, I ARCHIVAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION...

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ARCHIVAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

PENRHYN HOUSE

ARGYLE STREET, THE ROCKS

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CONTENTS OF THE REPORT

1.0 Precis of the Report 1.1 Summary 1.2 Recommendations 2.0 Preface to the Report 2.1 Parameters of the Study Area 2.2 Initiative for Investigation 2.3 Objectives 2.4 Methodology 2.5 Authorship and Acknowledgements 2.6 Abbreviations Used in the Text 3.0 Historical Context 3.1 Phase I: 1788 - 1841 Alienation 3.2 Phase II: 1841 - 1852 Frederic Unwin 3.3 Phase Ill: 1852 - 1871 First Construction 3.4 Phase IV: 1871 - 1924 Argyle Terraces 3.5 Phase V: 1924 - 1978 Playfairs Garage 3.6 Phase VI: 1978 - 1991 Penryhn House 3.7 The Streets 4.0 Archaeological Assessment 4.1 The Penryhn House Site 4.2 The Streets 5.0 Significance 6.0 Subsidiary Documentation 6.1 Bibliography 6.2 Chronology

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SECTION 1.0

PRECIS OF THE REPORT

1.0 Summary

This investigation is one component of a conservation study being prepared for the site by Orwell and Peter Phillips Architects on behalf of the owners, the Sydney Cove Authority. This component was designed to in¥estigate the documentary evidence for the site as a means of defining its physical evolution, significance and archaeological potential. To achieve this, the records retained by the Sydney Cove Authority have been examined as well as documentary evidence contained within the MWSDB, the Lands Department, the Land Titles Office, the State Library and other relevant repositories.

The land encompassed by the study area, "Penrhyn House", was first alienated as part of the original hospitalgrounds and was then subdivided in 1816. However, there is no clear evidence that it was ever utilised prior to the 1840s. At that time, the new owner, Frederic Unwin, subdivided it again and Kendall Lane was created as well as a new street between the adjoining Customs House (now part of the Argyle Stores), and the study area. Unwin sold the property in 1842. Between 1845 and 1859 a variety of dwellings, stores and sheds were erected on the site.

In 1859 the land was bought by Henry Bell and he, in association with Will~am Billyard, redeveloped both the Penman House and adjoining Scarborough House sites. The Argyle Terraces were built on the former and the Playfair Terraces on the latter. A variety of sheds were erected elsewhere on the site.

The Argyle Terraces were sold in 1880 and during the later nineteenth century a smithy was erected in the rear of these buildings. Most of the other sheds were demolished at this time. However, by the beginning of the twentieth century, there appears to have been little significant change made to the later nineteenth century terraces.

The site was resumed at the turn of the century under the Observatory Hill Act. It became the responsibility of the Sydney Harbour Trust and, later, the Maritime Services Board. In 1914 the Playfair Terraces were demolished to allow for road realignments. The Argyle Terraces appear to have been progressively demolished between 1911 and 1924. Only the later nineteenth century foundry remained, owned by J. Turnbull. In 1924 a two storey factory was erected on the site for J. Turnbull. Turnbull continued to occupy the site until 1938 after which Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd


came into possession of the study area.

Although the name "Playfair's Garage" has been applied to Penryhn House the original building for this purpose was actually located behind the study area, on the site of Scarborough House. Playfair's used the Penryhn House as a workshop, at least until 1949.

Playfair's remained in possession of the site at least until the 1950s. In 1952 the MSB caused alterations to be made to the building, apparently to turn it into a garage, for Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd. These are the only documented changes to the building prior to the seA programme.

In 1970 responsibility for the Rocks Authority Sydney Cove redevelopment

Authority commenced a conversion programme on the former factory. It used as a parking space and offices House after a First Fleet ship of the

was vested in the and in 1978 the and redevelopment

was recycled to be and renamed Penrhyn

same name.

The site is considered to be mainly significant because of its associations with significant Rocks personalities, in particular, Frederic Unwin and Thomas Playfair, and secondly, because of its potential archaeological value. The latter is likely to consist of some evidence of the later nineteenth century terraces retained under the current structure and surface treatments of the various roads and lanes. It is also likely that some structural evidence of earlier terraces may be located within Playfair Street.

1.2 Recommendations

That any disturbance to the ground surface in the roads or under the structure should be in association with an archaeological watching brief. If, in the course of such work, significant structural elements are revealed the extent and nature of this evidence should be assessed to determine the necessity or otherwise of more detailed investigation.


SECTION 2.0

PREFACE TO THE REPORT

2.1 Parameters of the Study Area

The area investigated during this programme is the land and building known as Penryhn House. It is situated in Argyle Street in the Rocks and is bound on the south by Argyle Street, on the north by Scarborough House, on the east by Kendall Lane and on the west by Playfair Street.

