report on excavations at sydney...

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WENDY THORPConsultant Archaeologist

78 Australia St,Camperdown 2050

REPORT ON EXCAVATIONS AT

SYDNEY HOSPITAL

1987

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Ph (02) 516 3381

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WENDY THORPConsultant Archaf;1ologist

REPORT ON EXCAVATIONS AT SYDNEY HOSPITAL

1987

PREPARED FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OF N.S.W

78 Australia St,Camperdown 2050Ph (02) 516-3381

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CONTENTS

AcknowledgementsSynopsisPreface to the ReportLocationInitiative for WorkObjectivesMethodologyHistorical ContextPhase I: 1811 - 1879Phase II: 1879 - 1907Phase Ill: 1907 - 1960Phase IV: 1960 - 1986The study Area DevelopmentSite ReportArchaeological PotentialSite DescriptionArchaeological Features3.3.1 Structural Elements3.3.2 Deposits3.3.3 ArtefactsBibliographyGraphics to the Text

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11112345678999

101012131415


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the work of Spence, H. ,Mitche11, A. and Legzdins, P. in their SydneyHospital Conservation Study. Most of the historicaldetail in this report is adapted from this work. Allthe plans are from this source. I would also like tothank Dr Ann Mitchell for the verbal advice shesupplied on particular details.

W.T. 1987


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SYNOPSIS

This programme was undertaken at the request of theDepartment of Public Works as one component of thesite works currently being undertaken on thesouth-eastern portion of the Sydney Hospital site.During the course of a watching brief initiated forthe duration of the bulk excavation a number ofstructural elements were revealed and recorded.

These were walls, floors, ducting and a servicetunnel from the 1930s KMI basement boiler room (onthe eastern perimeter); an 1897 sub-surface brickservice tunnel (northern perimeter of theexcavation); foundations of the 1881 kitchen(northern perimeter of the excavation); foundationsof the 1907 Renwick Pavilion (western perimeter ofthe excavation) and concrete foundations of the 1964linear accelerator (centre of the site). The MintBuilding boundary wall was seen in section as partof the demolition process.

Few stratified deposits were observed on thisportion of the site. The evidence suggested that ithad at one time been stripped, probably as part ofone of the building programmes, and the remnant thinoverburden on the bedrock only consisted ofdisturbed loam with some artefacts and buildingmaterials mixed in. The only observed stratifiedlevels were a number of bitumen layers on thenorthern perimeter of the excavation.

Very few artefacts were recovered during theprogramme. Those that were unearthed were allunstratified. They consisted of some ceramics, glassand metal objects. None were retained for display orstorage.


1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.3.1

1.3.2

1

PREFACE TO THE REPORT

LOCATION

The area of excavation which is the subject of thisreport was located behind (to the east) of the mainsouthern block of the hospital. Its southernperimeter was defined by the Mint Building walls andthe northern line of the excavation culminated closeand parallel to the central or eastern'administration wing. The eastern side of theexcavation ran into Hospital Road.

The buildings removed by this excavation includedthe former Kitchen Block, Laundry and Engine Room,the Linear Accelerator, the Renwick Pavilion and theKMI Building.

An earlier excavation which was part of thisprogramme was located adjacent to the centralnorthern facade of the central block of SydneyHospital. The full excavation extended east past theWorrall Wing (reported in Thorp, W. Report onExcavations at Sydney Hospital., December 1986)

Plan No. 1

INITIATIVE FOR WORK

This work was undertaken at the request of thePublic Works Department of NSW. A watching brief wasestablished for the duration of the bulk excavation.An earlier excavation had revealed the remains of asandstone drain and, on the advice of technicalofficers from the Department of Environment andPlanning, this consultant was requested toinvestigate and report on this feature. A separatereport has been prepared on this feature (Thorp, W.Report on Excavations at Sydney Hospital., December1986)

OBJECTIVES

The primary objectives of this work were to:

Maintain a watching brief for the duration of thebulk excavation for the purposes of locating anyarchaeological material which may have been revealedby that work.

To record any archaeological material observed

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during the excavation.

1.3.3 To prepare a report on the programme in whichidentification of the various archaeologicalelements was attempted where the archival evidencewas sufficient to allow for this.

1.4 METHODOLOGY

All buildings were demolished to ground level andthe bulk excavation was carried out by heavymachinery. A watching brief was maintained untilbedrock was reached.

