zones:
1. The forecourt of the main Mint building.
2. The interior courtyard of the complex.
3. The interior of the Coining House.
The following description of the work will outline some of the evidence for formeractivities on the site as illustrated by the archaeological evidence. In addition,some reference will be made to the artefactual evidence where it may elucidateparticular points.
3.1.1 Mint Forecourt
A comparatively small amount of monitoring was undertaken in this area of theMint. However, in terms of the nature of the deposits, the zone between MacquarieStreet and the early Hospital Building probably represents the area least disturbedby intensive activities or development.
Small excavations were monitored in the area in front of the southern apsidalextension (the Library in the 1896 plan) to the main building. Two sections wererecorded (Sections 11 and 12) from a series of small (O.5m x O.5m x 400mm deep)holes excavated for the brick piers for a temporary ticket office entrance facility forthe Museum. A small trench for service lines to this building also exposed somefeatures from an earlier phase of occupation.
This work was conducted on the site of a much earlier (pre-1896) extensionattached to the southern end of the main building. This extension appears as apencilled-in addition to the 1830s plan of the site (visible on the original in the StateArchives Office, AO 2343, but almost invisible on photocopies). The plaster andbrick deposits observed in Section 12 are probably from the demolition and removalof this extension, the exact purpose of which is unknown.
10
GODDENMACKAY
In addition, the stonework observed in plan in the trench through this area mayrelate to the steps which had once linked the ground level with the verandahadjacent to the west wall of this structure.
3.1.2 Courtyard
The intensive use of the courtyard over the entire operating period of the Mint andthe subsequent phases of the courtyard have disturbed or removed much of theshallower physical evidence in this area. Sections observed in this area providedlittle new information relating to aspects of the operation of the site. Most of theinformation gathered has relevance to the potential survival of archaeologicalremains across the whole site.
The removal of the topsoil for returfing during this project exposed the base of thecourtyard fountain added during the 1895 relandscaping. Only the brick andcement base remains in situ and it is apparent that any features associated with thelandscaping of the garden in this period, such as paths, garden plots and paintings,have been removed, probably in the 1890s, down to a level below which they wouldhave survived. No evidence of the temporary structures that were built in thecourtyard in the twentieth century were observed.
The substantial robbed foundations observed in Sections 3 and 4 probably relate tothe front (west) wall of the early kitchen building, situated at the rear of the mainbuilding. Not much remains, but it is clear that they were substantial sandstonefoundations which were thought valuable enough to remove once the kitchen hadceased operation. The sandstone drain exposed in Trench C was possiblyconstructed in the foundation trench (Widened) of the south wall of the kitchen,reusing some of the stone from the kitchen1. The excavation of Trench 83/1 in thesecond phase of excavations also observed the robbed-out remains of the westwall of this structure, though the actual position was not reported2.
It is difficult to judge the level of probable survival of other in situ features ordeposits associated with this structure considering these sections alone. There is areasonable likelihood that surfaces may survive. Rubbish pits or cess pits anddeeper sub-surface features associated with the early period are also more likely tohave survived.
3.1.3 Coining Room
Excavation in the Coining Room, to remove the current slab floor and lower theground level by 300mm for the installation of an operating coin press, revealed adeep fill deposit containing a wide range of ceramic, glass and industrial artefacts.This deposit was laid during the 1920s to level the area prior to it being used as carspace (see Figure 4.3). This fill appears to have been imported from elsewhere inthe site, as artefacts retrieved from the exterior section, to the north of what had
11
GODDENMACKAY
been the Rolling Room, are from rubbish associated with the Melting House proper.
These artefacts are pipeclay tubes with twisted copper wire usually around one
end. The longest length of one of these tubes is 165mm (see artefact catalogue).
These items are noted in the Town and Country Journal article of 1888 about the
operations in the Mint. The tubes were part of the pouring apparatus for molten
metals in the Melting Room.
Also exposed during this work were a sandstock brick drain and a sandstone
machinery base, possibly for a die stamper (see Figure 3.10 foreground).
The drain is constructed of three courses of dark pink sandstock bricks, without
frogs, corbelled to create the drain cap. This drain ran east-west approximately
300mm below the level of the previous concrete slab. The base of the drain is
probably formed by part of the clay B horizon, as was the sandstone drain exposed
by Bairstow in the courtyard. The interior of the drain was only exposed for a width
of two bricks, and access to the interior was extremely difficult. As a consequence
the fill of the drain was not able to be investigated. The materials used in the
construction of the drain, such as the white sandy shell mortar, suggest a date of
perhaps the 1840s to 1850s. This may represent a refurbished portion of drain,
from the early kitchen part of the repairs during the Dispensary Period.
