-- VINE LODGE EXETER REPORT ON SITE VISIT OF FEBRUARY 9, 4001 IN1RODUCTION For: Jennifer Hill, Architectural Projects. By Dr Robert V J P Varman March 19,2001 The object of this visit was to locate and examine the principal elements of the surviving fabric from the initial construction of Vine Lodge. The last archaeological site assessment took place on March 31, 2000. The house was severely overhauled during the mid 1900s but the overhaul was more apparent than real. The most severe destruction was to the former very rare triple hipped roof, this transformed the entire appearance of the house. The covering of walls with render and the obliteration of the front verandah effectively modernized the house to the prevailing taste of the mid twentieth century. While every element of the roof was lost, apart from the ceiling joists and outlines on the chimney stacks, many of the original features of the house survive under render, modern brick and concrete. Glimpses of the appearance of the original house may be gained by viewing the exterior from the north east and the interior of the east entrance area looking onto the two sets of arched French doors (recalls aspects of Hambledon Cottage ( 1824) at Parramatta). JVIETIIOOOLOGY- The methodology adopted was to examine the house systematically from the roof down to the cellar, from room to room. Present were Jennifer, Gary and myself. We were all familiar with the documentary evidence to direct us in regards to interpretation. My duty as archaeologist was to identify and interpret early fabiic and construction methods. Notes were taken by Jennifer Hill and each aspect debated by all present.
2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE The house is of high significance for its design and the details of the building construction and fabric, unique to the Southern Tablelands and on par with many of the early surviving buildings of the Sydney and County of Cumberland areas. The house is of high significance due to the preservation of a large percentage of the original fabric and design, often under later construction materials. Where fabric was found to be missing there were often clues as to their form or nature. The parts of Vine Lodge that were missing wet:e parts that are often found to have been replaced in very early buildings such as the timber parts of roofs, verandahs and floors (for example Old Government House, Parramatta; Government House, Norfolk Island; Cadman's Cottage Sydney). ' The grounds and outbuildings are also of high significance for the considerable degree of intactness and rarity of the features. Together with the house and immediate grounds these form a very intact example of an early nineteenth century country estate under pioneering circumstances. It is expected that the early archaeology (for example, privy and ash pit deposits) will be totally intact as there is very little evidence of ground disturbance or of artefact scatters. THE HOUSE Details regarding the house are dealt with in the various plans and specifications, prepared by Architectural Projects. Those specifications have been prepared with all due professionalism and consultation regarding conservation principles balanced with consideration for the needs and wishes of the owners. There are a number of aspects regarding the proposed work that should be given some fresh consideration. The Roof The former roof design is what distinguished this house as almost unique in regard to the surviving architectural examples of the same period in Australia. There is enough evidence to be able to reconstruct it close to its original design (illustrative documentation, the
3 archaeology of the chimney stacks, wall plates and joist ends). The triple roof had the effect of drawing attention to the central part of the house, particularly effective on the east elevation which was once th~ formal entrance. This is not traditionally an archaeological concern because the refurbishment of the present roof would present no danger to the original fabric. However, considering the building as a whole, as an artefact of the early 1800s, it would be a loss of opportunity not to consider restoring the design of the original roof. East Entrance Area Features of the original design, though modified or covered over, are remarkably intact. The interplay between the columned area of the verandah and the east entrance is one of the most significant aspects of the house because of design originality and because it recalls details of several early 'avant garde' houses which were not built on the usual central hallway plan. The entrance lobby which had the small staircase along the east wall is a result in miniature of similar formulas used in such contemporary houses as Denham Court near Campbelltown and Horsley, Fairfield (both, as Vine Lodge, of highly original design). The formula seemed to include a rectangular room as a formal entrance lobby, or 'hall', with a stair case and one or several doorways in view as one walked in from outside; the entrance being a series of French doors from a columned verandah or a porch. To alter the arrangement of the two French doorways would be to destroy the integrity of the house. The elimination of such a feature would negate the strong reference the house has to the few other surviving examples of early colonial architecture in New South Wales and Tasmania. OUTBUllDINGS The outbuildings are all in fair order and have been little modified but do require stabilization work and removal of unsympathetic additions.. -
4 The detached kitchen outbuilding was built to match the main house but the relationship is not immediately obvious because the brickwork has been cement rendered. From a fairly brief examination of the kitchen outbuilding it seems that the main fireplace predates the structure around it. It may be that the fireplace was once part of an earlier timber building predating the house and the kitchen outbuilding. GROUNDS There are no traces of early privy pits or ashpits. These were generally used to dispose of the household rubbish and have the potential to provide valuable information about the daily life and welfare of the inhabitants of the house. The lack of substantial artefact scatters around the house and grounds suggest that these deposit are still safely intact under the ground (where they should remain). There was probably a well near the house or outbuildings. The cistern next to the house should be examined in case it was modified from an earlier arrangement. Remnants of former landscaping features do survive (garden tile edges for example). Probably the most important.feature being the huge oak stump. The off-set of the oak strongly suggests there were once two oaks, one to each side of the mid line of the house. The oak has produced several seedlings, these should be used for restoring this landscape feature to preserve the continuity of the stock. Oak seedlings were often distributed during the early decades of the nineteenth century from some of the first oaks grown in Australia near the present day Old Government House at Parramatta. The position of the oaks could suggest that there was once a circular drive or walk in front of the house (east side). Dr Robert V J P Varman \: \!
