Jan Haenraets, Landscape Architect and Conservation Specialist, will speak on some aspects of holistic management and conservation of gardens and cultural landscapes, such as ownership and local engagement, the wider landscape, integrity, skills and environmental management. 

The subject will be explored through project experiences with the National Trust for Scotland, the Olmsted Centre for Landscape Preservation at the US National Park Service and recent advisory support to the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage Jammu & Kashmir Chapter where work is advancing to safeguard the Mughal Gardens of Kashmir and to submit a UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

Time and Date: Thursday 29 March 2012, 5:30pm for 6pm start.

Cost: Members $5, non-members $10 payable at the door. 

Venue: Godden Mackay Logan, 78 George Street, Redfern

RSVP: Miss Jane Vernon  janev@gml.com.au or 02 9319 4811.

Please note RSVP is essential as places are limited.

Wine and nibbles will be provided. Members of the public are welcome!

For more information, please see the PDF invite. 

Raising the Bar 

I first realised I wanted to be an archaeologist when I went on my first “dig” with the University of Sydney’s Prehistory Department in my second year of Uni. I went because I was doing Anthropology as one of my Arts subjects, but to be honest at the time I was actually thinking of becoming a lawyer!

Fortunately the field school at Tambar Springs—hunting diprotodons and kartan core sites, digging holes in swamps, then drinking lots of red wine and singing 70s songs around the fire—quickly persuaded me that this might be a much more interesting career.

Rock On!

When I graduated in 1983 I was already interested in rock art (my Honours project involved studying the style of kangaroo tracks in a Panaramitee engraving site in Western NSW) so it seemed inevitable I would return to that field eventually. And after a few years of working as a consultant and forming my first consultancy with Helen Brayshaw, I was then commissioned to do a three-stage management study of all rock art in the Sydney Basin for the (then) National Parks and Wildlife. This formed the basis of my PhD.

Experience Across the Board

Aside from recording rock art across Australia, I’ve also undertaken several investigations of decorated rock shelters, been involved in the excavation of a number of human skeletons around Sydney and other coastal areas, run two major consulting firms over a 25 year period, and have served various roles on professional archaeological associations and boards—including time as President of the AACAI and the AAA.

Weird and Wonderful

I’d have to say my favourite part of this job is never really knowing what you’re going to find. But I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed working with Aboriginal people on their country, as well as travelling to and working in some of the most remote and beautiful parts of Australia.

Of course, I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting and working with many other archaeologists in these weird and wonderful places… many of whom were pretty weird and wonderful themselves!

Outstanding Projects

Ah, I don’t think I can name a single project … there have been so many good and sometimes ground-breaking ones.

However a few notable examples stand out. For instance working with the police at Angophora Reserve, Avalon, which happened to kick-start a focus on forensic training for crime scene officers using archaeological techniques.

Or in 2005 when my team investigated the apparent ritual killing of the Narrabeen Man, the oldest dated skeleton in Sydney.

Plus I was involved in the Canning Stock Route Project—which turned out to be a fantastic challenge with its seven industry and Aboriginal partners (as represented by their native Title governing bodies and a whole 1800 kilometres of rock art and dreaming stories (Tjurrkupa) to explore.

While more recently I’ve analysed rock art to help with the assessing of Outstanding Universal Values of the Dampier Archipelago for World Heritage nomination, whose scientific values report I was also involved with,  for its National Heritage listing.

The list is as endless as the exciting archaeological opportunities that Australia has to offer, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be involved in this dynamic discipline in this phase of its professional development.

The Ultimate Alliance

So how did I end up working with GML? Well, in late 2010 I was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship with a 4-year project to make a comparison between Australian Western Desert rock art with that found in the Great Basin of the USA.  This research  is particularly interested in how people use rock art when they move into arid zones and then how over time this use changes to signal different sorts of information. 