2.2 Initiative for Investigation

,This investigation has been undertaken as one component of a conservation study which has been prepared for the site by Orwell Peter Phillips Architects on behalf of the Sydney Cove Authority.

2.3 Objectives

The primary objectives of this part of the investigation were to determine the historical context for the site as a means of determining its physical evolution and significance and, secondly, to assess the archaeological potential of the site and the surrounding streets.

2.4 Methodology

To achieve these objectives a number of tasks were considered to be necessary. These were:

* to review the data held by the Sydney Cove Authority

*

*

to undertake additional resear~h where necessary to provide new or corroborating evidence for the historical development of the site. This could include research in the State Archives Office, the Land Titles Office, the Lands Department of NSW, the State Library of NSW, the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board and other repositories as necessary.

to consider existing archaeological evidence and/or evidence from geotechnical surveys to assess the likely archaeological potential of the site and surrounding streets

* to prepare a short report on the findings of this work.


2.5 Authorship and Acknowledgements

This report has been prepared by W. Thorp. The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of J. Wing with the historical research and the considerable body of research which had been amassed by the Sydney Cove Authority. Thanks are also due to the staff of the City of Sydney Archives who located the original plans of the building.

2.6 Abbreviations Used in the Text

LD

LTO

MSB

Lands Departm~nt of NSW

Land Titles Office

Maritime Services Board

MWSDB Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board

ML Mitchell Library

SAONSW State Archives Authority of NSW

SCA Sydney Cove Authority

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SECTION 3.0

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

This section of the report presents the evidence for the development of the site. This evidence, which is contained within documentary sources, has been presented in phases· which represent periods of use or development which where significant in the development of the site. These phases are:

Phase I: 1788 - 1841 Alienation

Phase 11: 1841 - 1852 Frederic Unwin

Phase Ill: 1852 - 1871 First Construction

Phase IV: 1871 - 1924 Argyle Terraces

Phase V: 1924 - 1978 IIPlayfair's Garage ll

Phase VI: 1978 - 1991 Penryhn House


3.1 Phase I: 1788 - 1841 Alienation

The site of Penryhn House was first utilised as part of the original Sydney Hospital site although it appears not to have been developed in any way as part of this establishment. Argyle Street had been roughly formed but it was not until 1810 that Macquarie regularized it. In 1816 the land was subdivided into three allotments. The Penrhyn House section, Allotment 1, was finally granted to John Piper in 1828. Piper appears to have done nothing to the site. In 1835 the site still appears to have been vacant.

In 1841 all three allotments (the other two being to the north of the Penryhn House site) were acquired by Frederic Unwin.

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3.2 Phase II: 1841 - 1852 Frederic Unwin

Unwin was a significant figure in the Rocks, being responsible for the construction of the adjoining Customs House and other features. Unwin subdivided the land with a frontage to George street and created Kendall Lane and a second street between this site and the adjoining Customs House (later part of Argyle Bond stores) which he called New George street (now Playfair street). By 1842 Unwin was experiencing financial difficulties and the Penryhn House allotments were sold to James Chapman and William Perry. A survey plan of 1845 indicates that, by this date, a range of houses had been constructed along the study area as far as George street.

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3.3 Phase Ill: 1852 - 1871 First Construction

During the 1840s Unwin erected stores on the northern end of the land that had the Penrhyn House site as its southern border. These fronted Kendall Lane over part of what is now the Scarborough House site. In 1852 Unwin was declared bankrupt. His properties were sold and James Norton acquired Chapman and Perry's section of the site. Norton's lessees commenced the construction of various dwellings, stores, sheds and a smithy. This building activity occurred between 1853 and 1859. In 1858 Norton leased the property to William Nelson and Robert Egan, both shipwrights. They erected more buildings. In 1859 the land was acquired by Henry Bell.

The 1865 survey of Sydney provides no detail for the structural development of the site but does show a sewer line branching from Argyle Street, down Kendall Lane and extending into the north-eastern corner of the site.


3.4 Phase IV: 1871 - 1924 Argyle Terraces

Between 1871 and 1875 the land fronting Argyle street and Playfair street was redeveloped by Henry Bell and William Billyard. Bell constructed on the site of the later Penryhn House a series of terraces, 14-20 Argyle street, known as the Argyle Terraces. The terraces were used for both residential and commercial purposes and included stevedores and tobacconists. They were described in rate assessment notices as two storeyed, with six rooms, brick structures with slate rooves. Billyard constructed additional terraces in Playfair street (10 26). A variety of small sheds were built on the rest of the site.

