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3.0 Summary of Archaeological Testing to Date 3.1 1997 The initial program of archaeological testing occurred in 1997 as a response to the proposal to build a new building on the carpark site with several sub-grade levels. An initial archaeological assessment of the site (Casey & Lowe, May 1997) indicated that the nineteenth-century naval dockyard extended into the area and that remains of docks may have survived under the carpark surface. The assessment indicated that parts of three docks may be present, with a fourth to the north under Argyle Street. Archaeological testing in September 1997 exposed the northern wall of the middle dock. The top of the dressed southern face of the northern wall was located approximately 1m below the carpark surface. The face of the wall was followed down into the sandy fill for over two metres without reaching its base. A metal rail running parallel to the wall was uncovered at 1.9m deep but could not be examined closely due to its depth. The wall was followed to the west where it met rising bedrock. The western end of the dock appears to be cut into bedrock with no stonework. The fill in the western third of the dock was a dark loamy deposit with handmade clay roofing tile fragments and shell. This deposit is probably a sealed pre-1850 fill. Stonework from the southern wall was uncovered at depth 1400mm below the carpark surface. On its northern side of the middle dock the level stepped up to what was interpreted as a sandstone retaining wall running north-south between the middle and northern docks, with a compacted cinder surface running up to it, probably part of a dockyard-period work surface. At the approximate point where the southern wall of the northern dock was expected a row of rough sandstone blocks was uncovered with a rubble core and no facing. On their northern side was loose sandy fill which was excavated to a depth of 1.5m without change. The northern dock is depicted as being stepped. It would seem that that the dock’s stepped ashlar coursing has been removed as no wall facing was found. The trench was excavated northwards to locate the northern dock wall but no evidence of it was found on this alignment. Testing at the western end of the northern dock showed mortar beds, suggesting that the upper ashlar courses had been removed. Testing in the southeast corner of the site, south of the middle dock, showed a truncated sandstone east-west orientated wall with a flat compacted sandy surface on the northern side, probably another dockyard working surface, some 850mm below the carpark surface. In December 1997, nine locations were tested where bored piers could be introduced, in order to carry a building above the docks (Fig. 3.1). Piers in nearly all the locations proved to be possible, except for those in the vicinity of the north-south wall encountered between the docks (Locations 4 and 7. Results at each of the nine locations were: Pier Location 1 – Southern wall of middle dock found 1000mm below surface. Disturbed fill on southern side of wall. Pier Location 2 – Southern wall of middle dock found 1200 below surface. Possible work surfaces found at 960 and 1250mm below surface. Pier Location 3 – Location obscured by modern service. Bedrock at depth 1050mm. Pier Location 4 – This location overlapped with the north-south wall between the docks. Evidence for working surfaces and dock phasing was found in this location.

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Figure 3.1: Pier locations tested in 1997. Pier Location 5 – A black ashy layer, probably a work surface, was found at depth 350mm below the carpark surface. Rubble fill, apparently the fill behind the dock wall, no structural remains. Pier Location 6 – Compacted sandstone rubble over bedrock at depth 550mm. Pier Location 7 – Overlap with the north-south wall between the docks. Evidence for at least two working surfaces and dock phasing was found in this location. Pier Location 8 – Top of the southern wall of the northern dock found at depth 800mm. Mixed fill on the southern side of the wall, no other structural remains. Pier Location 9 – Compacted layer of sandstone rubble over bedrock at depth 560mm below carpark surface. 3.2 1998 Testing was conducted along the northern site boundary to determine the alignment of the northern wall of the northern dock. Intact stone coursing of the western end wall and northwest corner of the dock were found, with levels from RL1.52 to RL0.75. Above these courses, the stonework had been removed, leaving the mortar beds on which the stone had rested.

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Along the northern site boundary a vertical stone wall was uncovered which was built on the northern dock wall. This wall is interpreted as a retaining wall built when the line of Argyle Street was extended over the dockyard in the 1850s. Pier Location 10 – Bedrock was found at depth 900mm under garden fill. 3.3 2000 Testing was undertaken in September and October 2000 in order to inform the building design parameters proposed at that time. During testing close to the northeast corner of the MCA building shell-mortar covered sandstone slabs were found at a depth of 1850 mm below current ground levels. They were mostly buried underneath twentieth-century fill deposits. The slabs are likely to the part of the southern wall of the southern dock. Their lack of shape would indicate that they were part of the wall core rather than the stone facing or alter coursing, which appear to have been removed. The western side of the carpark was examined up to the walkway along the eastern side of 132 George Street. Sandstone footings, probably belonging to a building shown on a c1858 plan, were exposed as well as a remnant surface that continued up to the rear of the middle dock. The sandstone footings butted up to stonework that was part of an east-west wall built on the northern wall of the middle dock and described as “new” in 1847. A testhole was dug adjacent to the substation. Measuring 2000 x 1500mm, bedrock was located almost immediately beneath the bitumen carpark. No archaeological structures were found, apart from two service trenches cut into the bedrock. 3.4 2008 An archaeological program was conducted to determine the exact location of dock fabric and alignments so that impacts from the proposed development could be minimised. Eight testholes were excavated in locations where structural elements were expected or where major new pier footings are planned. Test holes 1-5 were to determine the alignments of the middle dock’s walls – this was achieved except for the southwest corner which was obscured by a modern service. Test hole 6 exposed a mortar surface connected with the missing upper coursing of the western end of the dock. Evidence for a coursing step was found in the eastern edge of the test hole. Test hole 7 attempted to determine the nature and location of the lowest coursing of the northern dock but no structural remains were found. The construction of the police van dock and prisoner walkway was monitored in 2008. A section of the stone retaining wall along the northern site boundary was recorded at that time. This wall is part of the same wall recorded in 1998, being a retaining wall for Argyle Street constructed when the roadway was extended over the dockyard in the 1850s.

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3

Λ 14

3.5 Photo Record of Testing Programs

Figure 3.2: Photo key.

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Photo 1: Mortar bedding in northwest corner of northern dock where stonework has been

removed.

Photo 2: Northwest corner of northern dock showing intact stone coursing at depth. Scales 30cm

and 1m.

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Photo 3: Section of stone coursing on western end of northern dock. Scale 30cm.

Photo 4: Section of stone walling along northern boundary of carpark (retaining wall for Argyle

Street). Scale 1m.

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Photo 5: Section of southern wall of northern dock. Scale 1m.

Photo 6: Southern wall of northern dock (left) with stone retaining wall in middle and ashy work

surface.

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Photo 7: Sandstone retaining wall between middle and northern docks. Note work surfaces either

side of wall.

Photo 8: Mooring ring in northern stone wall of middle dock.

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Photo 9: Southern wall of middle dock hollowed out by service trench. Scale 1m.

Photo 10: Section of southern wall of middle dock. Scale 30cm.

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Photo 11: Area to south of middle dock showing remnant structures and work surfaces. Scale 1m.

Photo 12: Remnant walling and surfacing to west of middle dock. Scale 1m.

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Photo 13: Ashy work surface on northern side of middle dock. Scale 1m.

Photo 14: Northern boundary wall exposed during construction of existing police dock. Scale 1m.

May 2008.