3rd Australasian Heritage Conference: Dunedin 2009: Presenters

Peter Holmes

Peter Holmes received his B.A in Anthropology and Archaeology in 1996 from the University of Auckland and his M.A. in Archaeology in 1998 at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Since then he has accumulated over 10 years archaeological experience which includes report preparation, laboratory analysis, conservation and fieldwork in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, from upstate New York to Florida. In addition he has an extensive background in historical research as well as historic and prehistoric ceramics analysis and research with the presentation of several research papers. Projects have included extensive heritage survey and assessment for residential and commercial developments, highways, pipelines and airport extensions across the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Since joining SKM in Melbourne in 2008 as a senior historical archaeologist, he has completed several heritage registered projects involving survey, assessments, excavations and permits for several major rail and water infrastructure redevelopments and upgrades in Victoria.

Paper: Archaeology and the Industrial Landscape: 21st Century Adaptive Redevelopment Confronts 19thCentury Industrial Heritage

Abstract: The development of transport networks in Victoria were driven in part by the gold rush, closer settlement schemes and pastoral developments which all had a major impact on the physical and cultural landscape by the late 19th century. By 1890 the Newport Railway Workshops in Melbourne were established as the focal point of the rail transport network and rail industry in Victoria. Clearly many historic industrial places, structures and technologies from this period have now become redundant, lost, obsolete or physically decrepit. Large scale historic industrial sites such as Newport are becoming the Focus of redevelopment projects and hence their significant social and engineering heritage components become the subject of statutory planning and heritage assessments. The intention of this paper is to examine the practical and theoretical aspects of the assessment and conservation processes involved with the potential development of the former registered industrial heritage site Newport Railway Workshops.