HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT SYDNEY

Transcription

1 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT ALFRED STREET PRIORITY DESIGN PROJECT CIRCULAR QUAY SYDNEY Pr-epared for City Projects, Council of the City of Sydney March 1998 WendyThorp

2 Conservation Area Studies: Lady Hay Estate & Holtermann Estate (A,B,C, D) CONTENTS OF THE REPORT 1.0 Summary Objectives Historical Role The Resources Cultural Significance The Work Heritage Impact Management Parameters of the Report The Study Area Objectives Tasks Authorship and Acknowledgements Historical Context Part of the Cove The Semi-Circular Quay - A Maritime Environment Re-defining the Precinct Obscuring the Links The Resources Cahill Expressway and Railway 9

3 Conservation Area Studies: Lady Hay Estate & Holtermann Estate (A,B,C, D) 4.2 The AMP Building The Customs House The Gateway Development Goldfields House Street Trees and Furniture Fountains and Commemorative Elements Archaeological Resources Historical Process Indicative Evidence The Potential Resource Cultural Significance Individual Elements The Precinct Heritage Impact The Strategy and its Objectives Impact on Heritage Resources Buildings and Structures Streetscape Archaeological Resources Management... 18

4 SECTION 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 Objectives The purpose of this report is to provide an evaluation of the impact of works proposed for Alfred Street Circular Quay on heritage resources and values encompassed by that precinct. The latter includes the footpath and carriageway between George and Phillip Streets, between the southern building line and Circular Quay Railway. This report is an appendix to a statement of environmental effects. 1.2 Historical Role Alfred Street is built over land that, prior to European settlement and for some time afterwards, was the interface between land and water. High Water Mark was at a point now under Customs House and below this was a sandy beach leading, at low tide, to muddy flats. The estuary of the Tank Stream emptied at a point near Pitt Street. Several wharves and huts were built along this shore in the early years of the settlement and gardens of First Government House and a public walking track came down to the water on the eastern side of the Customs House site. Siltation and pollution greatly affected the head of the cove during the early decades of settlement and this, as well as the shallow draught, influenced a decision to build a sea-wall and reclaim the land behind. This became Semi-Circular Quay. The Customs House was built as part of this programme in the 1840s. The area of Alfred Street serviced the ships that tied up at the berths in front of this building. Throughout the nineteenth century the street retained a particularly maritime flavour. Customs House, rebuilt and adapted several times, continued to accommodate the Customs Service and the buildings that surrounded it, mostly bond 'stores, reflected the character of the area. In the 1890s the head of the cove was "squared" to its present form and it became the principal ferry terminus. This fundamental change in use influenced the immediate environs; Alfred Street then became a busy and important pedestrian area and commuter terminus with trams, hansoms and horse cabs all passing through it area. Now Alfred Street is principally a product of the twentieth century retaining little of its former and distinct maritime associations other than Customs House. Sydney's increasing transport needs have shaped the northern side, with the railwayand the Cahill Expressway constructed in the period of the 1940s-50s, and the southern side reflecting the two great econom ic and real estate booms of the this century. The AMP Building and Goldfields House were constructed in the 1960s and the Gateway Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 1