One of the requirements of the Fellowship is that I work on it full-time—and so I clearly had to take some major steps to take care of my business (Jo McDonald Cultural Heritage Management) which had been operating for the last 15 years, and which had a lot of ongoing business and good clients. 

GML seemed like the obvious choice to me, both because of its good reputation and because it had a nascent Indigenous heritage arm which could be ‘grown’ to accommodate the JMcDCHM business. And of course, it also helped that I had known one of the founders (not to mention fellow Tambar Springs campfire singer), Richard Mackay, since we were undergraduates at Sydney University!

Meanwhile a huge congratulations for Anita Yousif and Dr Tim Owen who have both been promoted and join our outstanding batch of Associates!

Anita is an experienced archaeologist, with expertise is in managing large-scale archaeological excavations, and preparing archaeological assessments, research designs and excavation reports for a wide range of non-Indigenous (historical) sites.  She has also directed excavations at several significant sites both abroad and in Australia, including The Old Government House at Parramatta and the Sydney Opera House.

Tim’s experience spans both historical and Aboriginal archaeology, having directed archaeological excavations in every State and Territory of Australia.  His many areas of expertise include Aboriginal community consultation, Aboriginal and historical archaeological field survey, assessment, excavation and management.

We’ve also been fortunate enough to welcome several new faces to the team in the last six months. GML is proud to pair up with Deirdre Prinsen (Production Assistant), Flavia Scardamaglia (Graduate Consultant), Nina Pollock (Graduate Consultant), Heike Cripps (Accounts Administrator), Sam Cooling (Consultant), Angela So (Consultant) and Joshua Madden (Graduate Consultant).

And last, but certainly not least, we’ve bid fond farewells to Susan O’Neill (who we’re excited to announce has taken up the position of Commissioner at the Land and Environment Court of NSW!), as well as Anna Cartwright, Shilpa Gupta, Fiona Leslie and Mina Ly, all despatched in the nicest possible ways as they move on to new personal and professional adventures.

2. “Grape seeds extracted from soil samples at Tarsus-Gözlükule, Turkey. They were dated to 5,000 years old. From them we could determine what grape varieties the population grew or imported for food and wine.”

3. “A partially carved bronze age bone hairpin, recovered from a site in Spain, near Soria.”

4. “A medallion commemorating the end of convict transportation, recovered from Casselden Place c2002/3. This one made the BBC News!”

5. “A roman coin retrieved Indiana Jones-style from the top of an out-of-bounds spoil heap at a school dig, after a teacher dismissed the small green object as a bottle top. I was chased by a boulder on the way down, but it wasn’t very big.”

The Ateliers of Angkor project, directed by Dr Martin Polkinghorne of the University of Sydney, was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project Grant and included a team of archaeologists associated with the University, as well as the Apsara Authority.

Over a period of 6 weeks their investigations centred around a ninth-century sculpture workshop near Bakong Temple, one of the earliest Ankorian-era temples. Artefacts brought to light included ceramics and carvers’ tools, including those made up of river stones and clay that were used to smooth the carvings.

Returning somewhat reluctantly to Sydney, Sally says ‘It was an amazing experience being able to dig at Angkor. Though I had more scary run-ins with wildlife than I ever have digging in Australia. You haven’t lived until you’ve been chased by a very large snake armed only with a trowel…’

For more on the dig at Bakong Temple, see this article up at the Phnom Penh Post.

The present site of the former Carlton and United Brewery, off Broadway in the Sydney CBD, has been developed over a period of more than 170 years. It was also the last of the major city breweries to have survived to recent years.

Following an archaeological assessment and research design in 2005, as part of an exciting high-density residential and commercial redevelopment, excavation was undertaken in late 2011. And while it is known that early European occupation used the site for Military Gardens—for the more industrious members of the early military to grow vegetables and keep livestock—it is the subsequent era that has provided the most interest.

Established in 1835, the Kent Brewery soon grew into a major complex of some 6ha, with several inns or hotels built, named, renamed and demolished over the years.

