Remains of 200-year-old Wheatsheaf Hotel unearthed during excavations in Parramatta
RALPH Millard remembers visiting his great grandfather’s “damp and musty” house in Parramatta as a kid — little did he realised it was standing in one of Australia’s earliest convict sites, which was since been uncovered during construction work.
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RALPH Millard remembers visiting his great grandfather’s “damp and musty” house in Parramatta as a kid — little did he realised it was standing inside one of Australia’s earliest convict sites, which was since been uncovered during construction work.
Builders discovered the cellar of the Wheatsheaf Hotel, built in 1801, during construction of Parramatta’s Vertical Village project.
Contractors also unearthed the remains of an 1800s convict hut that, together with the hotel, have been preserved in their original location for future generations in a public display opening today at the 29-storey V development.
Before work began, research and site survey revealed the presence of the archaeological sites going back to the beginnings of historical settlement.
Mr Millard, now aged 70, said he had little idea what was beneath his great grandfather’s home.
“It was a pretty old house, but I had no idea,” Mr Millard recalled.
The archaeological dig originally commenced in 2005.
Before manual excavation could begin, soil needed to be removed by machine before a team of qualified staff and volunteers went to work over several months.
Excavation continued until the lowest layers, or natural clay was reached.
All up, developers spent an estimated $6 million preserving the site.
The convict hut measured 3.6 by 7.3 metres and was divided into two rooms, the larger room was originally the kitchen where the convicts prepared their own meals.
Along with hundreds of unique artefacts, the pub and hut are housed on the ground level of the Crown Group building that features a 590 apartments, a pool, gym, five-star hotel and modern restaurants.
They will be unveiled today at the opening of the “Philip Ruddock Heritage Centre” after former member for Parramatta and one of Australia’s longest serving federal politicians, Philip Ruddock.
“This is the first time the actual remains of a convict hut have been able to be displayed to the public,” a spokesman said.
“Until now it has proved impossible to display the actual remains of a convict hut to the public — because the timbers had not survived, but in this case, remains have been able to be conserved in the heritage centre with original materials — a first for Sydney and a first for Parramatta.”
Two years ago, an archaeological dig at the site of the $2 billion Parramatta Square development uncovered the footings of a home of highwayman turned publican John Holland built in 1810 and three other properties built from the 1870s.
Seventeen archaeologists worked on the project, removing concrete and about a metre of soil and rubble to reach the buried relics.
Archaeologist John Van Tilburg was part of the team that first that uncovered the site. He said his favourite find was tucked away under more than 9.3 metres of dirt, charcoal and bricks.
“I was digging up a well and we were going through all this black charcoal from the works site,” Mr Van Tilburg said.
“We hit the brickwork of the bottom of the well, and when we lifted just one brick right in the middle we found a coin.”
The 1798 cartwheel penny was placed under the first brick of the house as a sign of good luck.
“I picked up the coin and thought ‘wow’. It was really a great surprise, and let us know exactly when the building went up.”
“Finding the hut so well preserved was great, but that coin, that was something else,” Mr Van Tillburg said.
Holland was captured for being a highwayman in England and was transported to Australia in 1840.
He later run an inn in Parramatta’s Church St with his wife Harriet.