Torrens Linear Park, Highbury, South Australia

 Torrens Linear Park, Highbury, South Australia Nicole Monk This report has been produced as a part of the assessment for ARCH8404: Directed Study in Archaeology, graduate topic in the Department of Archaeology, Flinders University. [2013] Nicole Monk Executive Summary: The following report was created as a result of the partnership between the Florey Reconciliation Task Force and the Flinders University Archaeology topic, Directed Studies. Over a period of four months, from March till June 2013, an archival study examined the significance of Highbury’s Torrens Linear Park, focusing particularly on the rockshelters and their importance to the Kaurna people. This report looks at Highbury’s Linear Park and the Indigenous people living in the region prior to the European colonisation of South Australia. It then examines the impact of European colonisation on the Kaurna people, the Linear Park and the Torrens River and discusses how they have changed over the past 177 years. Finally, the report studies the rockshelters and identifies the park as a significant area. Prior to the European colonisation of Adelaide, 1836, the area that is now known as Linear Park and the Torrens River was used by the Kaurna people in the colder months, where there was a higher chance of shelter to protect them from the weather. The Park was also used as a trade route for the Kaurna people and the three locations of rockshelters within the Highbury section of the Linear Park were used as a lookout for hunting animals (Ivan-­‐
Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 9 March). After European colonisation changes were made to both the Torrens River and the Linear Park that resulted in the creation of the biodiversity system in 1982. After the forced removal of the Kaurna people, the Park became an area for markets and recreational activities (Mick Medic 2013 pers. comm. 19 March). The Linear Park began construction in Nicole Monk 1982 and was officially completed in 1997 with the development of walking and cycling tracks. The Torrens Linear Park, made of 29 individual parks, is the largest hills-­‐to-­‐coast park in Australia and has been used as a recreational area since its development (Dexter 1997). The report finds that the Linear Park is significant to the history of the Adelaide region and to the local Aboriginal population, with evidence of their occupation in the region from personal reports and through the finding of skeletal remains at the site. The intangible significance is also included and supports the significance of the area. The report also finds that future research will need to be conducted on the Linear Park, possibly an archaeological study, to further determine the significance of this area. Contents 1.Introduction: ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Legislation ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Acknowledgements: ............................................................................................................................. 4 2. Literature Review: ................................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Previous Studies on the Highbury Area: ............................................................................................... 6 3. Methodology: ........................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Florey Reconciliation Task Force .......................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Archival Research .................................................................................................................................. 8 3.4 Consultation ........................................................................................................................................ 10 4. Results: ................................................................................................................................................... 11 4.1 Kaurna People, prior to European colonisation. ................................................................................ 11 4.2 European Colonisation ........................................................................................................................ 12 4.3 Relations Between the European Settlers and the Kaurna People ................................................... 13 4.4 The River Torrens: Karrawarriparri .................................................................................................... 14 4.5 The Torrens Linear Park ...................................................................................................................... 16 4.6 The Rockshelters ................................................................................................................................. 