OAKLANDS ROAD RESERVE ARTEFACT SCATTER 1
OAKLANDS ROAD GREENVALE, HUME CITY
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Statement of Significance
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OAKLANDS ROAD RESERVE ARTEFACT SCATTER 1 - History
Hume and Hovell camped on the banks of Moonee Ponds Creek in 1824 during their explorations south and the presumed location of this campsite is close to the location of the Oaklands Road Artefact Scatter. This event and the location is marked by the Hume and Hovell Memorial (heritage overlay HO26). The reserve in which the artefact scatter was discovered would have been part of the original Oaklands Road alignment that was likely constructed pre-1860s, based on the alignment, the style of construction and the road alignment shown on the 1860 Victorian Geological Survey map of the Bulla area (Figure 4). The creation of the first non- ‘main’ road in the Bulla area was in 1848, being ‘Occupation Road’, later renamed Oaklands Road. The Colonial Secretary’s Office adverstised its creation in 1848 and described it as “leading from the Mt Macedon Road [later Sunbury Road] to Taylor and Green’s purchases in Bulla Bulla Parish” (The Melbourne Argus, 13 April 1814: 1). A parish plan of Bulla from 1850 shows the road reserve for Occupation/Oaklands Road and Greene’s and Taylor’s properties in what is now Greenvale and Oaklands Junction (Figure 5). It seems apparent that the road was created to provide easier access to the early settlement areas on the east side of Bulla, mainly to Woodlands and Oaklands homesteads. The road had to cross a tributary of the Moonee Ponds Creek via a timber bridge (HO27 Oaklands Road Bridge) which was constructed at some date in the 19th century. The alignment of Oaklands Road around the Moonee Ponds Creek was changed in the early 1970s, but its original alignment can be seen in a 1968 aerial photo. The location of the Artefact Scatter is visible in the 1968 aerial as a cleared area and the drainage channel can be seen as a dark line (Figure 3). It appears that the road reserve in the location of the artefact scatter has remained unchanged since the 1960s except for the planting of gum trees along the western side of the drainage channel. There are several historical archaeological sites registered nearby that have mid-late 19th century phases, Woodlands Park (H7822-0018, and H1612), H7822-2310 Oaklands Road Cistern and Homestead being the closest.OAKLANDS ROAD RESERVE ARTEFACT SCATTER 1 - Interpretation of Site
No specific historical information about the location of the artefact scatter has been found. Prior to the establishment of Occupation/Oaklands Road and the establishment of Woodlands Homestead in the 1840s, this location was open bushland. The location has been part of the road reserve for Occupation/Oaklands Road since c.1848. The presence of Aboriginal artefacts and a possible post-contact scarred tree close to this tributary of the Moonee Ponds Creek suggests the possibility of the scatter being from a campsite. The artefactual material indicates a late 19th century or possibly early 20th century date, with the majority of the artefacts being from alcohol or beverage bottles and some ceramic tablewares. The other possibility is that the scatter could be from some rubbish disposal along the side of the road in the late 19th/early 20th century.
Heritage Inventory Description
OAKLANDS ROAD RESERVE ARTEFACT SCATTER 1 - Heritage Inventory Description
A medium- to low-density artefact scatter (feature F030) containing both Aboriginal and historical artefacts was located at the northern end of the Oaklands Road reserve, on the northern side of the Moonee Ponds Creek (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The scatter was located on exposed ground on the eastern side of an open, informal drainage channel running north-south that is not paved or surfaced in any way. The channel runs south into Moonee Ponds Creek. The ground has undergone erosion due to vehicle traffic and water runoff. The ground on which the scatter is located is sloping down from north or south, and also sloping down to the west into the drainage channel (Photograph 1 and Photograph 2). The artefacts are eroding out of an orangey-brown silty clay soil and there is little grass or vegetation coverage. The artefact scatter is located on the boundary with the Woodlands Historic Park and extends about 4-5m west up to the drainage channel. The scatter extends for 65m in length, from north to south. (See attached Photographs 1 and 2). Artefacts in the scatter included Aboriginal artefacts that have been registered on the VAHR as low-density artefact distribution components 7822-4574-1 and 7822-4574-2. Historical artefacts observed in the scatter included black and olive glass bottle fragments and bases, including bases of hand-blown wine or champagne bottles, and gin case-style bottles, as well as green, brown and aqua glass bottles. Ceramic fragments of white glazed and blue and white transferware patterned tablewares were also present in the scatter, in less frequent numbers than the bottle glass. A cream glazed partial stoneware bottle base was also found. A piece of metal slag was also found and brick fragments within the drainage channel. Fragments of glass bottle bases with evidence of possibly deliberate flaking were also observed. (See attached Photograph 3 – Photograph 10.) The scatter contains fragmentary material that appears to be from the late 19th century, although the date range could extent to early 20th century and appears to be domestic in character with beverage bottles and tablewares being the predominate artefact types. The presence of what could be flaked glass and two Aboriginal stone artefacts suggests that the scatter could be from a contact- or post-contact period site. The scatter is located very close to other previously recorded VAHR places within Woodlands Historic Park and there is a possible post-contact era scarred tree is located close by on the southern bank of Moonee Ponds Creek. The two stone tools were registered with the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register (VAHR) as 7822-4574, “Oaklands Road LDAD 2”
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