Town Green Port Macquarie

From 2015 – 2021 Port Macquarie Hastings Council proposed to upgrade a popular waterfront green space known as the Town Green. Cosmos Archaeology was commissioned to undertake the Statement of Heritage Impact (SoHI) for the different stages of works, Town Green East (2017), Town Square (2016) and Town Green West (2021). The Town Green West works required extensive, but relatively shallow, excavation across the area and as such, a historical archaeological assessment was prepared as part of the SoHI.

Situated between the Lady Nelson Wharf, Short Street and Horton Street, the study area was located within the boundaries of the secondary penal settlement, established in 1821. A lime shed, convict drains and other track alignments associated with the accommodation and maritime precincts of the settlement were located within the proposed work area. The area was further developed as a maritime precinct throughout the 19th and 20th centuries with a series of wharves, boat sheds, repair yards and pilot boat sheds built.

Four zones of archaeological potential were identified, Zone A – D, with archaeological remains associated with the convict period being assessed as State Heritage significant. As part of the SoHI, Cosmos Archaeology devised a number of recommendations to ensure the work met heritage requirements. This included having an archaeologist experienced with early colonial archaeology on site monitoring certain excavation works and recording stratigraphy and any archaeological evidence. These findings were presented in a Monitoring Report and artefact database compiled at the completion of the project.