19 5. Conclusion: ............................................................................................................................................. 20 6. References: ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Table of Figures: Figure 1: Highbury's Torrens Linear Park. Photo Courtesy of Google Earth 2013. ............. 3 Figure 2: Showing the distance from Highbury to Highbury Linear Park. Photo courtesy of Google Earth 2013. ............................................................................................................. 3 I Nicole Monk 1. Introduction: This report, which examines the Highbury Linear Park and the River Torrens, began as a result of a partnership between the Flinders University Archaeology Post Graduate Directed Study topic, and Lea Crosby, from the Florey Reconciliation Task Force (FRTF). The FRTF is an organisation that works together with Indigenous groups to promote cultural awareness and to develop projects within Aboriginal communities. Over the period of March to June, 2013, research of the relevant material and legislation was undertaken to identify Linear Park’s importance to the Kaurna Traditional Owners. This Highbury section of Linear Park contains rockshelters and is known to have been used by Aboriginal Australians. After identifying the local group, the Kaurna people, and their relations with the European settlers, the report details the importance of the Linear Park and the Torrens River before exploring the rockshelters held within Highbury’s section of Torrens Linear Park and the rockshelters’ significance to the Kaurna people. 1.1 Legislation There are four Acts that are relevant to this report. The three Acts that are associated with the Park as a collective group, rather than as individual Parklands are; The Local Government Act 1999 (SA) s.193, which promotes and undertakes education and stormwater management, flora and fauna management and recreational activities within the Parks; the Adelaide Parklands 2005 Act (SA), created as a board for the protection of the Parklands; and the 2006 Torrens Linear Park Bill, located within the River Torrens Linear Park Act 2006 (SA), which prevents the sale of the land within the River Torrens Linear Park. The fourth Act is relevant to 1 Nicole Monk Indigenous groups in Australia, since it protects Indigenous sites within the state it is; The Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (the Act). 2 Nicole Monk FIGURE 1: RIVER TORRENS LINEAR PARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE EARTH 2013. FIGURE 2: SHOWING THE DISTANCE FROM HIGHBURY TO THE LINEAR PARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE EARTH 2013. 3 Nicole Monk 1.2 Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge Heather Burke and Flinders University for the opportunity to undertake a research report on the Highbury section of Torrens Linear Park, a place that I had neither been to, nor heard of, prior to this opportunity. I would also like to thank Lea Crosby, from FRTF, who initiated the research, as well as providing relevant material and a tour of the Highbury section of Linear Park, without which I would have found this task extremely difficult. Furthermore, I would like to express my appreciation to David Brooks, Mick Medic, Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley, and Neale Draper who all contributed to the research by providing information on the Linear Park and the Kaurna people. 2. Literature Review: The Torrens Linear Park was originally used by the Kaurna people in the colder months of the year, when they would use the Linear Park as a trade route, between the Peramangk and Kaurna people, and the rockshelters as a lookout for hunting animals (Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 8 June, Gara 2012:2). Local Adelaide historian Tom Gara discusses the information regarding the Tea Tree Gully Indigenous groups in his report, Aboriginal Connections with the Tea Tree Gully Area (Gara 2012), and explores the daily lives of the Indigenous groups, including the Kaurna, by exploring their diets and use of resources in the Tea Tree Gully area. The main problem that can be seen in Gara’s report, and something that he also notes, is that the amount of information on the Kaurna people, prior to colonisation, is limited (Gara 2012:2). Although this is one of the most recent reports, 2012, the information is still imperfect, relying heavily on 19th century European accounts, such as newspaper reports 4 Nicole Monk and European immigrant stories, without Kaurna input. Gara also relies heavily on Norman Tindale’s work, an anthropologist, whom Hemming finds does not always discuss how the information he used was found (Hemming 1990:1428). Gara’s report was used throughout his report to establish and understand the Kaurna people’s use of