Blacktown Native Institution

Item details


Name of item:	Blacktown Native Institution
Other name/s:	Parramatta Native Institute, Black Town Institute, The Blacktown Site, Lloydhurst, BNI, Epping Estate, Epping Forest Estate, Native Institution Centre
Type of item:	Archaeological-Terrestrial
Group/Collection:	Aboriginal
Category:	Historic site
Location:	Lat: -33.7313503952 Long: 150.8460742680
Primary address:	Richmond Road, Oakhurst, NSW 2761
Parish:	Rooty Hill
County:	Cumberland
Local govt. area:	Blacktown
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Deerubbin

Property description

Lot/Volume Code	Lot/Volume Number	Plan/Folio Code	Plan/Folio Number
LOT	1	DP	1043661
PART LOT	60	DP	1055132
PART LOT	5	DP	792478
LOT	5001	DP	869400
LOT	5002	DP	869400
LOT	5003	DP	869400

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Richmond Road	Oakhurst	Blacktown	Rooty Hill	Cumberland	Primary Address
Rooty Hill Road	Oakhurst	Blacktown			Alternate Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
Blacktown City Council	Local Government	05 Jul 11
Department of Planning and Environment	State Government
Dharug Strategic Management Group Limited	Aboriginal Group

Statement of significance:


	The Blacktown Native Institution is a site of State significance because of its combination of historical, social and archaeological values. The Blacktown Native Institution played a key role in the history of colonial assimilation policies and race relations. The site is notable for the range of associations it possesses with prominent colonial figures including: Governor Macquarie, Governor Brisbane, Samuel Marsden, William Walker and Sydney Burdekin. The Blacktown Native Institution site is valued by the contemporary Aboriginal community and the wider Australian community as a landmark in the history of cross-cultural engagement in Australia. For Aboriginal people in particular, it represents a key historical site symbolising dispossession and child removal. The site is also important to the Sydney Maori community as an early tangible link with colonial history of trans-Tasman cultural relations and with the history of children removed by missionaries. The Blacktown Native Institution is a rare site reflecting early 19th century missionary activity. The site has the potential to reveal evidence, that may not be available from other sources, about the lives of the children who lived at the school and the customs and management of the earliest Aboriginal school in the colony. The site also has the potential to contain archaeological evidence relating to later phases of land use, including the period the property was owned by Sydney Burdekin. In addition, the site may contain evidence of Aboriginal camps which may provide information about how Aboriginal people, accustomed to a traditional way of life, responded to the changes prompted by colonisation.
	Date significance updated: 14 Mar 11
	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


Construction years:	1822-1823
Physical description:	The site of the Blacktown Native Institution is today a largely vacant lot of land bounded by the residential subdivision of Hassall Grove to the west/southwest and arterial roads to the east and south. The site is predominantly cleared and is traversed in the north by Bells Creek, which has been modified and piped. Surface remains are visible only in the area of the main Native Institution building, where some remains do survive. The site retains little remnant original/indigenous vegetation, apart from some garden remains around the main house site (Nomination form by Godden Mackay Logan October 2010). A pile of rubble in a public reserve in outer, suburban Sydney (Hinkson, 2002, 69).
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The Blacktown Native Institution site can be divided into indicative zones of archaeological potential. The area of the schoolhouse and nearby service areas and outbuildings are considered to have high archaeological potential, while the old creek line, which is highly disturbed, may retain some aspects of archaeological potential. The balance of the site may contain workings, garden remains or rubbish dumps and is considered to have some archaeological potential. An open campsite from the historic contact/settlement period was located in the north-west side of Bells Creek during an archaeological survey in 1981. The presence of this site is consistent with records that state that adult Aboriginal people were living near the schoolhouse and unsettling the children. A more recent archaeological survey work failed to relocate this site. (Source: Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010)
	Date condition updated:10 Feb 05
Modifications and dates:	The Blacktown Native Institution has suffered considerable disturbance through its history. The site was utilised as a working property in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. In 1924 the former Institution house was destroyed by fire. A fibro farm house replaced the old house and this in turn was demolished in 1985. The site was further disturbed through post-1985 activities which include clearance of vegetation, piping of the creek, construction of the sewer (the date of this construction is currently unknown) and the construction of an open drain running north to south through the site. These episodes of disturbance have significantly effected the physical intactness of the site; however, the site does retain archaeological potential and some integrity through its setting and the presence of visible surface remains. (Source: Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010)