5 development in the 1980s. The paving, trees, street furniture and the Tank Stream Fountain also derive from this period being a Council initiative of The Resources The heritage schedules attached to LEP 1992 for Sydney identify several buildings or elements in this precinct to be of significance. These are the AMP Building, Customs House, the facades of the Paragon and Ship Inns, the Tank Stream Fountain and Customs House Lane. Apart from these elements the precinct also contains Goldfields House, built in 1966, the Gateway development of the 1980s, Circular Quay Railway (commenced in the post VWVII years and since refurbished) and the Cahill Expressway from the 1950s. Archaeological resources are likely to predominantly encompass several metres of fill that was introduced as part of the development of Circular Quay in the mid nineteenth century. Below this is likely to be evidence of the original foreshore and estuarine environment and, possibly, relics of the maritime works of this area. Above the fill may be fragmented evidence of earlier street levels and tram works. 1.4 Cultural Significance Apart from the individual significance of those elements identified in the heritage schedules Alfred Street has been recognised for its important role as a public meeting place, for its place within the transport network of Sydney as a major destination and for its associations with the major public works of the nineteenth century which reshaped the town. Principally it is a statement of twentieth century Sydney and the influences of its principal economic cycles and the pressures created by the transport needs of a major metropolis. 1.5 The Work The works proposed for Alfred Street generally are intended to visually unify the place and make it more amenable for public use. This is to be achieved by rerouting traffic and pedestrian movements, realigning the southern curb and, at the AMP Building, altering the level to match the rest of the street, placing all street furniture on the southern curb and replacing the existing furniture with that of a single design, introducing paving throughout the entire area that extends the water/land theme recently laid at Customs House, removing the current street trees and planting a double row along the southern side of the street in a way that also reflects the water/land theme. Commemorative elements such as the Tank Stream Fountain will remain and there are no works planned for any of the principal structural elements. 1.6 Heritage Impact There are no identifiable impacts on the heritage listed buildings or other works. The alignment of Alfred Street and its relationship to the principal architectural units and intersecting streets is to be preserved. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 2

6 Introduction of the new street planting scheme has no identifiable impact on heritage values. The greater visibility of the architectural elements on the southern side of Alfred Street is seen as a positive reinforcement of heritage values. It is highly unlikely that excavations required as part of the Alfred Street work will reveal any significant archaeological evidence. The work is shallow and the area has largely been disturbed by excavation and levelling carried out in At best some evidence of an earlier street level and possibly of the tram system will be found in the majority of the excavation. The evidence is likely to be fragmented. The deeper excavation required at the AMP Building also is unlikely to reveal a significant resource; fill deposits from the period of reclamation are the most likely evidence to be uncovered by this work. The works planned for the Alfred Street precinct will have no identifiable impact on the heritage resources and values encompassed by this area. The relocation of street trees away from the facades of buildings along the southern street boundary is a positive outcome making the facades of those buildings more visible and able to be viewed as complete architectural units. 1.7 Management There are no particular requirements which need to be addressed to maintain the heritage values of the place during the proposed work. That significant archaeological relics are unlikely to be found during the course of excavation means that the proponents of the work will not need to apply for an Excavation Permit from the Heritage Council of NSW for this work. However, it should be noted that, in the event that a substantial deposit or relic is revealed by this work the provisions of the Heritage Act still apply and advice should be sought from the Heritage Office for the responsible management of that resource. All of the studies undertaken for this precinct and the works carried out to date have stressed the importance of the place as a link between the city and the harbour, for its maritime associations and unique past environment and history. The symbolic acknowledgement of this role is enhanced by the paving and streetscape designs but it is suggested that a more obvious statement or reference point using plans, photographs and other material would be suitable to be included in the planning, perhaps as a reference board or kiosk. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 3

7 SECTION 2.0 PARAMETERS OF THE REPORT 2.1 The Study Area This report addresses the heritage or values of the land and buildings in Alfred Street, Circular Quay, Sydney which will be encompassed by the Alfred Street Priority Design Project. This land includes the property within the street alignment, being the carriageway and footpath, that runs from the eastern footpath of Phillip Street to the eastern footpath of George Street. To the north the study area is bound by the building line of Circular Quay Railway Station. The southern boundary is defined by the building line of Alfred Street Objectives The purpose of this report is to determine the potential impact of work which is proposed for this area on the heritage values encompassed by it. Those impacts could encompass issues relevant to streetscape, architectural and aesthetic qualities and archaeological resources as well as the less readily identifiable social values. This report contributes to the documentation prepared for the Development Application, being the Alfred Street and Environs Design Report and Statement of Environmental Effects (City Projects for Council of the City of Sydney, 1998). This is Appendix 3 to that report. 2.3 Tasks The following tasks have been undertaken to provide the context and evidence for making the heritage impact assessment: primary and secondary research sufficient to determine the development of the area and the place of each item within it; identification of existing heritage statements; a visual survey; a review of physical evidence relevant to the archaeological issues (intervention of any kind was not part of this assessment); assessment of significance; Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 4

