Tim the Yowie Man: hidden heritage in Griffith

Near the front of the park are a copse of black plum trees which partly obscure a small rocky outcrop surrounded an expanse of grass which is currently covered with leaves fallen from exotic street trees.

Although this non-descript inner-south park doesn't have an official name, it is referred to by local Indigenous people as 'Canberra's Last Ngunnawal Campsite', and by archaeologists as the Red Hill Camp.

One archaeologist who knows this patch of suburban Griffith more than most is Steve Skitmore. Last year, as part of his Masters in Archaeological Science at the Australian National University, Skitmore worked closely with Ngunnawal and Ngambri families to attempt to substantiate Indigenous oral history of this little park with material evidence.

While it is thought that the rocky outcrop was part of a pathway between the Molonglo River and the Red Hill ridge in pre-colonisation times, the focus of Skitmore's study was to uncover evidence of much more contemporary use by indigenous people during Canberra's early days – as an informal camp for those working on Canberra's first buildings and suburbs.

"It is an ethnographically known campsite, significant to several of the Traditional Owner groups that call Canberra home," says Skitmore, adding, "in particular, Ngambri Elder Matilda House recalls camping here with her grandparents in the 1940s whilst visiting as a child from the Hollywood Reserve in Yass."

Later this month a special Canberra & Region Heritage Festival tour of the site will reveal Skitmore's findings. Not surprisingly, curious Canberrans snaffled all the tickets within days of being made available, but for the benefit of all those who missed out, in a bid to learn more about the significance of the site, earlier this week your akubra-clad columnist tracked down Skitmore.

"Matilda especially remembers taking her horse down to the creek to make sure it had enough water," says Skitmore, pointing towards the remains of a creek line which runs on the other side of Flinders Way, just behind Griffith Park.

Skitmore explains that his archaeological dig among the rocky outcrop did uncover evidence that confirmed it was used informal campsite in 1930s-40s. "Amongst the artefacts we dug up were pieces of glass, nails and hair fragments, all dated to the time when Matilda remembers camping here", reveals Skitmore.

While it wasn't the main aim of his study, with the help of local families who enthusiastically joined in the dig, a mudstone manuport found in the pre-1920s land surface was also uncovered. "As it is not found naturally here, the stone must have been brought here," says Skitmore. "This adds some weight to the theory that this was historically part of an extensive network of pathways used by indigenous peoples."

Skitmore's study also puts paid to the urban legend that the dalcite boulders in the park were moved there by early residents of Griffith so that the area would never be built on.

"That outcropping of dalcite appears on old aerial photographs, and my study shows that they have likely been there for million of years," explains Skitmore.

Furthermore, Skitmore explains that archival records show there were many different incarnations of the plans for the streets of Griffith but that the final layout which defined land around the outcrop as a park was merely as a result of planning ideology of the time.

"Some locals thought this area might have been precluded as a possible building block due to its connection to indigenous peoples, but it was purely to do with planners avoiding geographical features such as tops of hills, floodplains and rocky outcrops," explains Skitmore.

Given this area was one of the earliest residential developments in Canberra and has been heritage listed for its architectural value, the outcomes of Skitmore believes his study will provide "a nuanced perspective of the intersection between 'Indigenous' and 'Historical' archaeology in our nation's capital."

Note, if you did manage to score a ticket for this month's tour of the site, Skitmore has a word of advice. "The very point of the study was to show how there are 'hidden stories' enfolded within urban landscapes," he warns, adding "so there's not much to 'see' as such, rather, the power is in telling a the story about these spaces."

Red Hill Camp: Located on the corner Durville Cr and Flinders Way, Griffith. Although currently not signposted, an interpretation sign highlighting the significance of the site is soon to be erected.

Site Tour: The advertised Heritage Festival tour on April 22 to be led by Ngunnawal-Ngambri Elders Matilda House and Arnold Williams is sold-out. However, subject to demand another tour may be scheduled. Register your interest by emailing Steve Skitmore on: u5453218@anu.edu.au

Did You Know? In archaeology parlance, a manuport is a natural object, such as a stone, which has been carried and deposited from its original context by a human, but otherwise remains unmodified.

Festival: The 2017 Canberra & Region Heritage Festival marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum that saw Indigenous Australians finally included in the census, and thus as Australian citizens. Consequently, the 2017 festival theme 'Questions & Change' focuses on commemorating this historic event as we continue the national conversation around Indigenous inclusion, recognition and celebration of our unique cultural heritage.

Choose between over 160 engaging tours, talks and open days in and around Canberra between April 18 and May 17. More: www.environment.act.gov.au/heritage

This column's recent exposé of the convict-built canal at the northern end of Lake Georg (Roadside Treasures) prompted Klaus Hueneke of Palmerston to reminisce about a 1969 Geomorphology excursion in which he and fellow students "dug a trench" through part of it. "By then it was full of rocks worn down like river stones," recalls Hueneke. "It was lots of hard work."

Several readers also asked for references on the origins of the fifty-metre canal which was built through an ancient Lake George shoreline. For the record, in 2001 Hueneke also revised and reprinted Murray of Yarralumla (by Gwendoline Wilson). The comprehensive tome includes a section on the canal which was built for Terence Aubrey Murray who owned the land on which the canal was built. The book is still in print and available from www.Tabletoppressbooks.com

Several readers were relieved to read that the Woolshed Creek fossils are once again accessible to the public (Majura Marvel, April 1).

"I feared road workers had destroyed them when building the Majura Parkway," says a relieved Bob Gardiner of Isabella Plains, who last visited the significant site back in 1988 when he "took a Chinese teacher on a tour of the geological marvels of Canberra".

According to Gardiner, "at the time, the teacher claimed that if the site was in China it would be protected and a museum built over it."

While Peter O'Neill describes the singing stones of Pretty Beach which recently featured on these pages (Singing Stones, March 4) as "unbelievably noisy when the swell is up", he laments that this column, "missed-out on the nearby Durras Mountain walk."

"A lot of mountain bikers (including myself) ride the track up to the top and enjoy the exhilarating trip back down," reports O'Neill, who has a coast house at Bawley Point, adding "it's also one of the better walks I've done in our region and is along a well-worn track."

Thanks for the tip Peter, it's on my list for the Easter holidays.

Hanging on the wall above the open fireplace at the Nerriga Hotel, is what on first glance appears to be a sheep's head. Closer inspection reveals it to be a gnarly old tree stump complete with plastic eyes. "Apparently it's been on the walls of the pub for years," says current publican Phillip Smith. "I'm not sure where the stump was found, but it really does resemble a Ram's Head." What a ripper.

Clue: Don't be fooled by the 'YA' on the sign.

Degree of difficulty: Medium.

Last week: Congratulations to Jack Palmer, of Watson, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo sent in by Mel Duncan whose parents, Garton and Joy Wearne took the photo "in the early 1960" of what is now part of CSIRO's Main Entomology Building on Clunies Ross Street in Acton. Palmer just beat a barrage of others to the prize, including Judy Kelly, of Aranda. The historic photo brought back memories for several readers, including Nick Corby who reports, "This was both where my mother first worked when leaving school and where she met my father." Corby remembers "the fellow with the horse and cart picking up leaves", and wonders if anyone recalls his name.

Autumn used to be my favourite season in Canberra. That is, until a good rake and a bit of elbow grease was replaced by an army of fluro-clad city rangers wielding annoyingly noisy leaf blowers.

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday April 8, 2017 with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie Street, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns online.