189-229 LYTTLETON TERRACE
189-229 LYTTLETON TERRACE BENDIGO, GREATER BENDIGO CITY
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
This record has minimal details. Please look to the right-hand-side bar for any further details about this record.
-
-
189-229 LYTTLETON TERRACE - History
19th Century
Little information is available regarding the specific land use within the site during the early gold-rush period of the 1850's. Bendigo (then Sandhurst) was described as a tent city during this period, up until its development as a major urban centre throughout the late 1850's to 1860's.
A late 18th-century parish map of Sandhurst details the partition of the site into seven property parcels: allotment numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, and 19 (Figure 7). The earliest indication of structures in the site is an 1878 engraving by A.C. Cooke (Figure 8). This displays the form and layout of buildings across the city-scape. The engraving indicates substantial development by this time, with a series of single-story structures are visible within allotments 1, 2, 4, 18, 19 and a prominent two-story brick building situated across allotment 3 and 4.
The accuracy of Cookes engraving is supported by a photograph taken of the Bendigo Town Hall during the same period, which captures the site to the right of shot (Figure 9). The precise date of the photograph is not known however the form of the Bendigo Town Hall establishes a time period between 1872 and 1878.
The site and surrounding land parcels between Williams Street to the west and Mundy Street to the east, were utilised as Market Square. The function of the area is also indicated by the named Market Street extending along the southern boundary of the site . An excerpt from the 1881 Sandhurst Directory provides a list of commercial enterprises within the market area, including accommodation for 33 stallholders occupied by produce dealers and butchers, a weighbridge building, comprising two weighbridges, hay sheds and a Lock Up or Watch House (Appendix B).
20th Century
A photograph dated circa 1900 (Figure 10) captures the site from a north-eastern perspective, showing the frontage along Lyttleton Terrace and Mundy Street. A two-story hotel (the Sandhurst Hotel) is visible on the corner of Lyttleton Terrace and St Andrews Avenue, indicating the demolition of earlier single-story buildings. The single-storey 19th-century buildings remain present in allotment 2, 18, and 19. The two-story brick building sitting across allotments 3 and 4 is also evident at this time. The remainder of allotment 4, to the left of frame, contains a single-storey pitched-roofed structure and a two-storey building located at the corner of Lyttleton Terrace and Mundy Street.
A photograph from a similar vantage was taken circa 1950 and indicates little change within allotments 1 through 3. Significant changes are evident in the eastern extent of allotment 4, with the demolition of a building located at the corner of Lyttleton Terrace and Mundy Street, and the construction of a petrol and service station in its place, now known as the Jaara Building (Figure 11). The petrol station included the installation of four subsurface tanks situated in the eastern portion of allotment 4, along Mundy Street. The tanks were subsequently removed during the late 1900's followng the closure of the station. The approximate location of the tanks are shown in Figure 12.
The extensive coverage of built structures within the site in 1956 is evident in an aerial photograph (Figure 12). Corrugated roofing covers the greater portion of allotments 1, 2, 3 and 4. A structure in allotment 19 appears to be roofless and possibly gutted. Allotments 18 and 5 contain shed structrues with surrounding open space.
Significant development is apparent during the late 20th century with the greater majority of buildings demolished to make way for the existing two-story council offices. A 1971 aerial photograph shows the recent demolition of the Sandhurst Hotel in allotment 1 and the council building across allotments 2, 3, and into allotment 4 (Figure 13). The former petrol and service station in allotment 4 remains, as does the structure in allotment 5. The single-story building in allotment 19 is positioned in the footprint of the former, gutted building, and may indicate a process of rebuilding, or a new structure.
Following 1971, the existing office building was constructed within allotment 5, and carparks established across the rear of the site , including portions of each allotment (Figure 14).
189-229 LYTTLETON TERRACE - Interpretation of Site
Brick feature
The site included a built brick feature identified within subsurface deposits situated within the footprint of a two-story brick building that was positioned across portions of both former allotment 3 and 4 from the late 1800's to the mid-late 1900's. Although the specific nature or function of the feature could not be established during the assessment, it is likely to be a sub-floor component of the former building, such as a cellar.
The feature is unlikely to be a current utility or other modern construction due to its brick-built form. No records of an earlier structure at this specific location were identified during the assessment, and no subsequent structure was erected at this specific location. A review of mining shafts within the vicinity revealed no record of former shafts at this location.
Based on the materials identified, the subsurface context and the site's history, it is highly likely that the subsurface feature represents an archaeological deposit of 75 years in age or greater.
Soil profile across site
A description of subsurface deposits across the site was obtained from the results of the geotechnical testing program undertaken by Coffey Pty Ltd (bore locations shown in Figure 15, logs included in Appendix C).
The soil profile of the bore holes from the northern grassed section demonstrate a high level of disturbance which has occurred across this section of the site. Soil layers are generally not consistent in depth and a variable but often deep layer of fill covers much of the landscaped grassed area.