8 identification of those works which may impact in some way on heritage values; preparation of a report documenting the evidence and conclusions. 2.4 Authorship and Acknowledgements This report has been prepared on behalf of City Projects, Council of the City of Sydney, by Wendy Thorp. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 5

9 SECTION 3.0 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 3.1 Part of the Cove Prior to European settlement and for some years afterwards the area of Alfred Street was on the foreshore of Sydney Cove. It included part of the estuary of the Tank Stream which emptied at a point approximating the present-day Pitt Street. The influence of the estuary and the tidal action of the cove waters were the principal factors in shaping the immediate environs. The Customs House straddles what was then the High Water Mark, recorded by James Meehan in The HWM extended towards Reiby Lane and Bulletin Lane, near Macquarie Place to the junction of Pitt and Bridge Streets. On the west the estuary curved to Lower George Street and merged with the cove near the present site of the Museum of Modern Art. Boats' of up to 200 tons could berth near Bridge Street and smaller vessels could proceed further upstream into the settlement. Below the High Water Mark was a sandy beach leading to, at low tide, muddy flats. Rocks marked the division between land and water. Evidence given during the enquiry into the extension of Semi-Circular Quay in 1855 recorded that rock was, on average, twenty-five feet below the HWM and thirty-five feet at its greatest point. Above it was a stratum of gravel and shingle and above this a thick layer of mud and sand. Buried in the estuary were relics and over a hundred ship wrecks which had to be removed to make way for the construction of the new quay. Several structures and works occupied this shore line from the earliest months of settlement. A Government Wharf was built on the alignment of Loftus Street, close to the site of the present Paragon Hotel. All early images show two small huts placed to the east of this wharf on the shore line. The flag pole raised at the beginning of the settlement stood close to the site of the Customs House. Along the line of Pitt Street, back to Bridge Street, were several small wharves some servicing boat building concerns. Underwood Street memorialises the best known of these, James Underwood's establishment. Above High Water Mark, east of the Tank Stream, the gardens of the First Government House led down to the water. A track led around the shoreline in the Governor's Garden. It was established by Governor Macquarie and was sometimes referred to as Mrs Macquarie's Walk. It was available to the citizens of the town. The Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 6

10 gubernatorial garden was defined by a stone wall, seen in several contemporary views; it appears to have been in the area of Customs House Lane. Initially efforts were made to preserve the environment around the Tank Stream but the pressure of settlement led to it becoming choked and polluted as houses and industries crowded its banks and discharged into its waters. It was in a dire condition by the end of the eighteenth century and was abandoned in the 1820s when water was brought to Sydney via Busby's Bore. 3.2 The Semi-Circular Quay - A Maritime Environment It is apparent that, from the early years of the nineteenth century, there were plans to reclaim the head of the cove. Leases on the 1807 town survey were drawn out into the harbour over what was intended to be reclaimed from it. The water at this point of the cove was shallow and would make such a move possible. It also made it difficult to moor ships here and as the maritime traffic into the harbour was greatly increasing several suggestions were made with respect to deepening the cove at this point. By 1832 it was reported that the estuary of the Tank Stream was shallow and nearly dry at low water. This was in part due to a steady programme of reclamation that had begun in the new century as much as to silting from pollution. An official investigation into the problems of the cove, made in 1833, recommended for the construction of a sea-wall and the reclamation of the land behind it. The project to form the Semi-Circular Quay, being the head of the cove and the eastern side of it, commenced in 1839 and was completed in City streets such as PiU Street were extended to intersect with the new line of Alfred Street. This public programme was an immense undertaking initially encompassing an area of two acres of silted up tidal flats. Vast amounts of stone and rubbish were dumped on the former flats to level the land and provide a building platform. The original shoreline was buried metres below the new land mass. The designs for the sem i-circular quay show that it was intended to remodel the entire foreshore and an integral part of the design was for a purpose-built Customs House. This was built to a design by Mortimer Lewis and was constructed in the period At this time the area between the new edge of the Cove and the Customs House was an ill-defined thoroughfare mainly used to service the ships tied up at the head of the cove. Bond stores were built by many companies along the eastern side of the cove to warehouse the cargo coming from and to those ships. On the site of the AMP building Thomas Mort had woolstores from the 1850s; a particularly fine building was constructed for him on this site in the 1860s-70s. Sydney Bonded and Free Stores also occupied part of the AMP site. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 7

