Blacktown Native Institution Site

The history of the Blacktown Native Institution is closely tied to the events of the early colonial period in New South Wales. Following colonisation by the British from 1788, a complex process of negotiation commenced between the regions' Indigenous inhabitants and the colonists. The outcomes of early cross-cultural engagement were shaped by a range of official and religious interests and so the establishment of the Blacktown Native Institution should be understood in the context of this period and the contemporary European racial attitudes and policies of that time. In his 1819 book on Australia, William Charles Wentworth wrote that "by the last accounts from the colony, it contained eighteen native children, who had been voluntarily placed there by their parents, and were making equal progress in their studies with European children of the same age." Establishment at Blacktown In 1823 the institution was moved by Governor Brisbane (who succeeded Macquarie as governor on 1 December 1821) to land adjoining the new settlement along Richmond Road at Black Town. While the Parramatta phase of the school was considered by settlers as a success, primarily because the students had acquired European skills, the Blacktown stage, by contrast, was viewed by Europeans as a failure. The site is now maintained by the Dharug Strategic Management Group a living memorial to the stolen generations, marked by art installations produced in cooperation with local artists and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. The Dharug Strategic Management Group has plans to develop a permanent cultural centre at the site. == Description ==

The Blacktown Native Institution site is a rare site associated with early 19th Century missionary activity. The first such site was the Parramatta Native Institution established in 1815. The site Parramatta institution has been redeveloped. The second site of this type was the Blacktown Native Institution dating from 1823. Rev Threlkeld's mission at Lake Macquarie established in 1825 was the third and the fourth was the Wellington Valley Aboriginal Mission which was begun in 1831. The site of the Blacktown Native Institution is today a largely vacant lot of land bounded by the residential subdivision of Hassall Grove to the west/southwest and arterial roads to the east and south. The site is predominantly cleared and is traversed in the north by Bells Creek, which has been modified and piped. Surface remains are visible only in the area of the main Native Institution building, where some remains do survive. The site retains little remnant original/indigenous vegetation, apart from some garden remains around the main house site. Condition As at 10 February 2005, The Blacktown Native Institution site can be divided into indicative zones of archaeological potential. The area of the schoolhouse and nearby service areas and outbuildings are considered to have high archaeological potential, while the old creek line, which is highly disturbed, may retain some aspects of archaeological potential. The balance of the site may contain workings, garden remains or rubbish dumps and is considered to have some archaeological potential. An open campsite from the historic contact/settlement period was located in the north-west side of Bells Creek during an archaeological survey in 1981. The presence of this site is consistent with records that state that adult Aboriginal people were living near the schoolhouse. A more recent archaeological survey work failed to relocate this site. The Blacktown Native Institution site has suffered considerable disturbance over its history however, the site does have the potential to contain archaeological relics and deposits associated with the Blacktown Native Institution. Modifications and dates The Blacktown Native Institution has suffered considerable disturbance through its history. The site was utilised as a working property in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. In 1924 the former Institution house was destroyed by fire. A fibro farm house replaced the old house and this in turn was demolished in 1985. The site was further disturbed through post-1985 activities which include clearance of vegetation, piping of the creek, construction of the sewer (the date of this construction is currently unknown) and the construction of an open drain running north to south through the site. These episodes of disturbance have significantly effected the physical intactness of the site; however, the site does retain archaeological potential and some integrity through its setting and the presence of visible surface remains. == Heritage listing ==

The Blacktown Native Institution site is a site of State significance because of its combination of historical, social and archaeological values. The Blacktown Native Institution played a key role in the history of colonial assimilation policies and race relations. The site is notable for the range of associations it possesses with prominent colonial figures including: Governor Macquarie, Governor Brisbane, Samuel Marsden, William Walker and Sydney Burdekin. == See also ==