WHITTLESEA FARMING COMPLEX SITE

Farming complex. Drystone fences, pens, mud and stone dwellings and outbuildings covering approx 11 ha. Walls stand to height of less than 1m. Material gathered from local plain. Features: 1. Minor dwelling. Ruins of a small rectangular hut with double coursed walls of slightly vesicular floaters bonded with mud. Some of the stone has been modified and chinks filled with chips. Not laid in level courses, but int and ext wall surfaces are perfectly flush. Roughly squared basalt quoins. Walls 40cm thick. Foundations consist of double course of floaters underground. Hut 9m long, 3.7m wide. 2.Sheep pen. Rectangular drystone walls approx 60cm high Closely associated with 1., suggesting that former is shepherd's hut. 3. Animal enclosure. Odd shape, high and wide walls- possibly roofed shelter, eg for lambing ewes. 4.Yards.Three adjoining drystone rectangular yards. One has well-made cobbled floor with 5 evenly spaced drain depressions down length. Possibly used for milking. 5.Collapsed building. Basalt rubble. Possibly out-building. 6.Homestead and Yards. Large double-roomed dwelling (9 by 14 by 12m) enclosed within yard which adjoins another yard. Position of windows and doors difficult to discern. Construction similar to 1., but has large dressed basalt blocks all the way around its basal layers. Two hand-made sun dried bricks and a small nondescript fragment of earthenware found in or near the dwelling. 7.Cistern. Stone-lined, adjoins south side of homestead. 8.Cistern. Possibly source of building material later used as well. 9.Collapsed building. Shapeless pile basalt rubble. Couple of square metres of smooth cobbled surface in middle. 10.,13.,14. Drystone walls. Link complex elements, would have directed movement of stock about settlement. To north-east of settlement is large asymmetrical paddock linked to settlement and which in turn is linked by dam to another asymmetrical paddock adjoining a major subdivision boundary fence. Latter apparently northern boundary of settlement. 11.Ford. 25m long by 15m wide. 12.Grubbing holes. Small quarry holes where stone won to build ford and possibly other parts of settlement. Barren appearance, possibly stripped of equipment. Covered by short grass, sparse vegetation.

Heritage Inventory Significance: Cultural:high; scientific: high Possible archaeological potential. Large asymmetrical paddocks to the north-east link up with asymmetrical paddocks to the east. Archaeological and historical study of WS4 may lead to unchartered areas of social and economic history along the lines of Young's (1985) study of German settlements in South Australia. Local/Regional significance (Johnston 1993).

Group

Farming and Grazing

Category

Homestead Complex