A closer look at bricks

Collection-based research is a vital part of Museums of History NSW’s work in caring for and promoting awareness of our collections. There is more work than we can do ourselves, so we welcome opportunities for external researchers to interrogate our collections in ways that we often can’t. The knowledge generated by that research opens up new avenues for understanding our historic sites and collections, and also demonstrates their ongoing value and significance.

One such new and innovative project focuses on the archaeological collection from the site of the first Government House (1788–1846), where the Museum of Sydney now stands. University of Sydney student Matthew Turner, supervised by Associate Professor James Flexner, is using portable X-ray fluorescence to study a selection of bricks dated to the period that the house was still standing for his honours research project in Archaeology. Here’s a summary of Matthew’s research project in his own words:

This project explores the materiality of the first Government House through bricks collected during archaeological excavations in 1983–91 and currently housed at the Museum of Sydney. It aims to investigate the adaptation and development of brickmaking in the early colony and link these changes to settlers’ social, economic and environmental experiences. The project uses a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyser to assess the elemental composition of several dozen bricks, which will then be statistically analysed in order to draw out meaningful relationships. This will inform my interpretation of broad differences in these bricks’ elemental compositions; for instance, differences in the unique trace elements in the bricks could subsequently be linked to different clay sources or specific manufacturing techniques. This method allows us to test whether there is a change in the chemical makeup of bricks over time as brickmaking became more formalised and local industries better established in the colony of NSW. Among other things, this study emphasises the value of pre-existing research and legacy collections, particularly as new analytical techniques and approaches enable us to interrogate material evidence more rigorously than before. It will add another layer to the history of the first Government House and contribute more generally to our understanding of these times.

Dr Aaron M de Souza

Manager, Research

Aaron’s journey with ‘things’ is a long and varied one involving formal studies of design, working in fashion, managing a contemporary art collection, and eventually obtaining a PhD in Egyptian archaeology. Those seemingly disparate experiences converged on an academic career that saw him work with museum collections around the world to explore ancient material technologies and the ways that people create and use objects to express identity and culture. Aaron has worked as a specialist on numerous excavations in Egypt for over a decade, and from 2019 to 2023 he was a postdoctoral research fellow based in Vienna. He is the author of a monograph and numerous peer-reviewed articles, and has given keynote lectures at leading museums and universities across Europe and the USA. Now back in Australia, Aaron has relished the opportunity to learn more about the history of his home country, and as Research Manager at Museums of History NSW he looks forward to finding innovative ways to use our diverse collections to create knowledge and share it with our audiences.