The sandstone machine base had been considerably damaged by the removal of
the machine bolted to it during the decommissioning of the Mint. Further
investigation may correctly identify the use of this base, but it would appear that it
was for the die machine shown in the foreground of the illustration for the Town and
Country Journal article (reproduced as Appendix C). The removal of the fill to lower
the floor only exposed the top 200mm of this monolith, and it was not possible to
investigate deeper features associated with its construction.
The survival of both the drain and the machine base, and the nature of the fill
deposits in the Coining Room, suggest that substantial features are likely to survive
across other parts of the site, including the remainder of the Milling Room, the
southern portion of the Coining Room, and the Melting House. However, deposits
or surfaces associated with their use/occupation are likely to have been removed or
destroyed during the decommissioning of the Mint earlier this century.
3.2 ENDNOTES
1. Bairstow, D., in Thorp, W. 1994, Royal Mint Building, Precis of Archaeological
Work, 1980-1994, Assessment of Archaeological Requirements, Appendix VII.
2. Burritt, P., in Thorp, W. ibid, Appendix X.
12
f '0SECTION 7
:iITE OF MELTING HOUSE
LDNOATH
\fl"0 ConHoICI
Plan 2
SECTION 8
SECTION 6
ISECTION 5
ISECTION1
I
DISTRlCf COlJRT
D
SECTION 11
o IOm
~
Figure 3.1. Plan of Mint with sections and plans indicated.
13
A1 B11
2
3
{, 4 r5
---- 11
~106 ]1
~
_J 1 j[ f-""'\
" "- "- " " " " '" " '" " '" " " "9
~----------------------
UNEXCAVATED
I
Figure 3.2 Section 1 and Plan 1.
SECTION11. Gravel and mid brown clay2. Clean sand fill3. Blue Metal4. Grey sand5. Black loam6. Brick/cement pit7. Fe pipe8. Ceramic Pipe9. Red clay10. Sandstone footings11. Mixed fill12. Trench fill13. Trench cut14. Cut for pit
10
7
B1
14
A2
2
3
82
Figure 3.3 Section 2.
.s
6
8
9
UNEXCAVATED
7
4
10
SECTION 21. Gravel/clay2. Clean sand3. Blue metal4. Black loam5. Yellow clay6. Redeposited red clay7. Mixed fill8. Sandstone rubble9. Red clay10. Footings11. Redeposited red clay
15
A383
. 1
4
5
6
9
SECTION 31. Topsoil2. Sand3. Blue Metal4. Bitumen/Blue metal5. Rubble (sandstone/brick)6. Clay with sandstone rubble7. Yellow brown clay8. Concrete block9. Red clay
Figure 3.4 Section 3.
7--------------------------------UNEXCAVATED
16
A
----------2
3
4
---__-------1
5
UNEXCAVATED
7
SECTION 41. Topsoil2. Redeposited clay/san3. Bitumen/blue metal4. Sandstone rubble5. Small sandstone rubbl6. Red Clay with charcoa7. Concrete block8. Black compacted silt a
Section 3.5 Section 4.
17
A
2
-----------UNEXCAVATED
B
SECTION 51. Topsoil2. Black loam3. Sandstone rubble4. Mid brown clay
Section 3.6 Section 5.
18
r---------J~6A6
---------------_.3
2
4
L-__-------________________ J
UNEXCAVATED
SECTION 61. Topsoil2. Loam3. Blue Metal4. Red Clay
Figure 3.7 Section 6.
19
.........,;S
A
5 -6 1 -
1
2 lL-·_.6- ___ -_~ _____ ._
7
10
8
9
> UNEXCAVATED
SECTION 71. Fe water pipe2. Pipe trench fill3. Gravel/Sand4. Blue Metal5. Brown sandy loam6. Sandstone footings7. Buff sandy clay/sandstone frags8. Yellow clay laterite staining9. Bedded white clay/shale10. Dry pressed brick pit
Figure 3.13 Rolling Mills in the Mint, 18805. Town and Country Journal, July 14,1888.
25
GODDENMACKAY
4.1 DISCUSSION
The archaeological monitoring of the works at the Mint site were conducted over aprotracted period. The project work was extensive and allowed an unparalleledopportunity to observe and record subsurface features of the exterior and theCoining House site. Some in situ features associated with the use of the site havebeen recorded (see Figure 4.1).
In a general sense the monitoring program has enabled an assessment to be madeof the nature, extent and significance of the extant archaeological resource. Muchof this information has previously formed part of the Archaeological Assessmentand Management Strategy Report prepared for the Melting House site by GoddenMackay.
