Car park at the Peninsula Eye Clinic possible site of convict barracks
The results of the GPR investigation and of the Magnetic Gradiometer investigation indicate that there are no shallow archaeological structural remains of interest on this site.
Back yard on Anzac Avenue, possible site of the Commandant’s House From 15-19 December 2008, a backyard in Anzac Avenue was excavated in an attempt to locate the Commandant’s house. The geophysics for this site had shown very clear results, and had visible features including blue rectangles which were interpreted as being walls and a floor surface.
September 10-15 2009
Corscadden Park
Hunting for the Brick Kiln
The focus for this dig was the excavation of Corscadden Park in a search for the remains of the convict-built brick kiln. Two of the original Moreton Bay convicts were brick-makers by trade. The excavation took place from 10-15 September 2009, during the First Settlement Festival, and visitors were able to view the archaeologists at work.
Once again the excavation was supervised by Dr Jon Prangnell and the UQ archaeology team. However, this time the excavation teams included local primary and secondary students, and volunteers from all over the greater Brisbane area, as well as Redcliffe Museum staff and volunteers.
On Sunday morning, 13 September 2009, (exactly 185 years since first landing) the archaeologists unearthed a piece of worked wood approximately 32cms long. The location and condition of the wood made it clear that it had come from a kiln rather than a campfire, and it is unlikely to have been deposited by a flood or later activity.
While further tests are required the archaeologists are quietly confident that we have found evidence of the first British settlement in Queensland. This is the first piece of tangible archaeological evidence of the 1824 settlement ever found.
This is really interesting unfortunately i was not living in redcliffe at the time of the DIG but am interested to find out if they now where the first convict graveyard was apparently it has been built on top of now what a shame as i am doing research on old graveyards.
Hi Brenda, there was never a graveyard at the Redcliffe settlement. Only one death was recorded before the settlement moved up to the Brisbane River so there was no need for a graveyard at Redcliffe. The earliest graveyard may have been located at North Quay on the Brisbane River. You might like to read “Some Investigations into the site of Brisbane’s earliest Burial Ground” by J C H Gill.