Little Lonsdale artifacts

Elaine alerted us to the beautiful display of some of the artifacts that were found during an archaeological dig that was organised on the site of the large government building where we were to meet Elaine for lunch. The site had been a large car park for many years.

All about the dig

Work began on the largest archaeology project ever undertaken in Victoria in May 2002. From May until August archaeologists, students and members of the general community worked hard to expose the secrets of Casselden Place, part of the city block bounded by Lonsdale, Exhibition, Little Lonsdale and Spring Streets. Major development work had been proposed for the Casselden Place site, but before the construction work began an archaeological investigation took to uncover and record the historic information that lies buried on site. The archaeological excavation was a collaborative effort between Heritage Victoria, archaeologists from Godden Mackay Logan Pty Ltd, the Archaeology Program at La Trobe University and Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd, and the site owners the Industry Superannuation Property Trust.

Early 20th century remains of light industrial buildings

A public viewing platform was constructed running from the southern end of the site, with access directly off Lonsdale Street so that everyone could see the archeology at work and follow the progress of the site. Weekly updates and information about the dig were put on display on the viewing platform. There were regular guided tours of the site.

Why is Casselden Place so interesting?

From roughly 1850 to 1950 the "Little Lon" district was home to a colourful and dynamic community. It was predominantly working class, with cottage industries, simple houses, small scale businesses and a few larger factories. The archaeological exploration of Casselden Place shed light on a multitude of vanished lives and on the poorly understood community that filled the crowded blocks and laneways.

The city blocks at the top end of the city were characterised by a series of laneways, with small properties packed together creating crowded and unsanitary conditions. The area gained a reputation for being shady and disreputable – it was Melbourne's "red light" district, and also home to the city's poorest residents. Impoverished immigrants, newly arrived in Australia, found that they could only afford to live in the area around Casselden Place. But the area had a richness and diversity that extends beyond the common perception of "Little Lon" as a den of iniquity. Recent archaeological and historical research has thrown light on the individuals who battled through adversity but still managed to find success in business, and on a tight-knit community which valued friendship, loyalty and tolerance.

The Casselden Place excavation gave us the opportunity to penetrate beyond the popular perceptions of the Melbourne slums. We gained an insight into the richness of a diverse community that is otherwise poorly represented in traditional historical records, and learn about individuals who have managed to make their mark despite the hardship of their surroundings.

It is certainly true that the residents of Casselden Place have always battled against the perceptions of outsiders. Melbourne's moral reformers peered into the shadows of Casselden Place, and didn't like what they saw. Periodically, police chiefs or health officials conducted raids on the area to address concerns about possible disease outbreaks. At the end of the 19th century, many houses in the block were declared unfit for habitation and demolished. Early in the 20th century, the character of the area became more industrial, as the small cottages were replaced by factories and warehouses. In the early 1960s most of these buildings were removed and a car park was laid down to service office buildings

For the last forty years, the archaeological remains of Casselden Place were safely sealed away from the pressures of city development beneath an asphalt carpark.