In large part the archaeological resource appears to have been considerablydisturbed. Few features or deposits have escaped being affected and all of thefeatures recorded and presented in Figure 4.1 have been altered or disturbed insome way by subsequent activities on the site. Most of this activity was purposefuldisturbance: walls have been robbed out; machinery demolished and removed; thefountain taken out of service; etc.
This conclusion only reinforces the belief that, while subsurface remains are stillextant in the courtyard, Coining House and Forecourt, they are considerablydisturbed and in many cases deposits associated with them are the result not oftheir original use but of their decommissioning, destruction or removal.
The disturbed nature of the deposits across much of the site is demonstrated bythe fill encountered in the ground floor of the Coining House where the machinerybase was exposed. This sandstone base was clearly heavily damaged by theremoval of the machine which had been attached to it. The fill, which covered thebase, appears to have been imported from elsewhere on the site. This is mostlikely to have occurred in the late 1920s to level the site for a proposed ParkingArea (see Figure 4.3). Fill from other areas was also discovered. Artefactsrecovered from similar fill deposits outside the Coining House, in an area to thenorth which had once formed part of the Rolling Room, are from the Melting Roomproper1.
26
GODDENMACKAY
4.2 ENDNOTES
1. These are the ceramic pipes made from pipe clay which were used in themolten pouring operations.
27
7
8
_3_
....AAU-.A
tJ1 Reused Sandstock Brick PI t2 Base of Courtyard Fountain3 Robbed Sandstone Rubble Foundation4 Sandstock Brick Barrel Drain5 Sandstone Machine Base6 Sandstone Drain?7 Sandstone Foundation Melting HOllse8 Sandstone Foundation Melting HOllse
Figure 4.1 Features recorded in situ during monitoring work.
Appendix 8 Section of Archaeological Zoning Plan for Central Sydney 1992
Appendix C Town and Country Journal, July 14, 1888
'I 'I·1 ! .~ ~.,.
INsilTUTION IN' Ne:;"", I !, I SOUTH WALE I
1.Ih.ntvi.... r~om;l. S--THE~ SY. . ""qu,n."h.et. ". D NE Y M I N T10 the wH'lbo>(.,wm-e"tin' I '. (ForI.; tDolwu g,)ld lo(a 1Jn.r!
suo .. Tho
L The r>JllinK mills
Appendix 0 Catalogue of Artefacts Recovered
ARTEFACT CLASS:Ceramic
ARTEFACT DATAMINT BUILDING
CAT MATERIALS ACTIVITY FUNCTION SUB DECORATIONI NOTESNO FUNCTION WORKING
1 Pineclav Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end Pine clav tube & conner wire twist at head 165mm lonQ:2 Pipeclay Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end Pipe clay tube & copper wire twist at head 125mm Ion!!3 Pipeclay Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end 120mm Ion!!4 Pipeclay Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end 65mm long5 Pipeclay Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end 85mm Ion!!6 Pipeclay Manuf Metalwk Draw Tube Worked end 97mm Ion!!7 Pipeclay Manuf Metal wk Draw Tube Worked end 9 fra!!s of various lengths8 Stoneware Unid Bottle Unid Saltglazed Base Fra!!9 Stoneware Food serve Unid Unid Blue Trans Print10 Stoneware Unid Unid Unid !!Iazed/relief leaf111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
ARTEFACT CLASS:
ARTEFACT DATA
CAT MATERIALS ACTIVITY FUNCTION SUB- DECORATION NOTESNO FUNCTION
11 Glass Vnid Bottle Vnid Trade Name base "AGM" (Australian Glass Manufacturers) 1923-193012 " Manuf Bottle Vnid Blue Glass Chemical Bottle? Base frags13 " Manuf Bottle Vnid Blue Glass Chemical Bottle? Base frags14 " Manuf Bottle Vnid Blue Glass Chemical Bottle? 6 frags15 " Food Store Bottle Beer/Wine Black Glass Base16 " Food Store Bottle Beer Trade Name Brown Glass Resch's DA 1937 date on Base17 " .18 "19 "2021222324252627282930313233343536373839
ARTEFACT CLASS:Miscelaneous
ARTEFACT DATAThe Mint, 1995
CAT MATERIALS ACTIVITY FUNCTION SUB- DECORATION NOTESNO FUNCTION
17 Metal (Fe) Arch-Struc Nail 3.5 "? Wrou~ht Iron Nail18 " Arch-Struc Fastening Gutter Spike Cast Iron (Galvanised) Gutter Spike19 " Arch-Struc Fence RailinlZ Acanthus 5 fragments of Cast Iron Railing Decoration20 Metal+Wood Vnid Vnid Pulley Wooden PulleY Wheel Washers on Metal Bracket21 Wood (OrelZon?) Arch-Struc Floor Board 4 114" by 1" Floor Board Butt EdlZes and fillet slots22232425262728293031323334353637383940414243