Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

The Excavation of the Albany Town Jetty

Author/s D. Garratt, M. McCarthy, and A. Wolfe

Year of publication 1995

Report Number: 96

Abstract
A conceptual plan mooted for the redevelopment of the Albany Foreshore in 1988 involved the dredging of an area adjacent to the Town Jetty. This proved a potential threat to historic material known to lie on and under the seabed in the region of the Jetty. In advising that material deposited before 1900 was protected under the tenns of the Maritime Archaeology Act of 1973 but that its extent had not been properly assessed, the Western Australian Maritime Museum sought the provision of funds to enable it to examine the seabed and to assess the extent of the cultural resource.

In 1994 plans for the development matured and the Museum received funds from the developing agency LandCorp, in order to conduct the proposed maritime archaeological assessment of the areas identified for dredging and future land reclamation. Funds were also supplied for the monitoring of any spoil produced by the proposed dredging process, for the conservation of any historic artefacts raised and for the production of a final report.

This report deals with excavati ons conducted earlier, the legislative situation, and the 1994 excavation itself, including methodology. An artefact catalogue, details of a pre-disturbance survey, conclusions and recommendations appear. The history and significance of the Jelly itself is also discussed as are a number of post-excavation strategies. Technical and other appendices then follow.