Current use:	Vacant land
Former use:	Aboriginal land, School for Aboriginal and Maori children; farm; works/construction depot

History

Historical notes:

The history of the Blacktown Native Institution is closely tied to the events of the early colonial period in New South Wales. Following colonisation by the British from 1788, a complex process of negotiation commenced between the regions' Indigenous inhabitants and the colonists. The outcomes of early cross-cultural engagement were shaped by a range of official and religious interests and so the establishment of the Blacktown Native Institution should be understood in the context of this period and the contemporary European racial attitudes and policies of that time.

When Macquarie took up the position of Governor in 1809 he was instructed to 'conciliate the affection of the Aborigines and to prescribe that British subjects live in amity and kindness with them'. The colonial head of the Church of England, Samuel Marsden, had also been advised by the London Missionary Society in 1810, that he should 'contribute to the Civilisation of the Heathen and thus prepare them for the reception of moral and religious instruction'.

The proposal to establish a school for Aboriginal children was made amid growing conflict between settlers and the local Aboriginal people dispossessed of their yam farming lands along the Hawkesbury. Farmers were competing directly with the Indigenous inhabitants, prompting violence and armed resistance, which only diminished with the death of Koori leader Pemulwuy in 1802. The arrival of drought in 1814 exacerbated the conflict, and in April 1816 Macquarie ordered military expeditions into Gandangarra land along the Nepean.

It was in the context of this conflict that in April 1814 William Shelley, a trader and former London Missionary Society missionary, wrote to Governor Macquarie with a proposal for educating Aboriginal people. Shelley stressed the need for education in useful skills, as a group not as individuals, for their eventual marriage, and for constant religious supervision. Macquarie eagerly seized upon the proposal and commenced establishment of a 'Black Native Institution of NSW' at Parramatta. In December 1814 Macquarie held a public conference of local Aboriginal people to inform them of the school and its purpose, and the first Aboriginal children were given into the school's care. Parents were told that they were not to remove their children from the Institution but that they could assemble every year on 28 December and be allowed to see their children. At this conference Macquarie also announced his intention to make grants of land to Aboriginal farmers.

Macquarie obtained a house in Parramatta, established Shelley as a manager, and on 10 December 1814 gazetted the rules and regulations for the Native Institution. The Parramatta Institution opened on 18 January 1815 taking four pupils initially, but that figure grew after another four children were captured during a punitive expedition between May and June 1816. The addition of several other children, as well as two recorded absconders, brought the total number of children to 13 by 9 September 1816.

More children came to be educated at the Parramatta Institution over the coming years, with the school's enrolment reaching more than 20 students at some times. During these years the Institution continued to hold an annual public conference at which the local Aboriginal people could gather and reunite with their children in the Institution. During this time Macquarie also made the first land grant to Aboriginal people, granting 30 acres to Colebee and Nurragingy on Richmond Road in 1816. The settlement on and around the land grant flourished and by the 1820s it had become known as the 'Black Town'.

On an annual basis Macquarie held a 'meeting of the tribes and native feast' at Parramatta. He had conceived these events as opportunities for fostering friendly relations with local Aboriginal groups. Blankets were distributed and awards publicly conferred upon those men and women who had 'given proofs of industry and inclination to be civilised'. it was at this annual event that certain Aboriginal leaders of the region were proclaimed 'chiefs' and presented with gorgets or 'kingplates'. Macquarie also used the occasion of the annual feast to call on Aboriginal parents to give over tehir children to be lodged in his Native Institution. A small number of parents were originally persuaded to do so, before they understood the implications of their actions. Once it was clear that they would not be allowed access to their children again, except on one designated day a year, no more children were voluntarily admitted and many of those already lodged in the institution escaped and returned to their families. Subsequent pupils of the Native Institution were taken by force; the next children to be lodged there were captured during punitive expeditions in May and June 1816...Macquarie's Native Institution enacted what is believed to have been the first institutionalised removal of Aboriginal children from their families in Australian history, in an early colonial experiement to determine the extent to which they could be 'civilised'.. (Hinkson, 2002, 69, 70).

