Archaeology of the first Government House
Australia’s first Government House, built for Governor Arthur Phillip on Gadigal Country in 1788–89, is one of the most significant buildings in the history of Australia following colonisation.
Archaeological excavations in the 1980s and 90s uncovered the foundations of Australia’s first Government House along with approximately 140,000 artefacts.
At first glance, the artefacts might appear mundane. But these unassuming artefacts are imbued with stories of lives lived in a new, changing and challenging world.
Stories of archaeological finds
Museum stories
Excavating Australia’s first Government House
Did you know that when you walk into the Museum of Sydney, you’re walking over the remains of one of the most significant buildings in Australia’s history?
A closer look at bricks
A high-tech research collaboration is giving us new insights into some very familiar objects from our vast archaeological collection
It's certainly the most important [project] I've worked on, and probably that I ever will, I think.
3D scans
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Coin
This one-farthing coin minted in 1799 might be one of 300 coins that arrived in Sydney on 20 November 1800
Printing types
These small objects are movable type from the printing press brought to Sydney by the First Fleet in 1788
Large clay basin
This large clay basin was made locally, either in Sydney or in pottery workshops near Newcastle, north of Sydney
Dog skeleton
This almost complete dog skeleton was found in the area behind the first Government House
Bottle seals
Seals like these marked the bottles of wine and champagne imported from France and enjoyed by the governors and their guests
Unearthed
Between 1983 and 1991, archaeologists excavated one of the most contested blocks of land in Sydney – the site of Australia’s first Government House. They unearthed around 140,000 objects that had lain hidden beneath the city’s streets for almost 140 years. Even the most ordinary object has many stories to tell, depending on how you look at it.
Visit the exhibitionAll these objects are connected and they tell a story about how we were living, what we were eating, how we were cooking. Our objects are literally embedded into the bricks and the stone here at the first Government House.
Related
Unearthing the skull-shaped pipe
Archaeologist Denis Gojak shares the excitement of finding this spectacular pipe bowl in the shape of a skull at the site of the first Government House
Dig deeper
Kirsty Beller, Dr Shane Ingrey, David Johnson and Clare Woolley from the Gujaga Foundation offer First Nations perspectives on key objects. Exhibition curator and archaeologist Dr Aaron de Souza provides further insights
Finds wall
Archaeologists excavated about 140,000 artefacts from the first Government House site. This small selection gives you an idea of the range of objects they collected