A site log and photographic record were maintainedthroughout the programme. Historical detail for theidentification of various elements has beenabstracted from Spence, H. et al., Sydney HospitalConservation Study as well as verbal advicereceived from Dr Ann Mitchell, former historian forthe hospital.

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The detail within this section has been adaptedlargely from Spence, Mitchell, Legzdins, Sydney

_H-::O,.:::s~p:..:::i::..ct::-:a=l=---=--..::-C..=.o.::::n=s--=e--=r--"v-::a=...:t:=-=l.::..:·o=-=n:.=........,,....:S=-=.t-=u-:::-d~y (PWD 1983) . Someadditional information has been supplied by Dr AnnMitchell.

The hospital site has gone through a number of majorphases of building and additions. These can beapproximately related to four major phases althoughthese are, necessarily, somewhat arbitrary indesignation. These are:

the followingstudy area is

1811 - 18791879 - 19071907 - 19601960 - 1986

These are briefly discussed insections and their impact on thedefined in the concluding section.

Phase I:Phase 11:Phase Ill:Phase IV:

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2.1

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PHASE I: 1811 - 1879

The first phase of work on this site was related tothe development and demise of the Rum Hospitalbetween 1811 and 1879. Sydney Hospital stands on thesite of the central wing of this complex. The centrewing of the first hospital was the primary wardblock.

The ground plan of the hospital from this time showsit to have been planned with a kitchen, located inthe centre of the eastern facade, and two toiletblocks located to either side of the kitchen. Nodrainage systems are shown on this plan. Theoriginal contract for the hospital stated that therewould be a separate sewer from each building to themain sewer at the rear of the hospital, however, in1815 an eyewitness account stated that there were nosewers. In 1820 general complaints were still beingmade about the drains but the only specificreference to a drain is to one which was located inthe lower wall opening out to the Domain (Thorp, W.Archaeological and Archival Report Parliament HouseSydney., Section II:2:XII)

Until 1857 there are no known additions to the site,although there were many changes and additionswithin the existing buildings. In that year a newSouth Wing was added to the site to house female andchild patients and some domestic staff. In 1860 theMacquarie Street boundary wall was altered and inc.1864 a suite of offices was built on thesouth-western corner of the site for the purposes ofoutpatients and a,dispensary.

In 1869 a major new wing was added to the northernboundary; the Nightingale Wing. This was to housethe new nursing staff. In 1876 a temporary woodenpavilion was erected on the eastern perimeter tohouse male patients. In 1879 the former centre wingof the rum hospital was demolished.

Plan Nos. 2 - 4


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PHASE 11: 1879 - 1907

During this phase the entire plan and arrangementsof the hospital were dramatically altered by a majorphase of building and a number of isolatedadditions.

Between 1879 and 1884 major new ward blocks werebegun on the north, south and centre of the site aswell as an administration block on the centralwestern perimeter. These works were suspended in1884 but completed, although in greatly modifiedform, between 1892 and 1894.

In addition to these a kitchen block was built in1881 (centre-south), a laundry and engine room in1882 (south-east corner), an opthalmic theatre inc.1883 (centre-north facade of central ward block)and bridge links between the major wards andadministration building in 1884.

Between 1894 and 1900 a number of major, butisolated, buildings were constructed on the site tocompliment and extend the existing facilities. Thesewere a theatre and chapel block in 1894 (due east ofthe centre ward), gatehouses flanking theadministration block on the western perimeter in1894, timber isolation wards on the easternperimeter in 1895, extensions to the NightingaleWing in 1895 and a pathology block created during1897 from the former laundry and engine room. Anumber of verandahs and links were also built duringthe later years of this phase.

This process of consolidation was carried over intothe earliest years of the twentieth century. Thesefinal years were noteworthy for extensions whichhighlighted the increasing inadequacy of the site tocope with the demands placed upon it for newfacilities.

In 1901 and 1902 the verandahs on the majorbuildings were filled in to allow for more wardspace. In 1902 a casualty ward was built in thesouth-eastern corner and in the same year extensionswere made to the Nightingale Wing. A new laundry wasconstructed in 1905 in the north-eastern corner ofthe site. In c. 1906 extensions were made to theoutpatients section.

Plan Nos. 5 - 6


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PHASE III: 1907 - 1960

The third phase is similar to the second in that itwas heralded by' an extensive building programmewhich, during the final years, diminished into a"firefighting" exercise with additions andextensions being constructed haphazardly to meet newdemands.