11 3.3 Re-defining the Precinct In 1855 the Semi-Circular Quay was extended to the western side of the Cove and thus become Circular Quay. In the 1890s it was squared into its present form and became the principal ferry destination with the ocean going ships moved to other parts of the harbour. This fundamental change in the use of the place influenced the character of the environs. Alfred Street became an important and busy pedestrian area servicing the ferry traffic. Hansom cabs and horse buses made use of the thoroughfare and these were superseded by the trams. In 1892 the Circular Quay fire station was built on what is now the site of Goldfields House. Circular Quay was substantially upgraded at the turn of the century. 3.4 Obscuring the Links The first proposal to construct a railway station and other works on Alfred Street at the Quay was made in 1909 as part of the consideration of the Royal Commission into the Improvement of Sydney. The idea did not take form until the 1930s when work commenced on the great public works of the Harbour Bridge and city railway system. The Circular Quay connection was built in the years after VVVVII. Responding to the burgeoning needs of Sydney's population and the greater use of the car for private transport the Cahill Expressway was constructed here in the 1950s. The construction of these two works created a wall where once had been direct views to the harbour and ferry wharves. Until the 1960s, despite the immense changes that were occurring on the northern side of Alfred Street, which effectively obscured the formerly close links between the land-side built environment and the harbour, the southern side of Alfred Street retained much of its late nineteenth century character. The two big building booms of the later twentieth century, however, removed substantial vestiges of that earlier townscape. Beginning with the construction the AMP Building at the eastern end of the street in 1962, Goldfields House followed in the same decade, in In the 1980s the Gateway development removed, except for the facades of the Paragon and Ship Inns, the remainder of the nineteenth century streetscape. Only the Customs House, recently adapted for new purposes, retains some sense of the earlier maritime flavour of this part of the town. In Council undertook a major refurbishment of the public places fronting these buildings. The paving that now exists was laid at this time, the trees were planted then and the Tank Stream Fountain was constructed in Herald Square. This pedestrian plaza has reduced considerably the size of the former Alfred Street. Alfred Street principally is a statement of twentieth century Sydney. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 8

12 SECTION 4.0 THE RESOURCES Alfred Street is a straight thoroughfare which reflects the influence both of the nineteenth and early twentieth century harbour works and of the construction of the railway and expressway. The buildings which define the edges of this space encompass the principal periods of development from the nineteenth century through to the later twentieth century although it may be said that Alfred Street now principally reflects the growth of and influences on twentieth century Sydney. 4.1 Cahill Expressway and Railway These two works define the northern edge of the study area. The railway was first constructed in the immediate post-vvvvii years but has had substantial upgrades and refurbishments since that time. The Cahill Expressway was constructed in the 1950s. 4.2 The AMP Building Located between Phillip and Young Stre~ts, this was the first building constructed in Australia that could be termed a skyscraper. It was built in 1962 to a design by Peddle, Thorp and walker. 4.3 The Customs House The Customs House, recently refurbished, stands between Young and Loftus Streets. On the site of Mortimer Lewis' original building little if nothing stands of that building. The current structure is largely the product of several programmes of reconstruction, extension and adaptation from the 1870s to the 1920s. 4.4 The Gateway Development Between Loftus and PiU Street is the Gateway development constructed in the 1980s. It retains in its street level on Alfred Street the nineteenth century facades of the Paragon Hotel and Ship Inn. 4.5 Goldfields House Between George and Pitt Street Goldfields House was built in 1966 to a design by Peddle, Thorp and Walker. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 9

