Great Drain and two house sites

Item details


Name of item:	Great Drain and two house sites
Type of item:	Archaeological-Terrestrial
Group/Collection:	Utilities - Water
Category:	Irrigation Channel/Canal
Location:	Lat: -33.5110508122 Long: 150.9272823140
Primary address:	Wisemans Ferry Road, South Maroota, NSW 2756
Local govt. area:	The Hills
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Deerubbin

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Section Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	10		DP	752039
LOT	8		DP	752039

Boundary:

Refer HC Plan (to be completed)

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Wisemans Ferry Road	South Maroota	The Hills			Primary Address
Charcoal Road	South Maroota	The Hills			Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
	Private
The Hills Shire Council	Local Government

Statement of significance:


	The three items in the group, dating between 1795 and 1830, are historically extremely rare and associated with a series of early Hawkesbury settlers (Williams, Carr, Cox, Johnston) predating official settlement down river. They are aesthetically valuable because of the siting in bushland of the house foundations and the dramatic vistas within the cutting of the Great Drain. They are scientifically extremely significant because they provide unique information about drainage and house building techniques.
	Date significance updated: 19 Dec 97
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Builder/Maker:	Probably William Barren and William Harvey, stonemasons
Construction years:	1795-1820
Physical description:	(a) Great Drain is cut into sandstone for 70 metres, 6.5 metres deep and at the top 2.3 metres wide, connecting swampy farmland with the Hawkesbury River. Excavated by pick and by gunpowder (some drill holes). Rock cutting for sluice gates at deepest point, with joist holes. To the east of cutting an earthwork channel goes into a paddock. (b) Rock cut foundations for slab house. The rock outcrop artificially drilled creating three rooms and verandah in an L-shape. Stone thresholds flanked by square post holes gave access and a fireplace and oven bases are carved into rock. Verandah supported by stone embankment. (c) Stone house foundations on flood free slope above the farmland facing north from course of well arranged rubble stone: North wall 10 stones 2.9 metres; East wall 4 stones (one in common) 1.7 metres and a south extension wall of 6 stones (one in common) 1.8 metres. Accessible only by water until c1960s.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	Physical condition: (a) drain is good; (b) rock cut foundations is fair; (c) stone house foundations is fair. Archaelogical potential for all items is high.
	Date condition updated:30 Jan 98
Modifications and dates:	Great Drain - concrete sluice gates (extant) inserted just west of original sluice gates. Rock cut foundations - slab cottage built on the foundations was demolished in the 1930s.


Current use:	Overnight accomodation, motor-cycle track, reserve
Former use:	Farming, farm cottage

History

Historical notes:

Charles Williams, a first fleeter, came to the Hawkesbury in 1794 after the death of his wife near his earlier Parramatta farm. He left his farm near Windsor c1795 and at some time before 1810 occupied (without a grant) the land where the Great Drain was later constructed. The property was known as Williams' Farm and it is likely that he built the house with the stone foundations (c), on the rocky slope to the south of the farmland, above the level of the floods of the early 19th century.

In 1810 the land (excluding the house site with stone foundations (c)) was granted to Samuel Carr, who leased it to George Cox from 1813 to 1815 who ran pigs and grew grain. At this time (1810s) the rock cut foundations (b) for a slab house known as Collingwood Cottage was cut, probably by stonemasons supplied through Andrew Johnston to freesettlers whose Portland Head Farm lay opposite.

Johnstons son and daughter-in-law William and Mary Johnston acquired the farm in 1819 and occupied the cottage known as Collingwood Cottage (b) and probably constructed the Great Drain (a), again using Andrew Johnstons stonemasons.

The house constructed with stone house foundations (c) remained on a riverside reserved strip although the intrusion of Crescent reserve (portion 8) was granted to the Johnstons.

A couple still lived in the slab cottage (b), until the 1930s when it was demolished. The swamp was stablised by used tyres under George Johnston in the 1960s and portion 10 became first a water-ski lodge in 1980s and a motor cycle track on the 1990s. (Jack 1990)(Jack 1993)

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Agriculture-Activities relating to the cultivation and rearing of plant and animal species, usually for commercial purposes, can include aquaculture	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Environment - cultural landscape-Activities associated with the interactions between humans, human societies and the shaping of their physical surroundings	(none)-
3. Economy-Developing local, regional and national economies	Pastoralism-Activities associated with the breeding, raising, processing and distribution of livestock for human use	(none)-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	(none)-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Aaron Muron Bolot, architect-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The Great Drain is a unique early work of magnitude to control drainage on the Lower Hawkesbury with a sophisticated sluice to repel tidal or flood water from the river. The rock cut foundations are unique in slab buildings and belongs to the Macquarie period. The stone house foundations are extremely early (1795-1810) and are associated with an interesting first fleet convict, Charles Williams.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The Great Drain cuts a swathe through solid rock and can be entered from below as well as viewed from above. The stone house foundations are in a fine situation above the river in bushland.
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The Great Drain is the only evidence for elaborate drainage works in so early a period outside Sydney. The rock cut foundations give unique evidence of a vernacular slab building technique.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) OF THE HERITAGE ACT 1977 Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977. I, the Hon James Griffin MP, Minister for Environment and Heritage, pursuant to subsection 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales do by this Order, effective at the time of publication in the New South Wales Government Gazette: 1. revoke the order made on 9 November 2020 and published in the Government Gazette Number 318 of 13 November 2020; and 2. grant the exemptions from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 that are described in the attached Schedule. The Hon James Griffin MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Signed this 2nd day of June 2022. To view the standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977 click on the link below.	Jun 17 2022

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register	SHR Listing	01402	14 Jul 00	88	6404
Heritage Act - Interim Conservation Order - former		00944	13 Nov 98	162	8882
Heritage study		A019, A020	01 Jan 94

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Baulkham Hills Heritage Study	1994	A019, A020	Graham Edds & Associates, with Pike, P. & Jack, I.		No

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written	R. Ian Jack	1993	Historical Archaeology and the Historian in 'Australasian Historical Archaeology No.11'
Written	R. Ian Jack	1990	Exploring the Hawkesbury - 2nd Edition

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5001230
File number:	H98/00028

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