In 1823 the Institution was moved by Governor Brisbane (who succeeded Macquarie as Governor on 1 December 1821) to land adjoining the new settlement along Richmond Road at Black Town. While the Parramatta phase of the school was considered by settlers as a success, primarily because the students had acquired European skills, the Blacktown stage, by contrast, was viewed by Europeans as a failure.

The Blacktown Native Institution operated from 1823-1829 under the direction of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Brisbane appointed Rev. Samuel Marsden of the CMS as the school committee's chairman, while the day-to-day running of the school was overseen by George and Martha Clarke. The Clarkes were CMS missionaries originally destined for New Zealand, but they remained in New South Wales after they were appointed to the settlement by Marsden. The Clarkes took up their position at the Blacktown Native Institution on New Years Day 1823, when the children were transferred from the care of Mrs Shelley of the Parramatta Institution.

During this early period of establishment, the Blacktown Institution housed up to 14 pupils with only a few sheds and a small timber hut in which the Clarkes lived. A more substantial building would not be constructed for another six months. The students dug gardens and planted flowers and on Sundays Clarke acted as chaplain for the settlement and local convict labourers.

From 1821-1823 government spending on the Institution increased sharply, covering the building program (commenced on the 26 April 1822) and the purchase of Sylvanus Williams' 12 hectares of farming land north across Richmond Road from the Institution. In 1823 an assistant school teacher, John Harper, was also appointed. When construction was completed, the Institution house was two-stories, with four bedrooms upstairs, two large rooms and four small bedrooms downstairs and two outside rooms (with a verandah in front and at each end). There was also a separate kitchen, stable and coach house and a well may have been sunk. In February 1824, the Clarkes left the Institution, resuming their trip to New Zealand, presumably leaving the children in the care of John Harper.

In early 1824 the administration of the Native Institution was reorganised following Governor Brisbane's dismissal of the committee. Brisbane placed the school under the control of his Methodist protegee, Reverend William Walker who retained all the female students while the boys were transferred to Reverend Robert Cartwright at Liverpool. The population of the settlement increased somewhat after the arrival of Walker in 1824 but the settlement appears to have been unstable during this period, perhaps due to the proximity of traditional Aboriginal people and convicts living nearby. At the end of 1824 Brisbane closed the Institution, amalgamating native and orphan schools and moving the few remaining girls with Walker to his new post at the Female Orphan School.

During 1825 the institution was abandoned. In May 1825, (Church of England) Archdeacon Scott announced that he had received instruction to re-open the Blacktown school and in June he proposed that the schoolhouse be repaired and that in the meantime the Reverend Frederick Wilkinson take up residence as manager of a private boarding house for European children. This proposal, including repairs to the house, was carried out during 1826 and in January 1827 Wilkinson, along with his family and a number of boarders, removed to Parramatta, having been in residence for one year.

These instructions can be viewed within the context of a change in policy, with Governor Ralph Darling being instructed to seek advice from Archdeacon Scott regarding the conversion of Aboriginal people. Because of its relative remoteness, Blacktown was seen as an appropriate location for such a task and so CMS missionary Hall, and his wife were charged with re-opening the school. Black children from the various male and female orphanages were taken there and at Marsden's persuasion, Maori children were also taken there from his Parramatta school. Hall was directed by Scott to instruct the children in 'the Common Elements of Education' and religious instruction, but also to teach the boys carpentry and the girls plain needlework and spinning.