13 4.6 Street Trees and Furniture The majority of these elements were introduced as part of the development by Council in of a pedestrian plaza in front of the Alfred Street buildings. 4.7 Fountains and Commemorative Elements The Tank Stream Fountain was constructed in Herald Square in 1981 as part of the major refurbishment of Alfred Street undertaken by Council at that time. 4.8 Archaeological Resources Historical Process The evidence supplied by primary archival sources indicates that little, if anything, of significance is likely to be encountered during the course of any excavation in Alfred Street. While it may be shown that the edge of the former shoreline was occupied by several buildings and wharves during the nineteenth century the effect of the reclamation works to form Circular Quay has buried whatever may have remained from them several metres below the current ground level. The most likely evidence of earlier use that would be revealed by the work is that of the reclamation fill, tram tracks and earlier paving levels. These have been revealed by recent works in front of and inside Customs House. The excavations and works for services associated with the construction of the AMP Building and Goldfields House during the 1960s and later, the Gateway development and the construction of the pedestrian plaza in is likely to have resulted in considerable disturbance and fragmentation of any remnant archaeological material Indicative Evidence Evidence from several archaeological excavations and geo-technical investigations in this area provide definition and indicative evidence for the likely profile that exists along much of Alfred Street. Soundings taken at the Tank Stream mouth in the mid-nineteenth century demonstrated that bedrock, there, was between eight and twelve metres below an accumulation of deposits. Above the rock was a layer of gravel or shingle and then what was described as "a great thickness of mud and sand". Archaeological excavations on the site of the Gateway Plaza revealed an almost identical profile to that described in the nineteenth century. Here, approximately two metres below the street, it was found that the bedrock shelved up steeply towards the east from the former bed of the Tank Stream. On the rock above High Water Mark was found evidence of a shallow and sandy topsoil. At High Water Mark was the remnants of a sandy beach and this sand continued to below the water level gradually including layers of shells and gravel. Closer to the stream were rocks. Above these naturally formed deposits was upwards of two metres of fill which had been placed Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 10

14 there as part of the reclamation works associated with the construction of Circular Quay. Elsewhere, boreholes taken on the site bounded by Reiby Place, Macquarie Place and Bulletin Place revealed a similar pattern of fill comprising sandstone rubble, building materials and rubbish up to two metres and, in places, three metres in depth. At Customs House excavations inside the building revealed a similar depth of fill. Shallow excavations in the forecourt revealed fill, an earlier and slightly lower street level and remnant tram tracks. Elsewhere around the harbour, for example at Cadmans Cottage and Campbells Cove, other excavations have revealed similar depths of fill and debris The Potential Resource The cumulative evidence indicates that the complete archaeological profile for Alfred Street is likely to comprise: remnants of the original topography, beach and mud flats two to three metres below the current street progressively getting deeper the closer the point to the harbour; some evidence of the small huts and wharves which occupied the shoreline may survive at the same depth associated with the original and accumulated deposits of the former shoreline; some evidence of the accumulated debris and silting that occurred along the edge of the cove and in the estuary of the Tank Stream prior to its reclamation at two to three metres depth; at least two metres and more of fill introduced during the 1840s to reclaim the shore line for the purposes of constructing the Quay. It will comprise sandstone, rubble, building materials and other wastes; evidence of the first and successive road and footpath surfaces; evidence of tram lines. The proposed excavation works are likely to penetrate only as far as the last three strata. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 11

15 SECTION 5.0 CULTURAL SIGNFICIANCE 5.1 Individual Elements Several elements of the Alfred Street precinct have been listed in the Heritage Schedules for the City of Sydney, LEP 1992 These are: Schedule 1 - Buildings and Works The AMP Building (Inventory Ref. No. 2000). Customs House (which also has a Permanent Conservation Order attached to it) (Inventory Ref. No. 2002) Schedule 2 - Elements of Buildings The Paragon Hotel at Alfred Street, now part of the Gat~way development, being the rendered facade including pediments and classical cornice (Inventory Ref. No. 2001). The Ship Inn at 10-1S PiU Street, also part of the Gateway development, being the facade of face brick and stucco detailing (Inventory Ref. NO. 2015). Schedule 3 - Heritage Streets capes Customs House Lane (from Loftus to Young Street, Inventory Ref. No. 9015) Schedule 4 - Townscape and Landsape Items Tank Stream Fountain in Herald Square (Inventory Ref. No. SOOS). Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 12