the area. After Europeans moved to the Tea Tree Gully region in 1839, the Kaurna people were dispossessed of their lands and the Europeans settled in the area. Ian Auhl’s (1993) book, From Settlement to City: A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-­‐1993, was the main source for information regarding the European settlement in the Highbury region. Auhl’s book explores the development of the region and major historical events, with 19th century European accounts defining the development of the area and the conflicts experienced between the different cultural groups, Indigenous and non-­‐Indigenous. The book is particularly focused on the European settlement period, 1836 onwards, but still incorporates the Kaurna people’s history from the same period by exploring the number of people in the region when the Europeans first arrived and the impact the Europeans had on the tribes, which includes the forced removal of the Kaurna people, the setting up of Aboriginal reserves, and government handouts (Auhl 1993:122-­‐123). Auhl is an historian but some of the research and references he used do not always correspond with other sources, such as who named Highbury; however, the book gives an overall impression of the settlement of the Highbury region. 5 Nicole Monk Other literature has focused heavily on the development of Linear Park and the changes that were made to the River Torrens following the European colonisation of the Highbury region. This is important as it explains why the Linear Park was designed in a particular way. This can be seen in Tajuddin’s (2010:92) article, which focuses on the development of the river and the problems that are faced with the increased levels of algae, and Butler’s (2011) article on the management plan of the Torrens River. These articles examine the changes that have occurred to the River and Park since European colonisation. 2.3 Previous Studies on the Highbury Area: Australian Cultural Heritage Management (ACHM) have completed limited studies on the Linear Park, but found that their suggestions were ignored by the Government to register the Linear Park and therefore, the Park remains unrecorded (Neale Draper 2013 pers. comm. 20 June). Within a 50m radius of the Torrens River there are five sites that have been registered with the Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division (AARD) (Neale Draper 2013 pers. comm. 20 June). These sites include: the Adelaide Aboriginal Historic Campsite; Riverway scarred tree; River Torrens Burial 1; Genocide corner camp; and Lockleys burial site (Neale Draper 2013 pers. comm. 20 June). Draper (2013) recommends that an actual study be conducted through the Linear Park and include consultation with the Kaurna people. Other previous studies in the Highbury area and the Linear Park are very limited, with only a few reports covering all of the council areas along the Torrens River. This may be due to the fact that the Highbury and Campbelltown sections of the Linear Park are so closely related and 6 Nicole Monk the information about each is often combined (Bills 1998:1). Although I was informed by the South Australian Museum that human skeletal remains were found in the Highbury region (Keryn Walshe 2013 pers. comm. 15 May), I was also told that there had been no previous anthropological or archaeological studies conducted at the Highbury section of Linear Park. 3. Methodology: 3.1 Florey Reconciliation Task Force Research began with a meeting with Lea Crosby, Florey Reconciliation Task Force, at the Florey Electorate Office in Modbury North. In this one hour meeting the Kaurna people and the Highbury section of Torrens Linear Park were discussed to explore the significance of the Park to the people. At the conclusion of this meeting, a map of the Linear Park, as well as information on the Peramangk and Kaurna people, were provided for the research. A tour of the Linear Park was also organised along ‘The Trail’, a pathway created throughout the park, where the rockshelters, Athelstone House and Boord House (see figure 2) were examined. This walk provided a clear illustration of the park, buildings and the wealth level of the local people, who currently reside within walking distance of the Park. During this walk Tea Tree Gully horticulturalist, Mick Medic, provided a tour of Boord house and offered information regarding the development of European markets in the Highbury region of the Linear Park, during the 19th century (Mick Medic 2013 pers. comm. 19 March). 