In October 1826 Hall received six girls from the Female Orphan Institution, adding to the three Maori children who were already acting as servants to his family. Between December 1826 and January 1827 Hall also received boys from Cartwright's Male Orphan Institution, including Billy, probably the son of Nurragingy. Additional children arrived and by late 1827 the school housed 17 Aboriginal and five Maori pupils, although this was still well below the building's capacity of 60 students.

The documented records relating to this period of the Institution's operation suggest that there was often difficulty acquiring and sustaining student enrolments at the school, the children frequently absconded or were removed by their parents. The rebellion of the children against the strictures of their educators was also an ongoing problem. Added to these issues was the rising cost of the institution's operation, which had gone from being 17 pounds per head in 1820 to around 28 pounds per head under Hall's supervision.

It was in light of these difficulties that early in 1829 the recommendation was made for the school to be closed and the children moved to Cartwright at Liverpool. Cartwright resigned from the Male Orphan School and took charge of ten 'Native' children in April for the sum of 250 pounds per annum. Hall subsequently purchased Cartwright's 500 acres at the Black Town in April 1829 and constructed a cottage where his family ran a small boarding school. In 1831, Hall reported that the Native Institution building was deteriorating.

In 1832 Governor Bourke requested a report from the Surveyor-General on the extent and status of the institution land and buildings. On 2 November 1833 the assistant-surveyor Felton Matthews surveyed the site of the 'Crown Reserve and Schoolhouse at Blacktown'; his sketch marks the location of the house, kitchens, stable, gardens and creek, still known at that time as 'Gidley Chain of Ponds'.

The experiment was a diaster - in subsequent years a number of children died there, and the institution was finally closed and the land auctioned in 1833 (Hinkson, 2002, 70).

In 1833 the Native Institution Reserve (including its buildings) was advertised for sale, and subsequently sold at auction to William Bell, a lieutenant on half-pay, who re-named the property 'Epping' or 'Epping Forest'. Bell died in 1843 and his daughter Maria who inherited the property, died in 1876.

Pastoralist, landlord and politician, the Hon. Sydney Burdekin MLA bought the property as his country residence in September 1877, renaming it 'Lloydhurst'. Burdekin was a prominent figure within colonial society and entertained lavishly at the residence. He made additions to the original Native Institution building, including a ballroom.

After Burdekin's death in 1899, the family sold the property to Mr L.J. David in 1906. It passed to Robert Smith and then to merchant Harry Woolnough in 1910. The site was subdivided into small farm blocks and advertised for auction on 5 December 1914. It was bought by the Wardrop family in 1920 for 2,030 pounds. The old schoolhouse was destroyed by fire in 1924.

A fibro house was built over the ruins of the old schoolhouse and the property was used as a dairy farm until 1985, when the fibro house was demolished. The site was subsequently acquired by Landcom within a large tract of land obtained for housing development. While surrounding areas have been transformed through extensive residential development, the original 30 acre site has remained largely vacant until the present day.

Comparative Analysis
The Blacktown Native Institution site is a rare site associated with early 19th Century missionary activity. The first such site was the Parramatta Native Institution established in 1815. The site Parramatta institution has been redeveloped. The second site of this type was the Blacktown Native Institution dating from 1823. Rev Threlkeld's mission at Lake Macquarie established in 1825 was the third and the fourth was the Wellington Valley Aboriginal Mission which was begun in 1831.
(Source: Nomination prepared by Godden Mackay Logan October 2010).

A number of Darug descendents have been campaigning for years to have the Native Institution site preserved and its significance recognised. The site was first surveyed in 1982. It was listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1992. In 2002 the local Blacktown City Coucnil, Landcom and the NSW Heritage Office commissioned a conservation management plan. Nomination of the site to the NSW State Heritage Register occurred in 2001-2. A range of options for development of the site and promotion of its historic signifciance have been canvassed in the course of this recent research (Hinkson, 2002, 71).