16 5.2 The Precinct Within the Design Report and Statement of Environmental Effects several issues are highlighted to define the importance of this place to Sydney. These are: its role as a major transport interchange and an important pedestrian area; its value as an important meeting-place and destination; the symbolic value of the place and various components to members of the community; the place of Alfred Street as one of the earliest streets in the town; its function as a ceremonial place for the town and a meeting place for celebrations. In addition, Alfred Street is significant for its associations with and demonstration of the forces which have shaped the town during both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Alfred Street had its genesis as part of the immense undertaking to form Circular Quay in the mid-nineteenth century and, again, during the 1890s. Its current form owes most to the economic peaks of the twentieth century and the needs of a burgeoning population with respect to transport. The latter also is reflective of the spread of Sydney to the suburbs and the increasing use of the car for private transport. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 13

17 SECTION 6.0 HERITAGE IMPACT 6.1 The Strategy and Its Objectives The Design Reporl and Statement of Environmental Effects states that, J'The existing environment is a hindrance to these activities (ceremonies/celebrations) and does not permit the place to be used to its full potential. The street is cluttered with mismatched kiosks, bus stops, benches, planter boxes, fruits and flower stalls, garden beds, landscaping, public telephones and bins... Although the street is wide and straight there are no clear lines of sight and there is no evident connection between the blocks... The disparate architecture and the distinct presence of the Railway Station/Cahill Expressway contribute to the overall disjointed feeling of the street. The existing situation presents a danger to pedestrians (p8). The works to be undertaken in this area have as the principal objective to IIbestow Alfred Street with a strong and identifiable urban character consistent with its physical and social role in the cityll (pi 0). To achieve this objective several works are planned and these, in summary, are as follows: unify disparate elements by replacing' and relocating elements of street furniture and creating a distinct line of sight. This is to be achieved by replacing the assorted styles of street furniture with a single design and to realign all elements to the street curb, thereby freeing the centre of the pedestrian spaces. As well, all the southern kerb-lines will align with that of Customs House. create a distinct identity by means of paving, street trees and furniture The furniture will assume a distinct and single identity. The paving will take its theme from that recently laid in front of Customs House with one colour to denote what was land and the other to indicate the original areas of water. Trees also will differentiate the two former environments. As well a "land" themed art work is to be placed on Scout Place to compliment the "water" themed sculpture of the Tank Stream Fountain. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 14

18 create a distinct east-west axis This is largely achieved by realigning street trees, curbs and furniture. to provide a distinct character for each block within the precinct while still maintaining an overall unity Each block, reinforced by the distinctive architectural element which forms a backdrop will assumed a key identity. For example, between Pitt and Loftus will be the primary transport node and will contain the service elements such as produce and flower stalls and news stands. The principal change will occur between Young and Phillip Streets where the existing street will be removed and the area levelled to match' the rest of the street. A new art work will be placed here to provide a visual termination. provide a safer pedestrian area and improved access to public transport. By means of the reduction of traffic lanes, traffic re-routing and kerb alignments and the introduction of a no-traffic area. Unified landscape It is proposed to remove the majority of existing trees and replace them with a double row of trees in line with the realigned kerb and further out from the existing building facades. The trees used will reflect the symbolic difference of water and land represented by the paving; Japanese Zelcova and Nettle trees will provide the palate for the new scheme. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 15