7 Nicole Monk 3.2 Archival Research Archival research was conducted by collecting information from primary and secondary sources. This included historic authors, notes from settlers, newspaper articles and studies carried out on the Linear Park area. One of the secondary works that was constantly recommended was Ian Auhl’s book From Settlement to City: A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-­‐1993 (Auhl 1993). This book contained information regarding British settlement within Tea Tree Gully and explored the European experiences and relations with the Kaurna people, during the 19th century. Auhl’s book provided both primary sources, letters from early settlers, such as James Cronk and Joseph Barritt wrote about the relations between the Kaurna and the Europeans, and secondary sources, in the form of newspaper articles. Another form of documentation that was recommended was Tom Gara’s draft report to the Tea Tree Gully Council, Aboriginal Connections with the Tea Tree Gully Area (Gara 2012). This report focused on the impacts that the Indigenous people, particularly the Kaurna, experienced as a result of 19th century colonisation and dispossession from their land through forced removal programs. Gara used 19th century local settler experiences, Teichelman and Schürmann, as well as academic articles by people such as Tindale, to explore the Kaurna lifestyle prior to and post European colonisation. TROVE was used to gather information on the main events at the time, through newspaper articles. This includes hangings and auctions of land at the time of colonisation. The Highbury 8 Nicole Monk area in 1836 does not provide a lot of information from a European perspectives and Kaurna information is lacking as well as information on the Linear Park area prior to becoming a park. The State Library of South Australia held a few articles on the Linear Park and the Kaurna People. One work that was informative was Ellis’ (1968) Bachelor of Art’s thesis, which explored the type of infrastructure that the Kaurna people used for their shelters. Although Ellis explored the use of ‘fabricated shelters’ (1968:32) by the Kaurna people rather than rockshelters, it is valuable information as it shows what the Kaurna people used in the Mount Lofty southern coast areas (Ellis 1968:31). The library and the South Australian Museum also host some of Tindale’s, work on the local Indigenous groups of South Australia. This was not able to be accessed and may need Indigenous approval, but remains an area that can possibly contain information regarding the Kaurna people, particularly as it is used in many sources within this report. The Flinders University of South Australia’s library also holds books on the Kaurna people. Edwards and Groome’s (1986) book, The Kaurna People: A Study of the Original Inhabitants of the Eastern Coast of St Vincent Gulf, although aimed at Educational studies, contained information on the Kaurna culture and the reservations that were developed post European colonisation. This book was used in this report for understanding the Kaurna culture and language. 9 Nicole Monk Throughout the archival research there were some areas that did not provide information on the site or the people. The Campbelltown Library did not hold information on the Highbury section of Linear Park or the Kaurna people and is, therefore, not relevant to this research. As well as the Campbelltown Library, the State Records of South Australia had limited amounts of information that were unable to be accessed at the time, though may prove to be useful for subsequent research. 3.4 Consultation Consultation was completed by talking to local Indigenous Elders such as Stephanie Gollan, who has Kaurna relations, and through emails to relevant organisations. According to Stephanie Gollan the rockshelters were just that, ‘shelters’ (Stephanie Gollan 2013 pers. comm. 25 April). Ms Gollan also redirected me to Lynette Crocker at Amnesty International, however no response was received and this area is open to further research. I also received an email from Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley, a Peramangk Elder, who informed me that the rockshelters were used as a lookout and the park was used as a trade route by both the Peramangk and Kaurna people (Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 9 June). While looking through articles many different organisations would appear, which led to many emails being sent. South Australian Native Title Services were contacted, although it was found that they do not deal with Kaurna Native Title. Kaliah Alice, who responded to my email, redirected me to the Kaurna lawyer, Stephen Kenny. Mr Kenny replied but did not provide information, citing confidentiality agreements concerning his clients. 10 Nicole Monk The South Australian Museum, through curator, Keryn Walshe, confirmed that the area is significant, and that Indigenous remains had been found at a burial near the park, at the Highbury area, although I was not informed as to where exactly or when they were found. 4. Results: 4.1