In 2018 the State government handed the land on which the Blacktown Native Institution was built back to the Dharug Aboriginal people (Parkes-Hupton, 25/10/2018).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Other open space-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Modification of terrain-
1. Environment-Tracing the evolution of a continent's special environments	Environment - naturally evolved-Activities associated with the physical surroundings that support human life and influence or shape human cultures.	Changing the environment-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Daruk nation - sites of first contact or early interaction with colonisers-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - reconciliation events-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Aboriginal Culture-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - the stolen generations-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - places of battle or other early interactions between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - controlling dispossesed peoples-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	All nations - sites evidencing occupation-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Aboriginal cultures and interactions with other cultures-Activities associated with maintaining, developing, experiencing and remembering Aboriginal cultural identities and practices, past and present.	Cadigal tribe - Eora nation-
2. Peopling-Peopling the continent	Ethnic influences-Activities associated with common cultural traditions and peoples of shared descent, and with exchanges between such traditions and peoples.	(none)-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	City Club accommodation-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Building settlements, towns and cities-National Theme 4
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	early settlement or worker's cottage-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Country Villa-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Housing public servants and officials-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Accommodation-Activities associated with the provision of accommodation, and particular types of accommodation – does not include architectural styles – use the theme of Creative Endeavour for such activities.	Accommodating prisoners and internees-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Administering and alienating Crown lands-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Land tenure-Activities and processes for identifying forms of ownership and occupancy of land and water, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal	Changing land uses - from rural to suburban-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Aboriginal reserves on urban fringes-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Segregating towns and villages by ethnicity-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Vernacular hamlets and settlements-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Institutions-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	19th Century Infrastructure-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Creating landmark structures and places in suburban settings-
4. Settlement-Building settlements, towns and cities	Towns, suburbs and villages-Activities associated with creating, planning and managing urban functions, landscapes and lifestyles in towns, suburbs and villages	Developing government towns-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Vocational training as a form of social rehabilitation-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working at enforced labour-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working in the public service-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Working on public infrastructure projects-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Servants quarters-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Providing child care-
5. Working-Working	Labour-Activities associated with work practises and organised and unorganised labour	Providing job training and placement services-
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	Education associated with Welfare institutions-
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	Educating people in suburban locations-
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	Aboriginal Schools-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Colonial government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	State government-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Suburban Consolidation-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - providing education-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - public land administration-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - administration of land-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Public works-
7. Governing-Governing	Government and Administration-Activities associated with the governance of local areas, regions, the State and the nation, and the administration of public programs - includes both principled and corrupt activities.	Developing roles for government - conserving cultural and natural heritage-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	Children in need-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	Destitute and alone-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	Providing mission reserves-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	Providing childcare facilities-
7. Governing-Governing	Welfare-Activities and process associated with the provision of social services by the state or philanthropic organisations	Providing a home for disadvantaged children-
8. Culture-Developing cultural institutions and ways of life	Religion-Activities associated with particular systems of faith and worship	Providing schools and education-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead.	Remembering the deceased-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Birth and Death-Activities associated with the initial stages of human life and the bearing of children, and with the final stages of human life and disposal of the dead.	Aboriginal Women's business-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Robert Smith, farmer-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Rev. William Walker, Methodist priest, Superintendent, Blacktown Native Institute-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Governor (Mjr-Gen.) Sir Thomas Brisbane, GCB, KCH, 1821-1825-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Rev. Frederick Wilkinson, Anglican priest-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with George and Martha Clarke, Church Missionary Society missionaries-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with John Harper, Assistant School Teacher, Blacktown Native Institute-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with the Church Missionary Society-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Archdeacon Scott, Anglican priest-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Felton Matthews, Assistant Government-Surveyor-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Lt. William Bell, soldier and farmer-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Maria Bell, gentlewoman, landowner-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with the Hon. Sydney Burdekin MLA, pastoralist, landlord and politician-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Mr and Mrs Hall, Church Missionary Society missionaries-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with L.J. David, grazier-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Harry Woolnough, merchant-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with the Wardrop family, landowners-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Governor Sir (later Lord) Augustus F.S.Loftus, 1879-1884+-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Governor (Mjr-Gen., later Gnl., Sir) Ralph Darling and Eliza Darling, 1826-1830-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Rev. Samuel Marsden, archbishop of colony-