19 6.2 Impacts on Heritage Resources Buildings and Structures None of the buildings or other principal structures in the precinct are to be physically impacted upon by any of the works. All identified heritage items will be preserved as they now exist. None of the street furniture has a particularly long association with the place, being the product of the 1981 refurbishment, and its removal to a single streetside location and the change to a new design has no impact on the heritage or cultural values of the place. The Tank Stream Fountain, also designed in 1981, will be preserved as it is. There are no identifiable impacts of the work on identified heritage listed buildings or other works Streetscape The line of Alfred Street is to be preserved as are the principal built and commemorative elements within it. The line of the street will be reinforced by realignment of the curb on the southern side and its visual reinforcement by street planting and the collection of all street furniture along this curb. The principal change in the streets cape will be through the alteration of the current pattern of street planting. None of these trees are listed as individual items of heritage significance and the planting as a collection also has no identifiable heritage value. It largely is the product of the 1981 refurbishment. Removing or relocating elements, therefore, has no implications for heritage issues. The principal outcome of the work will be that the facades of the buildings on the southern side of Alfred Street will be more visible and able to be seen as unimpeded architectural units. This is a positive outcom e of the work. The alignment of Alfred Street and its relationship to the principal architectural units and intersecting strec?ts is to be preserved. Introduction of the new street planting scheme has no identifiable impact on heritage values. The greater visibility of the architectural elements on the southern side of Alfred Street is seen as a positive reinforcement of heritage values Archaeological Resources Evidence from archival sources, archaeological and other forms of physical testing indicates that there is unlikely to be a significant archaeological resource within the area of excavation. The latter requires disturbance of approximately 300mm along the area to be paved with a small area of excavation to a depth of approximately 1.6 metres at the entrance to the AMP Building. All evidence indicates that the excavation will only reveal accumulations of fill, from both the reclamation process used to form Circular Quay as well as the general accumulation of repaving and resurfacing. At best the excavations in the upper levels are likely to reveal an earlier street level and Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 16

20 some evidence of the tram system. The degree of disturbance caused by the construction works of the 1960s and those of the 1980s is likely to have reduced even this evidence. It is highly unlikely that excavations required as part of the Alfred Street work will reveal any significant archaeological evidence. The work is shallow and the area has largely been disturbed by excavation and levelling carried out in the 1960s and 1980s. At best some evidence of and earlier street level and possibly of the tram system will be found in the majority of the excavation. The evidence is likely to be fragmented. The deeper excavation required at the AMP Building also is unlikely to reveal a significant resource; fill deposits from the period of reclamation are the most likely evidence to be uncovered by this work. The works planned for the Alfred Street precinct will have no identifiable impact on the heritage resources and values encompassed by this area. The relocation of street trees away from the facades of buildings along the southern street boundary is a positive outcome making the facades of those buildings more visible and able to be viewed as complete architectural units. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 17

21 6.3 Management There are no particular requirements which need to be addressed to maintain the heritage values of the place during the proposed work. That significant archaeological relics are unlikely to be found during the course of excavation means that the proponents of the work will not need to apply for an Excavation Permit from the Heritage Council of NSW for this work. However, it should be noted that, in the event that a substantial deposit or relic is revealed by this work the provisions of the Heritage Act still apply and advice should be sought from the Heritage Office for the responsible management of that resource. All of the studies undertaken for this precinct and the works carried out to date have stressed the importance of the place as a link between the city and the harbour, for its maritime associations and unique past environment and history. The symbolic acknowledgement of this role is enhanced by the paving and streetscape designs but it is suggested that a more obvious statement or reference point using plans, photographs and other material would be suitable to be included in the planning, perhaps as a reference board or kiosk. Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 18

22 SECTION 7.0 DOCUMENTATION 6.1 Endnotes 6.2Bibliography City Projects Alfred Street and Environs Design Report and Statement of Environmental Effects Council of the City of Sydney Frank Clune Saga of Sydney Angus and Robertson Wendy Thorp Customs House Sydney Archaeological Assessment Council for the City of Sydney Surveyor General NSW SKetch Showing Improvements and SPace to be Deepened Facing the Semi-Circular Quay 1832 ' SAONSW AO Map 5637 Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 19

23 Wendy Thorp for Sydney City Council Page 19 L Heritage Impact Statement: SECTION 7.0 DOCUMENTATION 6.1 Endnotes 6.2Bibliography City Projects Alfred Street and Environs Design Repori and Statement of Environmental Effects Council of the City of Sydney Frank Clune Saga of Sydney Angus and Robertson Wendy Thorp Customs House Sydney Archaeological Assessment Council for the City of Sydney Surveyor General NSW SKetch Showing Improvements and SPace to be Deepened Facing the Semi-Circular Quay 1832 SADNSW AD Map 5637