Kaurna People, prior to European colonisation. The Kaurna (pronounced Gar-­‐na) people are an Indigenous tribe who are the original inhabitants of the Spencer Region, an area that encompasses Cape Jervis, Mount Lofty, Crystal Brook, and Highbury, on the narrow coastal plain around Adelaide, South Australia (Auhl 1993:120; Gara 2012:1; Horton 1994:539; Parkins 2002:193; Tindale 1974). The Kaurna people’s neighbours are the Nukunu, Ngadjuri, Peramangk and the Narungga people (Horton 1994:539; Horton 1996). There is no known origin of the term Kaurna, although the first use by Europeans began with the early settler William Wyatt’s use of it with Encounter Bay Bob, the European name given to Wattewattipinna, who associated himself with the Kaurna Tribe (Hemming 1990:1427). The Kaurna people lived in small groups, described by Tindale as hordes (cited in Hemming 1990:1418), that consisted of around 30 to 40 people (Gara 2012:1). The Kaurna were a nomadic group, prior to the European colonisation, alternating between reedbeds from Glenelg to Grange in the warmer months, and moving inland, to areas such as Highbury, in the colder months (Gara 2012:1; Government of South Australia 2011). 11 Nicole Monk The Adelaide region was originally known as Tarndanya (spelling can also be found as Tandanya) prior to European colonisation, however in 1836 European colonisation resulted in the naming of the region as Adelaide after Adelaide of Saxe-­‐Meiningen, queen consort to King William IV (Hemming 1990:1430). This area, Adelaide, is the central location of the Kaurna groups (Hemming 1990:1431). At the time of European colonisation, 1836, the Kaurna believed that the new settlers would only stay temporarily, they soon learnt this was not true and Auhl (1993:122) argues that they were dispossessed of their lands. During the colonisation the settlers of the region, including Matthew Moorehouse, the Protector of Aborigines, between 1839-­‐1856, believed that the Adelaide tribe numbered around 300 people, a depleted number resulting from the ravages of the 1830s small pox epidemic that spread from the eastern states through the Murray River (Gara 2012:1; Hemming 1990”1429; Horton 1994:539). Early accounts explained that the Kaurna people lived in hordes of around 30-­‐40 people with defined territories and Adelaide seeming to be the home of the central clan (Gara 2012:1; Hemming 1990:1431). 4.2
European Colonisation 1836 saw the arrival of British settlers in South Australia who developed the Adelaide region and in 1839 there were seven townships and villages in the Tea Tree Gully area. These consisted of: Houghton, Hope Valley, Highbury, Tea Tree Gully, Modbury, Golden Grove and Inglewood (Auhl 1993:17). Ten years later the 500 acres behind the River Torrens and Hope Valley, became known as Highbury (Auhl 1993:98). This area is between Athelstone, Dernancourt, Castambul, Hope Valley, and Ansley. The naming of the Highbury region has 12 Nicole Monk two different origin stories. Auhl, an historian, discusses the unofficial naming of the area as Highbury by explaining that the most influential landholder, Stephen Dorday, his wife, and five children arrived at the colony in 1849, acquired section 819 in June of 1850, and named it Highbury (Auhl 1993:98). Manning has an alternate explanation for the naming of the region and states that an official Highbury was laid out by John Baker in 1851 on section 359 on land that was classed as ‘unexceptional…excellent agricultural land’ (Manning 2012:376), an opinion that is seen in the newspaper article Highbury at Auction printed in the South Australian Register (14 May 1851), although the section is 369. 4.3
Relations Between the European Settlers and the Kaurna People The relations between European settlers and Indigenous groups were mixed, some European settlers noting the lack of fear between the two groups, and others noting the uncomfortable tension between the two groups (Auhl 1993:121). James Cronk and Joseph Barritt both wrote letters back to England about their lack of fear toward the Kaurna people, and vice versa (Auhl 1993:121-­‐2). However, this was not always the case and murders and executions occurred (Gara 2012:4). One example of this was the murder of a Shepherd, Duffield, and the subsequent hanging of Yerricha, an Aboriginal man (Gara 2012:4); another case referred to the murder of another shepherd, Thompson, and the hanging of an Aboriginal man, Wang Nucha, as a result (Gara 2012:4). 