9. Phases of Life-Marking the phases of life	Persons-Activities of, and associations with, identifiable individuals, families and communal groups	Associations with Governor Mjr.-Gen. (later Gen., Sir) Richard Bourke KCB, 1831-7-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	For Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people the Blacktown Native Institution is an important landmark in the history of black and white relations in Australia. The institution, which operated between 1823 and 1829, reflects the commencement of the historical process of Aboriginal child removal, marking the Colonial Administration's attempts beginning with Governor Macquarie in 1814, to educate and to assimilate Aboriginal children into white society. More specifically, it reflects a colonial policy featuring a belief that Aboriginal children could be 'civilised' through removal from their culture, and a policy of confining Aboriginal people within settlements remote from European society. For the current Aboriginal community, the site provides a link with an early Aboriginal settlement, known from the 1820s as the 'Black Town'. This is where the first land grants were made to Aboriginal people (Colebee and Nurragingy) and farming allotments were taken up, representing the earliest attempts of Aboriginal people to engage with, and to establish their autonomy within, European society. The Native Institution also represents Indigenous objectives and experiences between 1823-1829, including parents' refusal to accept separation from their children, the children's reluctance to conform with European strictures, their resistance to remaining within the institution and their experience of life within it. (Source: Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010)
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	The Blacktown Native Institution is notable for the range of associations it possesses with prominent colonial figures. The Blacktown Native Institution is strongly associated with Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Although the Blacktown Native Institution followed Macquarie's original Parramatta initiative, it reflects the outcomes of his policy towards indigenous people. The site is also associated with Governor Brisbane's attempts to develop colonial policy with respect to the indigenous inhabitants. The site is associated with Rev Samuel Marsden and missionary William Walker. Rev. Marsden, a prominent figure in the early the colony, was appointed chairman of the Native Institution Committee by Governor Brisbane in December 1821. Marsden who had missionary connections with New Zealand was responsible for bringing Maori children to the school. William Walker protege of Governor Brisbane, and the first missionary to be instructed specifically to minister to the indigenous people of New South Wales, was appointed as manager of the Institute in 1824. The site of the Blacktown Native Institute is associated with the prominent and influential late nineteenth-century figure Sydney Burdekin, who purchased the property in 1877 for use as his country residence. Burdekin was a pastoralist and politican. He served almost continuously in the NSW Legislative Assembly between 1880 and 1894 representing in succession Tamworth, East Sydney and the Hawkesbury. Burdekin was also alderman of Sydney Municipal Council between 1883 and 1898 and Mayor of Sydney Municipal Council between January 1890 and April 1891. (Source: Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010; Sydney Burdekin - Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adbonline.anu.edu.au)
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The Blacktown Native Institute for the Aboriginal community is a key site symbolising dispossession, child removal and enduring links to the land. For some members of the Aboriginal community it represents a landmark in Aboriginal-European relations, symbolising the continuing need for reconciliation and understanding between blacks and whites. The site is also important to the Sydney Maori community as an early tangible link with colonial history of trans-Tasman cultural relations and with the history of children reomoved by missionaries. The non-Aboriginal community of Blacktown value the place because of its association with important historical events, processes and individuals, and as the historical heart of Blacktown. (Source: Blacktown Native Institution Draft Conservation Management Plan by Godden, Mackay, Logan 2004; Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010)
SHR Criteria e) [Research potential]	The Blacktown Native Institution site has high archaeological potential to reveal evidence, that may not be available from other sources, about of the lives of the children who lived at the school and the customs and management of the earliest Aboriginal school in the colony. The site also has the potential to contain archaeological evidence relating to later phases of land use, including the period the property was owned by Sydney Burdekin. In addition, the site may contain evidence of Aboriginal camps which may provide information about how Aboriginal people, accustomed to a traditional way of life, responded to the changes prompted by colonisation. (Source: Blacktown Native Institution Draft Conservation Management Plan by Godden, Mackay, Logan 2004; Nomination form prepared by Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd October 2010)
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The Blacktown Native Institution is a rare site reflecting early 19th century missionary activity. The site may contain the earliest evidence of the Colonial Administration's attempts to Christianise and Europeanise Aboriginal children. (Source: Blacktown Native Institution Draft Conservation Management Plan by Godden Mackay Logan 2004)
Integrity/Intactness:	The Blacktown Native Institution site has suffered considerable disturbance over its history however, the site does have the potential to contain archaeological relics and deposits associated with the Blacktown Native Institution.
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.

