sharing the past - Auckland Museum

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Sharing the Past by areas of swampy ground here and there. It was on a boggy spot on the outskirts of the fledgling town that the gaol was built in early 1841. Where Queen, Victoria West, Elliot and Darby Streets meet was the unpleasant and unhealthy spot where the gaol and the courthouse stood. Records show that the goal remained on this spot, along the east bank of the stream, until 1860. The complex consisted of a guard house, cell-blocks, a hard labour yard, stocks, gallows and, fronting onto Queen Street, the courthouse. Men and women could be tried, sentenced, hanged and buried, conveniently all in the one area. Six executions took place and the bodies were buried on the Queen/Victoria Street corner. Initially building methods in Auckland disturbed the original ground contours only a little. It was not until basements became a common part of building techniques in the late 1880s that larger changes were made. In 1987, 100 years later, a 21-storey building was scheduled for construction on the old gaol site, which by now had been engulfed in the heart of Auckland's crowded business district. The huge excavations for the foundations of such a large building would effectively wipe away all trace of the original ground surface. Fortuitously the New Zealand Historic Places Trust was able to arrange an archaeological dig, led by Simon Best, on the newly cleared block of ground. They were given just under 2 19 Teacher Background Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku teacher background weeks to find out as much as they could before the new development began. The cleared site resembled a large pit lined with concrete and basalt retaining walls. Across the centre ran the slightly raised Theatre Lane. As much of the surface concrete would be needed to support heavy building equipment later, the archaeologists elected to examine small areas close to the lane. They hoped to uncover evidence of the various buildings on the site and perhaps even find the Ligar Canal. They were richly rewarded for their efforts. Down the excavated well were the remains of metal buckets with rope still attached. Under the lane area were part of the debtor's cell-block foundation, the prison kitchen and the hard labour yard with broken rock fragments which the shackled prisoners had sweated to crush. Many artefacts such as chamber-pot pieces, a door lock, various cooking implements and animal bones hinted at the life which prisoners experienced. Amazingly enough not only was the Ligar Canal uncovered (lined at this point with basalt blocks) but below it was found the original contour of the streambed. Maori digging implements and a kiore-gnawed hinau berry illustrated even earlier activities in the valley. The remains of freshwater mussels and perfectly preserved leaf litter were carbon dated and enabled scientists to establish that these plants had tumbled into the water 800 years ago. The courthouse building fronted onto Queen Street (to the left in the sketch). The gallows facing Victoria Street West are visible to the right in front of the gaol wall close to the little bridge.
teacher background Elliott Street Old ground surface One of the more macabre finds in the streambed just beyond the gaol fence was a tangle of dog skeletons, some with collars still attached. The city pound had operated here. Newspapers of 1840 were full of stories about "the dog nuisance". Hanging or poisoning seemed to have been the preferred method of disposal for the unfortunate dogs caught. We can see how archaeology was able to provide extra information that was not available in the old records. Although the material recovered in the nine days of excavation was just a fraction Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku Sharing the Past A cross section of the 1987 archaeological dig at the Queen Street gaol, from Digging up the Past by Michael Trotter and Beverley McCulloch. The contour of the original, Pre-European, streambed was uncovered as well as the brick lined course of the Ligar Canal. Today the level of both Queen and Elliot Streets is much higher than 100 years ago. Some of the more robust discoveries from the gaol site are on display in the City Gallery. Evidence of footwear, a lantern, some eating utensils and stone chips from prisoner labour are shown here. Fill Theatre Lane Ligar Canal Queen Street of what might have been exposed in a more reasonable amount of time, important new details were brought to light. These were of some of the buildings and features of the gaol and the personal belongings of the prisoners and their guards and beneath that a slice of Maori life lived long before Europeans settled. Simon Best kept the Museum archaeologists up to date with the exciting finds his excavation team were uncovering and several visits were made to inspect the artefacts as they were extracted from the smelly mud. After the various specialists had cleaned and analysed them, conservators had stabilised the fragile pieces, and the reports had been written, it was time for the collection to come to the Museum. Here, in the City Gallery, a selection of the strongest artefacts is displayed so that everyone can see the evidence of gaol life in the earliest days of the city. The remaining pieces have been carefully packed in acid free materials in readiness for a time when they too might be displayed and for those interested in historical archaeology to study further. As many other city buildings continue to be demolished, archaeologists use the gaol site collection to help identify what they find beneath the old foundations. Teacher Background 20
Page 1 and 2: Te Papa Whakahiku AUCKLAND WAR MEMO
Page 3 and 4: introduction Auckland Museum Te Pap
Page 5 and 6: teacher background The Institute's
Page 7 and 8: teacher background BOTANICAL MEANDE
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Page 17 and 18: teacher background MITSUBISHI ZERO
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Page 23 and 24: teacher background burial chamber b
Page 25 and 26: curriculum links carvings, painting
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