13 Nicole Monk In 1836 the European settlers believed that there was an ‘invasion of Kaurna’ (Edwards and Groome 1986:40) and as a result in 1837 an area was established near the Torrens to concentrate the ‘problem population’ (Edwards and Groome 1986:40) through the creation of an Aboriginal camping ground (Edwards and Groome 1986:40). In 1846 the Kaurna people were forcibly removed from this area along the Torrens and the Aboriginal camping grounds were destroyed through the burning of their shelters (Edwards and Groome 1986:41). This is contested in Hemmings (1990) article where he describes the area of camps as being located in Patawalonga Creek, near Glenelg and the destruction of the camps occurring in 1899. This displacement of the Aboriginal people meant that their lives were disrupted and the government officially began to give out handouts around 1845 (Auhl 1993:123). This saw many Aboriginal groups travelling through the Linear Park to receive the handouts (Gara 2012:10-­‐11). Schools and reservations were also created in Walkerville for local Aboriginal groups (Gara 2012:4: Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 9 June). 4.4
The River Torrens: Karrawarriparri Prior to colonisation the Torrens River was known as Karrawarriparri, translated as the Red Gum River, by the Kaurna People (Auhl 1993:125). This river is sacred to the Kaurna people and is mirrored in the night sky by the Milky Way, and is something that is similar to the afterlife (Neale Draper pers. comm. 20 June 2013). According to Aboriginal, not just Kaurna, traditions this river is the embodiment of Yura, the rainbow serpent (ACHM 2009). The Torrens River was officially named in 1836 after Robert Torrens, a promoter of the new colony, by Colonel William Light (Government of South Australia 2011). The river’s length is 14 Nicole Monk approximately 85km, beginning at Mount Pleasant in the Mt Lofty Ranges at an elevation of 480m (Mugavin 2004:225) and ending at St Vincent’s Gulf in Henley Beach. The river and its fresh water was one of the main motivators for the development of Adelaide (Tajuddin 2010:87). Following colonisation the landscape surrounding the Torrens drastically changed according to society’s desires (Mugavin 2004:223). This included slaughter houses, olive plantations, and Botanical Gardens, which led to the decline of the naturally formed river system (Harris 2009:22). As a result of these changes the 1980s saw the River turn into a ‘greenway’, an area that combined several features such as vegetation, habitation, and flood mitigation to form a landscape (Mugavin 2004:224). This planned greenway, the first in Australia (Mugavin 2004:225), also saw the introduction of a water system where water was transferred from the Torren’s Gorge Weir to the Hope Valley via a series of canals and channels. This system has since aged and the development of a new aqueduct, using the same infrastructure within the Park, began in 2006 and finished construction in 2012 (Jones 2012). The River Torrens did not originally flow to the sea, but, flooded (Dexter 1997). This outlet to the sea was developed after the European colonisation of Adelaide and in 1874 the river was classed as unsuitable for human use after the runoff from sand washing, industrial works and slaughterhouses washed into the river (Dexter 1997). The last significant flood, from the River Torrens, was in 1931 (McKay and Finlayson 1982:143). As a result of this flood the government prepared a flood mitigation study to inform the local residents of the potential areas that may be affected, all of which are now urbanised (McKay and Finlayson 1982:143-­‐4). 15 Nicole Monk Recent attempts by ACHM to register the Torrens as an Indigenous site have not succeeded (Draper 2013 pers. comm. 20 June). The changes to the River system through the development of weirs and canals have resulted in habitat changes for the native animals, including rats, bandicoots, birds and reptiles (Mugavin 2004:229). As a result this would have also altered the diets of the Kaurna people as many of the animals that they would have eaten would have been affected. These changes have also brought higher levels of pollution that have led to closures of the river and Torrens Lake due to algal blooms; an example of this can be seen in the 2008 closure of the Torrens Lake (Tajuddin 2010:93). 4.5
The Torrens Linear Park The Torrens Linear Park, also known as the ‘Trail’, is a regional open space corridor that consist of 35km of trail and is the largest hills-­‐to-­‐coast park in Australia (Echelon and Tonkin 2007:3). The Torrens Linear Park is covered by nine local councils: Adelaide Hills Council, City of Tea Tree Gully, Campbelltown City Council, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters, City of Charles Sturt, and the City of West Torrens (Echelon and Tonkin 2007:3). The idea to create the park was a venture between the state and local governments and originated in the 1960s, with the construction of the park beginning in 1982 (River Torrens Linear Park Coordinating Committee 2012:4) and finishing in 1997 (Butler 2011:4). The park is owned by the State Government (60%), local government (39%) and the remaining owned by private stakeholders (Echelon and