Convict Lumber Yard

About

Convict Lumber Yard is a heritage-listed site at 98 Scott Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Largely an archaeological site, it has been the location of a convict lumber yard, convict stockade and a series of shipping and railway-related buildings. The former station master's residence and paymaster's office survive intact alongside archaeological remains of the site's various other usages. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

- 1801 – First convict settlement at Newcastle, on this site. Beginning of Lumber Yard operations.

- 1822 – Newcastle closed as a penal settlement. Site ceases to be used for convict internment, but lumber operations continue.

- 1832 – Lumber Yard reopened as a base for convicts building Nobby's breakwater. Known as 'The Stockade'

- 1879 – Berthing master's house constructed (now known as the Paymaster's office).

- 1885 – Traffic manager's residence (later called the station master's residence) and Stationmaster's residence constructed.

- 1904 – Berthing master's Office converted to Booking Office, first floor probably added at this time.

- 1900–1930s – Two cottages erected on site for railway employees, various other buildings for the Railway Institute, including a hall in Scott Street alongside the Station master's residence, and a tennis court which occupied the site of the cottage nearest Scott Street.

- 1987 – Enterprise Park opened. First Archaeological excavation unearths remains of well, forge and brick paving. Further archaeological investigations were carried out in June 1989 and October 1992.

Evidence of an Aboriginal open campsite mainly comprising stone tools was located on the site during the 1987 archaeological excavations.

Physical evidence of the convict occupation of the site also found during these excavations includes: a brick drain and stone sump; a kiln floor; a well; parts of the brick convict barrack ( c. 1818); bricks from the collapsed convict hospital and various brick pathways.

Physical evidence of the railways occupation period is far more substantial with some of the structures remaining. These include: the large and imposing station master's residence; the two storey Paymaster's Office; the concrete slab remains from Brett's sailmakers' loft and some brick remains of the Railway Institute Hall.

The site has very high archaeological potential. The extant buildings are in good condition.

The Convict Lumber Yard site, including the Station Master's residence and Paymaster's office, is of outstanding heritage significance for the following reasons:

- Its rare evidence of a convict industrial workplace and of convict structures thought to have been lost;

- Its potential to reveal, through archaeological excavation, further evidence of convict occupation and the later history of the site;

- Its evidence of the major themes of Newcastle's history, particularly convict history and railway and port history;

- Its contribution to the townscape of Newcastle and Newcastle East ;

- Its potential to interpret Newcastle's history and for its association with its community;

- Its evidence of Aboriginal occupation which is now rare in the urban Newcastle area. Convict Lumber Yard was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.