GRASSES TRACK ARTEFACT SCATTER
GRASSES TRACK AND RIVER TRACK, BENWELL FOREST, MYALL
-
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
-
-
GRASSES TRACK ARTEFACT SCATTER - History
There is no specific information regarding the site in general histories of Benwell Forest and/or any Parish Plans. Domestic/pastoral sites from the early to mid-twentieth century are not uncommon throughout Victoria, however there are fewer attributed to forestry activity. The history of the Benwell and Guttrum forests and the nearby town of Koondrook is heavily tied to forestry activities and the production of timber. Forestry activity including minor structures and features which recur throughout the forests which contribute to the historic landscape, including tree stumps from sawlog harvesting, slot stumps, waste offcuts from sleeper cutting, and ringbarked trees. Parish mapping from 1923 does not show any features at this place, which is situated outside the noted rifle range. Nothing is visible in aerial imagery dating to 1945, as the area is thickly wooded in the photograph. However, the Grasses Track Artefact Scatter may therefore be linked to these forestry activities, comprising material used and discarded by forestry workers (or by other local community members) from the late nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century.GRASSES TRACK ARTEFACT SCATTER - Interpretation of Site
The Grasses Track Artefact Scatter contains artefacts that relate to activity within the Benwell Forest. It is located within an excavated depression which on the surface contains articles that can be dated between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. It is likely that further diagnostic material is located within the excavated depression. There is currently no documented or anecdotal evidence available for the site, however the site has potential to provide information regarding past activity related to activities in the Benwell State Forest such as forestry, recreational activity and farming. Dumping appears to have occurred from the late-1800s into modern times. One ceramic fragment was stamped with the date 1853. Glassware identified at the site is be dated between 1934 and 1954, with one bottle dated between c.1934-1948. Modern refuse includes rubber tyres and discarded rubber-soled shoes. The Grasses Track Artefact Scatter contains artefacts that relate to activity within the Benwell Forest. It is located within an excavated depression which on the surface contain articles that can be dated between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. It is likely that further diagnostic material is located within the excavated depression. Therefore, the Grasses Track Artefact Scatter site meets Threshold A (archaeology). There is currently no documented or anecdotal evidence available for the site, however the site has potential to provide information regarding past activity related to activities in the Benwell State Forest such as forestry, recreational activity and farming. The Grasses Track Artefact Scatter site thus meets the Threshold B (place history).
Heritage Inventory Description
GRASSES TRACK ARTEFACT SCATTER - Heritage Inventory Description
Grasses Track Artefact Scatter is a bottle and refuse dump in the forest near the junction of Grasses Track and River Track. The site consists of an eroding excavated and backfilled depression of approximately 15 m diameter. Glassware manufactured between 1934 and 1954, ceramic pieces, bricks (machined and handmade) and aged metal pieces were identified on the ground surface and eroding from the depression. Erosion appears largely the result of modern human and animal activity, rather than natural flood events. Some modern refuse is present on the surface area immediately surrounding the site, such as rubber tyres and discarded rubber soled shoes. An area within a clearing of approximately 5 m diameter may be the result of secondary dumping, although the greater proportion of artefactual material is contained within what appears to be a purposely excavated dumping site. The presence of modern debris suggests the area was utilised for dumping of refuse over a number of years, possibly by forestry workers or as a secondary dumping area by members of the local farming community. The site appears to have been backfilled with earth which has deflated and eroded over time. The Grasses Track Artefact Scatter is likely to be directly associated with historic activities within the forest and therefore of local significance.
-
-
-
-
-
FINCHAM AND HOBDAY PIPE ORGANVictorian Heritage Register H2450
-
STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES, GEELONGVictorian Heritage Register H2451
-
NORTH MELBOURNE POTTERYVictorian Heritage Inventory
-
-