Tonkin 2007:5). There is no specific legislation that defines who manages or controls the park and therefore it is up to the nine councils to 16 Nicole Monk protect the park; they have taken responsibility without formal consent from the State Government or the private owners (Echelon and Tonkin 2007: 6), with SA Water taking responsibility for the control of the banks and beds (River Torrens Linear Park Coordinating Committee 2012:4).The Torrens Linear Park has three important functions: recreation; as a network for biodiversity; and as a part of the transportation network (Butler 2011:4-­‐5). From the 1990s to 2005 the Torrens Catchment Water Management Board oversaw efforts aimed at cutting pollution through many programs, such as education, river restoration work and regulatory policies. In 2006 the Torrens Taskforce was created to ensure that the community supported the strategies provided by water scientists (River Torrens Linear Park Coordinating Committee 2012:1). The West Torrens section of the Linear Park is community land and is characterised by its recreational, faunal, stormwater management, and educational features that fall under Section 193 of the Local Government Act 1999 (SA). The park also falls under the Adelaide Parklands Act 2005 (SA), which creates a board to maintain the parklands within the Adelaide region and in 2006 the Torrens Linear Park Bill prevented the sale of the land within the River Torrens Linear Park (River Torrens Linear Park Act 2006 (SA)). Within the park there are many features that are important to the history of the area. Both Athelstone and Boord Houses sit within the park and are important to the European colonisation history of the area (Lea Crosby 2013 pers. comm. 19 March). A tree that is significant and that is named a ‘mother tree’, is located on the roadside of the Highbury 17 Nicole Monk section of Torrens Linear Park. This is important to the Kaurna people, even though it is no longer living, although other trees are living (Lea Crosby 2013 pers. comm. 19 March). Mick Medic, the Tea Tree Gully horticulturalist, described the Highbury Linear Park as an area that was used for European gardens and markets in the 19th century (Mick Medic 2013 pers. comm. 19 March) The Linear Park once contained pecan, pistachio, walnuts, macadamia, kumquats, white persimmons, white figs, white avocadoes, mulberries, apples, and pears (Mick Medic 2013 pers. comm. 19 March). This shows the significance of the local area to the European settlers in the Highbury region. In 2009 Australian Cultural Heritage Management (ACHM) carried out small bits of work on the Linear Park where the Royal Adelaide Hospital was located (Neale Draper pers. comm. 20 June 2013). Working with the Kaurna Nations Aboriginal Heritage Association Inc. (KNCHA) ACHM prepared and submitted a site record for the Linear Park to the Government, who declined to register the Linear Park (Neale Draper 2013 pers. comm. 20 June). The Highbury region has also had Indigenous skeletal remains found. As a result of these remains, it is most probable that this site is of significance with a burial nearby (Keryn Walshe 2013 pers. comm. 15 May; Gara 2012:6). This information makes it clear that the Kaurna people found the location of significance. Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley also mentioned the area as a trade route between the Kaurna and Peramangk people, which was used for thousands of years (Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 9 June). Items that were traded between the groups included raw stone materials, such as flint and quartz, whip-­‐stick mallee sticks, and opossum skins (Copley 2009). The Linear Park continued to be used by Indigenous people after the 18 Nicole Monk European colonisation as a route to travel to and from the Walkerville Mission and Railway Station (Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley 2013 pers. comm. 9 June). 4.6
The Rockshelters Many rockshelters in Australia have been used by Indigenous people at some point for shelter, to rest, or to use as a lookout (Burke and Smith 2004:221). The Kaurna Tribe constructed shelters, called wurleys, in the Mount Lofty region and along the southern coast (Ellis 1968: 31, Gara 2012:2). These shelters, however, were often fabricated from branches and bark arranged in a semicircle around each other (Ellis 1968:32). This leads to the conclusion that, although the Kaurna people may not have used rockshelters for permanent accommodation, they are likely to have been used for other activities. At the Highbury section of Torrens Linear Park there are three clusters of rockshelters. As the rockshelters are quite small they may have been used only for short period of times. Ivan-­‐Tiwu Copley, a Peramangk man, described the rockshelters as an observation area to look out