Recommended management:

Recommendations

Management Category	Description	Date Updated
Recommended Management	Review a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
Recommended Management	Prepare a maintenance schedule or guidelines
Recommended Management	Carry out interpretation, promotion and/or education

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
CMP-Comment	Conservation Plan submitted for comment	Blacktown Native Institution CMP, prepared by Godden Mackay Logan for Blacktown City Council and Landcom, dated January 2004	Comments on CMP provided to authors 21 June 2005	Jun 21 2005
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	Exemption 1. The carrying out of road work or traffic control work, within the meaning of the Roads Act 1993, in connection with the Rooty Hill Road, Richmond Hill Road and / or the proposed Castlreagh Freeway, on land described as Lot 1 in Deposited Plan 1043661, Lot 5002 in Deposited Plan 869400 and / or Lot 5003 in Deposited Plan 869400, is exempt from subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1877, subject to all excavation or disturbance of land being carried out in accordance with any archaeological management plan with which compliance is required by any approval for those works issued under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Reason/Comment - Should archaeological relics or deposits be uncovered during excavation work, all work must cease in the immediate area. A suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist must be contacted to assess the archaeology and the Heritage Branch should be informed immediately. The following exemptions apply to Lot 60 DP1055132, Lot 5 DP792478, Lot 5001 DP869400. 1. Excavation of disturbance of land of the kind specified below does not require approval under subsection 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977, provided that the Chief Executive is satisfied that the criteria in (a), (b) or (c) have been met and the person proposing to undertake the excavation or disturbance of the land has received a notice advising that the Chief Executive is satisfied that: (a) an archaeological assessment, zoning plan or management plan has been prepared in accordance with Guidelines published by the Heritage Council of NSW which indicates that any relics in the land are unlikely to have State or local heritage significance; or (b) disturbance of land will have a minor impact on archaeological relics including the testing of land to verify the existence of relics without destroying or removing them; or (c) a statement describing the proposed excavation demonstrates that evidence relating to the history or nature of the site, such as its level of disturbance indicates that site has little or no archaeological research potential. 2. Excavation or disturbance of land of the kind specified below does not require approval under subsection 57(1) of the Act: (a) the excavation or disturbance of land is for the purpose of exposing underground utility services infrastructure which occurs within an existing service trench and will not affect any other relics; (b) the excavation or disturbance of land is to carry out inspections or emergency maintenance or repair on underground utility services and due care is taken to avoid effects on any other relics or historic services; (c) the excavation or disturbance of land is to maintain, repair, or replace underground utility services to buildings provided these works will not adversely affect any significant archaeology including (but not limited to) historic services. (d) the excavation or disturbance of land is to maintain or repair the foundations of an existing building provided these works will not adversely affect any significant archaeology including (but not limited to) historic services; (e) the excavation or disturbance of land is to expose survey marks for use in conducting a land survey. A person proposing to excavate or disturb land in the manner described in paragraph 1 must write to the Chief Executive and describe the proposed excavation or disturbance of land and set out why it satisfies the criteria set out in paragraph 1. If the Chief Executive is satisfied that the proposed development meets the criteria set out in paragraph 1 (a), (b) or (c) the Chief Executive shall notify the applicant. Reason/comment - Should archaeological relics or deposits be uncovered during excavation work, all work must cease in the immediate area. A suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist must be contacted to assess the archaeology and the Heritage Branch should be informed immediately. 3. Pest management activities and vegetation management activities. Such activities may include weed and feral animal/insect eradication, lawn mowing, topdressing, tree pruning and removal of dangerous trees. The stumps of dangerous trees are to left in situ or ground down. Any excavation associated with feral animal/insect eradication must be in accordance with the recommendations contained within an Archaeological Management Plan for the site endorsed by the Heritage Council or its Delegate and provided these works will not adversely affect any significant archaeology including (but not limited to) historic infrastructure and services. Reason/Comment - Should archaeological relics or deposits be uncovered all work must cease in the immediate area. A suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist must be contacted to assess the archaeology and the Heritage Branch should be informed immediately. 4. Repair, maintenance and construction of fences. Any excavation associated with the above activities must be in accordance recommendations contained within an Archaeological Management Plan for the site endorsed by the Heritage Council or its Delegate provide and these works will not adversely affect any significant archaeology including (but not limited to) historic infrastructure and services. Reason/Comment - Should archaeological relics or deposits be uncovered all work must cease in the immediate area. A suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist must be contacted to assess the archaeology and the Heritage Branch should be informed immediately. 5. All activities for temporary change of use where such activities do not entail disturbance of land. 6. Display any notice on the land for the purpose site interpretation and public information. Disturbance of land associated with this activity must be in accordance with the recommendations contained within an Archaeological Management Plan endorsed for the site by the Heritage Council or its Delegate and provided these works will not adversely affect any significant archaeology including (but not limited to) historic infrastructure and services. Reason/Comment - Should archaeological relics or deposits be uncovered all work must cease in the immediate area. A suitably qualified and experienced archaeologist must be contacted to assess the archaeology and the Heritage Branch should be informed immediately.	Nov 18 2011
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	Sydney Water Corporation assets and works applying to all land in the SHR listed curtilage. Works by Sydney Water Corporation or its contractors on Sydney Water Corporation assets, including sewage systems, storm water management systems and water supply systems, for operational requirements, construction, maintenance and repair that do not involve excavation or impacts on the archaeological resource.	Nov 18 2011
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