The typical soil profile across this area includes a layer of fill made up of clayey or gravelly sand between 0.5-3.0 m in depth (if present), overlying a red-brown clayey sand, before transitioning onto a silty clay to sandy clay layer. Several of the soil cores contained only clay or fill overlying clay, suggesting that a large amount of soil has been removed from the site surrounding bore holes one, six, seven and eleven.
The soil profile at the rear of the site where bore holes were placed across the existing car park tends to be more consistent and potentially less disturbed than the grassed area. The typical soil profile across this area includes the asphalt surface of the car park, overlying a fill layer of variable depth containing gravelly sand or clay, overlying a dark brown sandy clay before transitioning onto a pale grey clay.
Variation away from this typical soil profile between the bore holes in this area is most likely associated with the extent of earthworks undertaken at each location. The soil profiles of bore holes two and three transition straight from fill onto clay, suggesting a high level of disturbance in these areas given that much of the intervening soil profile is missing. In contrast to the other probes across the car park, bore hole ten had an additional layer of mottled grey and orange silt before transitioning onto clay, possibly suggesting a more intact soil surface
Consideration of site
The findings of the assessment indicate that there is a potential for further archaeological deposits to be present in the site. As shown in section 5, the site contained permanent built structures from the 1850's onwards, including a range of single and multi-story buildings.
The subsequent introduction of fill deposits in landscaping works is evident in the findings of geotechnical probes, including within lawn areas and beneath asphalt car park surfaces. Therefore, the site retains a potential to contain further archaeological places or objects preserved by overlaying deposits
Heritage Inventory Description
189-229 LYTTLETON TERRACE - Heritage Inventory Description
The site is a 6,607 m2 area comprising two adjacent properties at 189-229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo, within the City of Greater Bendigo. The site is irregularly shaped and bounded by Lyttleton Terrace to the north, Mundy Street to the east, Market Street to the south, and St Andrews Avenue to the west. Property details for these two land parcels are shown in Table 1.
The land is utilised by the Greater Bendigo City Council (Council) and a private commercial company and contains four free-standing office buildings. The main council office building is a late 20th-century two-story office building centred within the site and facing Lyttleton Terrace. The north-east is a single-story brick-built office building (the Jaara Building), comprising two early-mid 20th century buildings, repurposed for use by Council. A single-story brick-built office facing Mundy Street in the eastern portion of the site is also a late 20th-century structure utilised by Council. A single-story brick building utilised by the private commercial company is located in the south-western portion of the site facing St Andrews Avenue. The remaining surfaces are asphalt-capped car-parks and landscaped grassed surfaces with garden-beds, occasional trees, and paved walkways or communal spaces.
The site has been selected as the location of a council office complex called the GovHub. This development will include the construction of a multi-story building across the entirety of the site . The project will result in substantial impacts to ground surfaces across the site , including the demolition of existing buildings and deep excavations to establish sub-floor components of the new structure.
An archaeological feature was identified within the site during a geotechnical testing program. The location of the identified feature, partially exposed by pit BH06, is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. Surfaces The site comprises a partially exposed subsurface brick cavity of unknown nature or extent. The cavity was identified at a depth of 700 mm below the existing ground surface, and extending to a depth of 1000 mm to the top of fill deposits, primarily loose red bricks.
An inspection of the feature was limited due to its location within a bore-pit. The cavity appears to be larger in size than the dimensions of the bore shaft, with vertical courses of red-brick along at least one margin and free-hanging tree roots (Figure 3, Figure 4). A possible extension to the cavity was also noted at the edge of one photograph (Figure 5).
The base of the cavity comprised a number of loose bricks, three of which were removed and photographed (Figure 6). The three bricks represent a mixture of manufacturing techniques; one brick has a thumbprint indentation on the corner of its face, suggesting it was handmade. The remaining bricks are larger in size, one with a distinctive indentation (frog) marked on its surface. Four bone fragments were also removed from the cavity, identified as fragments of long bone and tarsals from a medium-large ungulate, most likely sheep or goat. A lateral saw-cut termination was present on the long-bone bone fragment.
The characteristics of the brick feature indicate a sub-floor structure associated with a former structure at the location that was subsequently demolished and levelled, with the cavity partially infilled with loose red-bricks. Given the presence of a 300 mm deep cavity, some form of capping was likely placed over the feature prior to the introduction of overlying fill. No capping was detected during the geo-technical boring, however. The overlying fill deposits comprise fill materials consisting of fine-grained dark brown clayey sand with inclusions of fine to coarse grained gravel, rootlets and trace amounts of quartz gravel.
A preliminary investigation determined that the feature was most likely 75 years in age or greater, and was therefore regarded as a historic archaeological deposit and subject to conditions detailed in the Victorian Heritage Act 2017. The bore hole excavation was terminated following the identification of the cavity and its contents.
-
-
-
-
-
ANNE CAUDLE CENTRE, BENDIGO BENEVOLENT ASYLUM AND LYING-IN HOSPITALVictorian Heritage Register H0992
-
SPECIMEN COTTAGEVictorian Heritage Register H1615
-
BENDIGO SCHOOL OF MINES (BENDIGO TAFE)Victorian Heritage Register H1505
-
-