for animals. It is recommended that there be further study into Highbury’s Torrens Linear Park and the significance of the area to the local Indigenous community. Reports often refer to the River Torrens Linear Park rather than focusing on one particular area, such as Highbury, and the rockshelters located within the park are ignored completely. Due to the discovery of skeletal remains found nearby it is likely to be a significant area, however, more research should be conducted to further clarify this information. Information regarding the Kaurna people at Tea 19 Nicole Monk Tree Gully and surrounds is limited (Gara 2012:1). Much of the information is general and not site specific, therefore a further study will need to be conducted to establish how significant the area is. This would require permissions from appropriate Kaurna elders to access material in the South Australian Museum archives and other locations. 5. Conclusion: This report has examined the Highbury section of Torrens Linear Park and inspected whether the area is significant to the Kaurna people who lived in the region prior to European settlement. The Kaurna people lived and traded in the Linear Park prior to colonisation and the impact of colonisation not only forced the Kaurna people from the Highbury area, but also changed the dynamics of the Linear Park by altering the ecosystem with the implementation of aqueduct systems and recreational paths. As well as the tangible evidence there is also intangible aspects of the river that contribute to its significance as a site. Through examining the area prior to European colonisation and the results of colonisation it was found that the Linear Park at Highbury was significant to the Kaurna people who were affected by the European settlers and the infrastructure changes to the park and the Torrens River. The rockshelters at Highbury’s Torrens Linear Park were once used by the Kaurna as lookouts for hunting and through this it is highly likely that the area is significant to the Kaurna people. This report also found that further studies will need to be completed to further identify the area’s significance to the Kaurna people through heritage assessments, Kaurna consultation, archaeological and geographical surveys. 20 Nicole Monk 6. References: Anon. 1851 ‘Highbury by Auction’ South Australian Register, 14 May, p. 4. < http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/38440189?searchTerm=highbury hill auction&searchLimits=l-­‐decade=185> Auhl, I. 1993 From Settlement to City: A History of the District of Tea Tree Gully 1836-­‐1993. Modbury, Tea Tree Gully City Council. Bills, D. 1998 The River Torrens Linear Park. Unpublished Bachelor thesis, Department of Planning, University of South Australia, Adelaide. Burke, H. and C. Smith 2004 The Archaeologist’s Field Handbook. Crows Nest, Allen and Unwin. Butler, G. 2011 Draft Management Plan: River Torrens Linear Park Management Plan-­‐eastern section. Urban and Rural Planning Solutions: 1-­‐62. Copley I.T. 2013 pers. comm. 9 June. Copley, I.T. 2009 Indigenous History: The Peramangk People. Lobethal Community Association. Retrieved on 7 March 2013 from http://lobethal.sa.au/history/indigenous-­‐
history. Crosby, L. 2013 pers. comm. 19 March. Dexter, T. 1997 Adelaide creates a great asset River Torrens Linear Park. Landscape Australia, 4. Retrieved April 28 2013 from http://www.aila.org.au/projects/sa/linear/dexter.htm. Draper, N. 2013 pers. comm. 20 June. 21 Nicole Monk Echelon and Tonkin 2007 River Torrens Linear Park Trail Assessment Report. Local Government Association of South Australia Retrieved 7 May 2013 from http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Linear_Park_Final_Report_28_Decemb
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Torrens River. Retrieved 10 April 2013 from http://amlrnrm.sa.gov.au/Water/Surfacewater/Waterwaysintheregion/TorrensRiver.aspx. Harris. R. 2009 Background Research Paper: Regarding the Proposed Site for the Marjorie Jackson-­‐Nelson Hospital (MJHN) Adelaide, South Australia. Unpublished report to Department of Health. South Australia. Hemming, S. 1990 ‘Kaurna’ Identity: A Brief History. Journal of the Anthropological Society of South Australia, 28(2): 1417-­‐1433. Horton, D. 1994 The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia Volume 1: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History, Society and Culture. Aboriginal Studies Press, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Horton, D. 1996 Indigenous Language Map. Aboriginal Studies Press, AIATSIS. 22 Nicole Monk Jones, J. 2012 Highbury aqueduct to open to the public next week. Adelaide Now. Retrieved on May 10, 2013 from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/highbury-­‐aqueduct-­‐site-­‐to-­‐open-­‐
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