In 1880 the Argyle terraces were conveyed from William Bell to Alfred Goodwin. Dove's plan of the time indicates that a number of sheds had been erected in the back yards of the terraces but, essentially, the terraces remained unchanged. A narrow passage led from Mill Lane (Kendall Lane) into the back yards of the two most eastern terraces. In 1885 a smith's shop was established at the back of the Argyle Terraces. The buildings between this shop and the adjoining property were demolished.

The 1887 PWD detail sheets of Sydney show the terraces and all the attached outbuildings to have been built of brick. Sewer lines extended from both Kendall Lane and Playfair Street into the site.

In 1900 the site was resumed under the Observatory Hill Act. The Sydney Harbour Trust took responsibility for the site (later this organisation became the Maritime Services Board). The resumption plans of the time show the terraces and their outbuildings to have changed little in the intervening years. In 1911 J. Turnbull'$ foundry, apparently the same as that established during the later years of the nineteenth century, remained in the Argyle Terraces, at No. 36. It was rated at a value of 72 pounds. In 1914 the Playfair Terraces were demolished to make way for the realignment of the roadway which became known as Harrington Street in 1924.

The Argyle Terraces were partially demolished in 1924; only Turnbull's foundry remained on the site although, by 1924, the value of the land and the foundry was rated at 450 pounds, a considerable rise over the earlier value of 1911.


3.5 Phase V: 1924 - 1978 "Playfair's Garage"

By 1925 a two storey building had been erected on the site of the former terraces and TurbuII's foundry. This was described in rate notices as two storey, with brick walls and iron roof. It was described as a factory and was owned by John Turnbull. It was rated at 850 pounds per annum and it had been designed by F. Ernest Stowe. Between 1925 and 1949 the building continued to be listed as a factory or a workshop although the occupants and owners appear to have changed during this period.

The name most familiarly applied to this building is "Playfair's Garage", however, the true garage associated with Playfairs, the company which operated a large meatworks on the site of the Clocktower, was located behind Turnbull's factory. This building commenced as stables until 1927 when it became known as a store. From 1930 it was listed as a garage.

However, Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd did become associated with Penrhyn House in 1939 when the building was leased to that company. Between 1938 and 1949 Playfair's were in continuous occupation, the building listed as a workshop.

The only recorded changes to the building which have been located to date occurred in 1952 when the Maritime Services Board caused some internal arrangements to be altered for Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd. The work included the repositioning of stairs, the removal of internal partitioning and a new diagonal arrangement of walls created at the south-western corner intended to turn the building into a garage. By 1967 the building was being used as a garage.

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3.6 Phase VI: 1978 - 1991 Penryhn House

In 1970 responsibility for the area was vested in the Sydney Cove Authority and in 1978 the building was converted by the Authority for use as offices ad a parking area. In the following year the building was renamed Penryhn House after the First Fleet ship of the same name. Suites in the building have since been leased by the Authority.

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3.7 The Streets

Argyle street

Argyle street had been established through popular use but was regularized by Governor Macquarie in 1810. Frederic Unwin added considerably to its development. A large sewer was placed through the street in the later nineteenth century and various levellings and repavings occurred at the same time particularly in response to the creation of the Argyle Cut.

Kendall Lane

This lane was created by Frederic Unwin in 1841. By 1865 a sewer line had been run from Argyle street down the lane and into the north-eastern corner of the site. By 1880 it was known as Mill Lane. The later 1887 survey of the area shows a number of service pipes to run from the street into the study area.

Playfair street

This street was created by Frederic Unwin in 1841 and was originally called New George street. By 1880 Dove recorded this street name as "Little Gloucester street". In 1914 the street was realigned which required the demolition of a number of buildings. It was renamed "Harrington street" in 1924. It was finally renamed Playfair street in 1953. In 1978 the sewer in tis street was renewed by the MWSDB.

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SECTION 4.0

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

4.1 The Penryhn House Site

The site has been extensively occupied since at least the middle of the nineteenth century and apparently a little earlier than that. The most significant development on the site prior to the construction of the current building was a series of later nineteenth century terraces with attached outbuildings and yards that occupied the majority of the site. The most persistent of the structures was a foundry located at No. 36. This remained on the site until the current building was constructed in its place.

There is no evidence Qf the extent and nature of the construction programme that was carried out to create Penrhyn House but it is likely that, as seen elsewhere in the Rocks, at least some evidence of the earlier occupation is likely to be retained under the structure. Demolition at that time appears to have mainly consisted of reducing the former buildings to foundation level and filling and levelling the site with debris. Certainly, the excavations carried out for the adjoining Scarborough House revealed evidence of intact paving and foundations of the mill that pre-existed on this site.

The boreholes carried out in evidence of fill and broken remnant evidence of at least associated with the houses.