In 1907 a major new building was constructed on thesouthern perimeter; this was the Renwick Pavilion.Additions of a lecture theatre and links were madeto this building during the 1920s. Additions werealso made to the administration block during thisdecade.

In 1930 major additions were made to the sitebeginning with a two storey staff amenities block,more bridge links between existing buildings and, inparticular, the Travers Block which replaced theformer casualty and infectious wards. The KMIBuilding was constructed in 1933.

The only major addition to the site during the nexttwo decades was the construction of a single storeybrick kiosk. A few minor additions, alterations andlink roofs were also built during the remainder ofthis phase.

PHASE IV: 1960 - 1986

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The final phase of the hospital development ismainly characterized by infill development,additions and refurbishing caused by the growingdemands of the site within a space that was clearlyinadequate to meet these requirements.

The only major construction of the 1970s was theX-Ray pavilion built in 1970. More infillconstruction occurred and additional floors wereadded to some buildings. Links were added andverandahs filled in on major buildings. Room andward refurbishing was also a feature.

noteworthy forsome temporary

The 1980s also have been mainlyrefurbishing programmes althoughbuildings were constructed in 1982.

Plan Nos. I, 6

The 1960s were a time of considerable buildingactivity with an audiology room and linearaccelerator being constructed during the earliestyears of the decade. The 'rest of the decade'sbuilding activity was concerned with the addition ofnew floors (to the KMI in 1964), single storeyextensions (to the centre block in 1967), newoffices and infill construction.

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Plan No. 1

THE STUDY AREA DEVELOPMENT

the kitchen block in the centre of thesite constructed in 1881.

constructed in 1907of the southern

a number of stores buildings behind theRenwick Pavilion and along the Mintboundary dated, at best, as post-1937.

the Renwick Pavilionwhich occupied mostboundary of the site.

the KMI Building in the south-easterncorner of the site constructed in 1933.

a Linear Accelerator located between thekitchen and the main southern wing datedto 1964.

A number of buildings have been constructed withinthe study area since the initial hospitalconstruction of 1816, however, by the time of thecommencement of the work programe during 1986/7, themajor structures on the site were:

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3.0

3.1

3.2

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SITE REPORT

ARCHAEOLOGICAL POTENTIAL

Although the site has contained a number ofdifferent structures during the life of the hospitalthe archival evidence suggested that the primaryremains to be located during this programme wouldrelate to the buildings which were demolished priorto the excavation. Both the Renwick and KMIbuildings had basement levels and the remainingbuildings appeared, from the evidence, to have hadsubstantial foundations. The latter would havedisturbed or destroyed most of the sub-surfacedeposits.

The only other potential archaeological material wasthe possibility of some evidenc~ of formerlandscaping programmes and works.

SITE DESCRIPTION

At the commencement of the programme the site hadbeen cleared of all buildings and the surface layerstripped. This revealed a very shallow over-burdenon the site above the bedrock. Some foundations werevisible at this time on the eastern, southern andnorthern sides of the site and towards the centre.

Plate Nos. 1 - 4


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3.3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES

3.3.1 Structural Elements

The major structural elements were located on theeastern, south-eastern and north-eastern perimetersof the site. Some additional structural elementswere located in the centre of the site.

KMI Building Foundations: On the eastern perimeterof the site, dug well into the sub-surface layers,were the remains of the part-basement boiler roomlevel of the KMI building which joined the RenwickPavilion, via the Bell Block, on the southernboundary.

The structural remains consisted of concrete andbrick walls along the eastern perimeter and alongthe northern and southern sides. Part of a returnwall was attached to the northern side. The easternwall had attached pilasters and two niches which mayhave served as coal delivery chutes. The floor was aflat concrete slab in two levels locatedapproximately 3.0 metres below the current groundsurface.

On the southern side were the remains of whatappeared to have been a series of brick fire boxes.To the northern side of the main walls the remnantsof a brick pipe tunnel were located; the originalplans indicate that this led into the northernportion of the building at floor level (Plan NO. 7and Plate Nos. 5 - 11).

Brick Service Tunnel: On the northern perimeter ofthe site the excavation broke into a brick, barrelvaulted, sub-surface tunnel. This has beendocumented as running from the north-eastern cornerof the main northern block on an oblique angle tothe north-eastern corner of the centre block, thenparallel to that building with a dog-leg to thenorth-eastern corner of the kitchen block which hasjust been demolished, then at an oblique angle tothe north-eastern corner of the now-demolishedRenwick Pavilion.