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		01866	18 Nov 11	111	6682
Local Environmental Plan	Blacktown Native Institution Site		12 Apr 02
Register of the National Estate	Native Institution	15905	30 Jun 92

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written		2011	Sydney Burdekin - Australian Dictionary Biography	View detail
Written	Attenbrow, Val.	2002	Sydney's Aboriginal Past: Investigating the Archaeological and Historical Records
Written	Bickford, Anne	1982	The Archaeological Investigation of the Native Institution, Blacktown NSW
Written	Godden Mackay Logan	2010	Blacktown Native Institute Site Nomination Form
Written	Godden Mackay Logan	2004	Blacktown Native Institution Draft Conservation Management Plan
Written	Hinkson, Melinda	2002	Exploring Aboriginal Sites in Sydney
Written	Hinkson, Melinda & Harris, Alannah	2001	Aboriginal Sydney: A guide to the important places of the past and present
Written	Kelleher Nightingale Consulting P/L	2009	Marsden Park Industrial Precinct - Aboriginal Heritage Assessment
Written	Kelleher Nightingale Consulting Pty Ltd	2009	Marsden Park Industrial Precinct : Aboriginal Heritage Assessment
Written	Lydon, Jane	2005	'Men in Black'; The Blacktown Native Institutiion and the Origins of the 'Stolen Generation', in Object Lessions: Archaeology and Heritage in Australia edited by J. Lydon and T. Ireland
Written	Lydon, Jane; and Ireland, Tracy. for Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd	2004	Blacktown Native Institution Draft Conservation Management Plan
Written	Parkes-Hupton, Heath	2018	'Blacktown Native Institution Site returned to Dharug people'	View detail

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:	5051312
File number:	10/01097 & S91/02432-01-02

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