ROBERT V J VARMAN Ph D (8YDJ ARCHAEOLOGIST HERITAGE CONSULTANT 31 WOMBAT STREET BERKELEYVALE CENTRAL COAST NSW 2261 AUSTRALIA Phone: {043) 882169 Fax: {043) 8984500 Mobile: 0411 550427 varman@ozemail.com.au http://www.ozemail.eom.au/~varman archaeological progress report PART A: REPLACEMENT OF CULVERT AT WYOMING CREEK AND CREEK DIVERSION STATE HIGHWAY No 10- PACIFIC HIGHWAY. RECONSTRUCTION FROM HENRY PARRY DRIVE ROUNDABOUT TO BROOKS A VENUE.. introduction To date there have been three site inspections: October 6, 1996. Before the commencement of work an inspection of the entire site: including the Hely homestead, the Hely altar grave, the Hely stables and surrounding areas on the east side of the road. A full inspection was made on the west side of the road, from north of Akora Road to Brooks Avenue, including the Wyoming Creek banks and Camphor Laurel forest November 21, 1996. A second inspection before the commencement of work following a meeting at Gosford City Council on November 19, with Mr Peter Dunn and Mr Will Laurens. The site meeting was ~ith Will Laurens and the principal officers in charge of the actual site. The area of the proposed low flow channel, spillway etc., were examined from the Pacific Highway westward. The site of the 1870s/1880s burned house, across from the Hely homestead, was also examined.
---~-~ sites). I formed the archaeological collection including the material from the Civil Hospital Privy and I founded the museums at Kingston (Bicentennial grant of over $360,000). I used to be part of the process in working out forward works programs during the Interdepartmental Committee days (IDC), when the program was largely run by Canberra. During those years I worked closely with Philip Cox and Partners in regard to the heritage architectural advice. I don't mind if I am not chosen by the KA VHA Board but it would be convenient because I will be making two trips to the Island in later in 1997 at my own cost (one in regard to another commission). This means that I could deal with any KA VHA need while I happened to be on the Island, without the cost of travel to the Board. I also have my own registered car on the Island. I attach a costing format based on the Brief and what I know of the d?ties required for the archaeological consultancy. The actual costing can not take place until we know what projects are to be done. If you would like me to 'guesstimate', send a fax. Yours Faithfully, Dr Robert V J Varman.
December 15, 1996. The third site visit after the greater part of the main channel was excavated, a small drain excavated to the south of the site, some of the Camphor Laurels (Cinnamomum camphora) felled and a temporary culvert built across Wyoming Creek. WYOMING CREEK DIVERSION SLOW FLOW CHANNEL AREA This is the area covered in Part A of the project titled, State Highway No 10 - Pacific Highway. Reconstruction from Henry Parry Drive Roundabout to Brooks Avenue. It involves the section of land between the Pacific Highway at the point near the Culvert and then westward to the Railway creek underpass. This is low lying land which was cleared at an early stage and used for agriculture and grazing, despite the poverty of the sandy soil. Findings During the first inspections there seemed to be indications of a silted pond in the middle of the site, typically a slightly depressed circle with a slightly raised centre. The excavation of the channel confirmed that this had indeed been the case. The pond had been about two metres at the deepest point from the former ground level and about 30 metres in diameter maximum. In contrast to the light hued sandy soil of the surface and the finer sand and clay lower down, the pond is distinguished by a very dark organic soil. The dark soil is the result of generations of water reeds and other semi-aquatic plant species building up organic matter as periodic flooding and perhaps the activity of grazing animals (pushing in the banks of the pond with their hooves) built up the fine clay sand content. If the pond had been close to a dwelling, there would have been evidence of cultural material but none was found, as expected. A loose band of charcoal was found about 300mm from the base of the pond at the eastern end: this may indicate a bush fire rather than clearing because one would have expected that the land had been cleared before the pond had been dug out. The only other finds were the very occasional piece of wood and odd pebble: this indicates that few people ever went near the pond, as one would expect in an isolated field on private property.
The landscape feature should be noted in any future work on the interpretation of the Rely property but it was not considered of sufficient significance to change the best location for the diversion channel. Sufficient of the sediment remains particularly on the north side of the channel for future study of the pollen content, if that is ever considered important in future years. The exposed site was examined for any trace of constructional features, none were found at all. The people doing the actual work were briefed to contact the archaeologist at the first sign of constructional materials or cultural artefacts. The only significant artefacts found were parts of an old timber fence (previously lying in the long grass?); a fencing post with one mortise for a rail at the top and a series of rough holes for a wires and a rail with a tongue. This type of fencing was a transitional stage between post and rail fencing and wire fencing (thick gauge) when drawn~wire became available as a result of the mass production initially for.. ~ telegraph wire. The fence remains probably date between the 1870s and 1890s. No early artefact scatters were found, so it remains to be seen where the original settlers disposed of their rubbish. Conclusion So far very little of a cultural nature has been uncovered, suggesting that the original settlers used this low area for agricultural or grazing purposes only. This makes sense because the area is flood prone and because of the axis between the Rely house, the grave and the stables. Further work should still be monitored, especially around the creek where most of the future work will take place. A fairly major site does exist on the east side of the creek, between the creek and the Pacific Highway, across from the Rely homestead. This concerns the site of a timber cottage, burned down some years ago, which seems to date to the 1870s or 1880s. As that site does not relate to the work taking place at present, it will receive greater attention in the final report after earthworks have been completed for Part A. Dr Robert V J Varman Archaeologist December 15, 1996.