It is considered likely on this of the pre-existing terraces and the site of Penryhn House.

4.2 The Streets

the structure revealed sandstone that suggests the demolition programme

basis that some evidence outbuildings lies under

The three streets surrounding the study area are all early nineteenth century in origin and it may be anticipated that, in common with the other streets in the Rocks which have been observed over the last few years, significant evidence of levels and surface preparation will be retained within their depths. It is clear that the construction of sewers will have disturbed some evidence but as seen, for example in Harrington street, significant paving and other surface measures survive between the sewer lines.

In addition to street surfaces, however, some evidence of

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earlier structures may be located within, particularly, Playfair street. At least one similar case has been observed in Argyle street. The realignment of Playfair street in 1914 caused the demolition of a number of terraces and it may be expected that at least some evidence of these earlier structures will be found under the current surface.

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SECTION 5.0

SIGNIFICANCE

The Penryhn House site is considered to be significant because of:

its association personalities, Playfair

with significant Rocks figures and in particular, Frederic Unwin and Thomas

the potential for some sub-surface evidence of pre-existing street surfaces and structures


SECTION 6.0

SUBSIDIARY DOCUMENTATION

6.1 Bibliography

City of Sydney Rate Assessment Notices

Dove, P. New Complete Wharf, Street and Building Directory for Sydney. 1880

Fox and Associates Building Data Sheet Penryhn House/Scarborough House SCA 27 October 1978

Miller Milston and Ferris (Engineers) Pty Ltd Site Investigation for Proposed Sydney Cove Authority Building Bll (a) and (b) Playfair Street Sydney

MWSDB Letter to SCA 25 August 1978

Sands and Kenny Directories for Sydney Argyle Street/north side 1900 -1932

Thorp, W. Historical Outline and Archaeological Assessment The Clocktower Site, Harrington Street Planning Workshop. 1985.

Thorp, W. Historical Development Argyle and Cleland Bond stores The Rocks Orwell and Peter Phillips Architects 1990.

Meehan, J. Plan of the Town of Sydney in NSW 1807 ML M2 811.17/1807/1

MSB Plan of Alterations to Building on the Corner of Argyle and Harrington Streets for Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd

MWSDB 1865 Trigonometrical Survey of Sydney

SCA Plan A18/66 Section 85 Sydney. c. 1835

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SCA Plan No A lB/14 (PWD Detail Survey Sheets of Sydney 1887).

SCA Plan No. A 18/1 Observatory Hill Resumption Plan c. 1900

City of Sydney Plans of Building to be constructed for J. Turnbull 1924 City of Sydney Archives

SCA Plan E1/27 Enlargement of Survey Drawing c. 1967

LTO Application No. 7359

LTO CT Volume 920 Folio 214

LTO Town Grants Volume 10 p230-32

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6.2 Chronology

1788 Part of hospital site

1810 Argyle street officially recognised by Macquarie

1816 Subdivided into three allotments

1828 Allotment 1 granted to John Piper

1835 Site still vacant

1841 Site gained by Frederic Unwin. Unwin subdivides and creates Kendal Lane and a new street between study area and the Customs House: New George Street.

1842 James Chapman and William Perry acquire land

1852 Unwin declared bankrupt. James Norton acquires study area.

1853-9 Lessees erect various dwellings, stores and sheds and a blacksmiths.

1858 Property leased to William Nelson and Robert Egan. Additional buildings erected.

1859 Henry Bell acquires site.

1871-75 Land fronting Argyle and Playfair Streets redeveloped by Bell and William Billyard. Bell constructs Argyle Terraces and Billyard Playfair Terraces. Sheds on the rest of the site.

1880 Bell conveys Argyle Terraces to Alfred Goodwin

1885 Smithy established behind Argyle Terraces

1900 Site resumed under Observatory Hill Act

1911 Argyle Terraces demolition

appear to commence progressive

1914 Playfair Terraces demolished for realignment of road.

1923 Only J. TurnbuII's foundry remains on the site.

1925 A two storey factory erected by this date on Argyle Terrace site for J. Turnbull. Used as a factory.

1939 Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd obtains lease of site.

1952 MSB of

makes alterations to internal partitioning,

building including removal relocation of stairs and

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rearrangement of south-western corner. This is apparently to turn the building into a garage. The work is in behalf of Thomas Playfair Pty Ltd. This is the second Playfair's garage. The earlier was located on the site of Scarborough House

1970 Authority for the Rocks vested in Sydney Cove Authority

1978 MWSDB construct sewer in Playfair Street

SCA commence conversion Playfairs Garage

and redevelopment of

1979 The former factory renamed Penryhn House after ship in First Fleet.

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