One of these, an early 1840s hotel called ‘Napoleon Inn’ (later the Kensington Inn Hotel), has since reappeared in the form of a footprint uncovered during the excavations, along with a cellar and adjoining terraces (1840–50s).

Also uncovered as part of the dig in the Administration Precinct of the site was a large sandstone underground chamber, although its main purpose and use is still under investigation. What is thought, however, is that it is associated with the Blackwattle oviform drain that runs beneath the site—a brick constructed stormwater tunnel that follows the line of the original freshwater creek.

Post-excavation analysis is now being undertaken.

Unique in both its fabric and construction in comparison to similar drains of its era, the heritage value of this Bennelong drain provided intriguing work for GML archaeologist Anita Yousif…

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/citys-drains-network-tells-a-story-of-civilisation-and-lost-wallets-20110909-1k1vq.html

In an extremely positive end to the year, GML is pleased to report the opening of the Common Ground Project—a major new development to provide permanent accommodation for the chronically homeless, located at Camperdown, Sydney.

Introduced with great success in New York in 1990, the Common Ground supportive housing model responds to the particular circumstances of vulnerable people who not only require secure long-term accommodation but also on-site support services to improve their health, wellbeing and ability to live independently.

Following the introduction of Common Ground to Australia in Adelaide and Melbourne, the Sydney site at Camperdown was chosen in July 2009. It was at this early stage that GML became involved, working with Housing NSW, architects Hassell, and the developer Grocon to progress the initiative from the concept stage, through the development approval process and finally to construction.  GML provided initial heritage advice, an assessment of heritage impact, and later archaeological excavation and site interpretation concept designs.

 The site has had a complex layering of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century land uses, including factories, a church and school.  In 1927 the City of Sydney developed part of the site for what at the time was an early and progressive example of public housing.  By continuing this historic use, and retaining the majority of the public housing units in conjunction with the new Common Ground building, the key heritage values of the site were conserved.  Pre-construction archaeological excavation by GML also revealed a diverse collection of relics as evidence of previous developments on the site.   A range of on-site interpretation devices, such as the use of markings and text in the floor of the new Common Ground building, illustrating the footprints of earlier buildings on the site, will enhance the residents’ enjoyment, understanding and connection to their new home, and the history of which they are now a part.

GML is proud to have been involved with such a ground breaking initiative, and congratulates the team led by Housing NSW and Grocon on the successful completion and opening of the project in November 2011.

Click here for more on the exciting and innovative Common Ground initiative

Aboriginal culture and heritage provides essential links between the past and present. It is an important part of cultural identity and connection to Country, and its protection and conservation is crucial in supporting the right to the ongoing cultural self-determination of Aboriginal communities.

This review aims to investigate options for a broad reform of the legislation in NSW. Goals include ensuring effective mechanisms for the protection of Aboriginal heritage and culture, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all parties, as well as the promotion of greater awareness and understanding of this heritage.

Consultation has been underway throughout November and December in the form of regional workshops. However, you can still have your say by using the web-based community engagement forum (closes 30 December 2011).

Click here for more information on the review process and the full list of reform goals.

TIME: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

WHERE: Goethe-Institut Australia, 90 Ocean Street, Woollahra

BOOK: rsvp@sydney.goethe.org

COST: Free / RSVP by 25 October 2011

Why are so few modern heritage places included on the World Heritage List? What is listed internationally? What isn’t? The six housing estates of Berlin Modernism (1913–1934) that were listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008 play a significant role in 20th century architecture and urbanism. Do such modern heritage places need fresh approaches to conservation and adaptation?

As part of the Sydney Architecture Festival 2011, join us to explore these questions and ponder the successes and failures of apartment design and the European influence on 1920s and 30s apartment design in Sydney.

Speakers: Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, Assistant Director, Creative Services Historic Houses Trust, and Sheridan Burke, Partner, Godden Mackay Logan.

Introduction: Alec Tzannes, Tzannes Associates & Dean of UNSW, Built Environment.