The apex of the tunnel was only c.500mm below thecurrent surface and the structure was c. 1.5 metresin height. It was approximately that dimension inwidth. It was constructed in well fired machinebricks set in cement two bricks thick. A largenumber of service pipes ran through the sides andcentre of the tunnel.


11

This tunnel was commissioned in 1897 after the newbuildings had been handed over to the authorities.At that time it was claimed that the hot water andsteam services were unsatisfactory and that a tunnelwas required to carry the pipes. In June 1897tenders were called for the project and by August ofthat year it was under construction although defectswere noted in the structure. It was finished laterin the year (Plate Nos. 12 - 15).

1881 Kitchen Foundations: Adjacent to the tunnel,running in an east-west direction, were thefoundation courses of the 1881 kitchen blockdemolished during this programme. Three ashlarcourses remained intact with remnants of a third.These were set on clay (Plate Nos. 16 - 17).

The Mint Wall: The demolition of the stores alongthe southern border revealed little informationother than providing a view of the Mint Wall insection. This was shown to be of rough construction(Plate Nos. 18 - 19).

Renwick Pavilion Foundations: Along the westernperimeter of the excavation a line of brickfoundations, with an embedded service pipe, wasrevealed by the excavation. These formed part of theformer Renwick Pavilion (Plate Nos. 20 - 22).

Linear Accelerator Foundations: In the centre of thesite was a large reinforced concrete foundationwhich related to the linear accelerator built in1964 (Plate Nos. 23 - 24).

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3.3.2 Deposits

The deposited layers on the site were shallow due tothe large scale construction and disturbanceresulting from the various building programmes. Inaddition it appears probable that the site had beenstripped at least once during a large buildingprogramme taking with it much of the accumulateddeposit.

In general a disturbed layer of loam with someartefacts and building materials covered the site(Plate No. 25). Only on the northern perimeter ofthe excavation, adjacent to the tunnel, were thereany clearly deposited levels and these were allrelated to a number of former bitumen surfaces(Plate No. 26).


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3.3.3 Artefacts

Few artefacts were recovered during the excavationand these were all unstratified. They consisted ofceramics, glass and metal items some clearlydesigned for exclusive hospital use such as themarked ceramics. None were collected.


4.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Spence, H.,Mitchell. A.,Legzdins, P.,

Thorp, W.

Thorp, W.

14

Sydney Hospital Conservation PlanPublic Works Department1983

Archaeological and Archival ReportStorage Buildings, South BoundarySydney HospitalPublic Works Department1984

Report on Excavations at SydneyHospitalPublic Works Department1986

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5.0 GRAPHICS TO THE TEXT

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Plate No. 1: General View of Site Looking west

Plate


Plate No. 3: General View of Site Looking South

Plate No. 4: General View of Site Looking North


Plate No. 5: General View of KMI Basement Area

Plate No. 6: Eastern Wall of KMI Showing PilastersChutes and Floor in Two Levels


Plate No. 7: Northern Wall and Return of KMI

Plate No. 8: View Towards Southern Wall of KMI


Plate No. 10:

View of FireBoxes, KMIBuildingLooking East.

Plate No. 9:

View of Fire Boxes,KMI Building,Looking West.

Plate No. 11: View of Tunnel to KMI


Plate No. 12: General View, 1897 Tunnel.


Plate No. 13: View of Tunnel, Partially Demolished.

Plate No. 14: Tunnel in Relation to KitchenFoundations.


Plate No. 15: Detail of Tunnel Construction

Plate No. 16: View of 1881 Kitchen FoundationsLooking East


Plate No. 17: View of 1881 Kitchen FoundationsLooking West

Plate No. 18: View of stores Area DuringDemolition


No. 1 :

View of MintBoundary Wall inSection Looking West

Plate No. 20: View of Renwick Pavilion FoundationsLooking North.


Plate No. 21: View of Renwick Pavilion FoundationsLooking South

Plate No. 22: Detail of Renwick PavilionFoundations


Plate No. 23: View of Linear AcceleratorFoundations on the Site Looking West.

Plate No. 24: Detail of Linear AcceleratorFoundations


Plate No. 25: View of General Site Deposit

Plate No. 26: Detail of Bitumen Surfaces inNorthern Portion of Site.

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