Description of functions and role of the Victoria State Relics Office

Coutts, Peter J F

Australian Archaeology

Flinders Academic Commons

Australian Archaeology    Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au  Full Citation Details: Coutts, P.J.F. 1975. Victorian Relics Office. 'Australian Archaeology', no.2, 32-33. VICTORIAN RELICS OFFICE The Victorian S t a t e  Relics Office has now been i n  operation f o r  approximately 18 months, and s ince  i ts  a c t i v i t i e s  a re  not widely known it is  appropriate t o  advise members of  the  Society of some relevant aspects r e l a t i n g  t o  po l ic ies  and a c t i v i t i e s .  Staff  S ta f f  of the  Office consis ts  of  t h e  Protector  of Relics,  the  S t a t e  Archaeologist, two Archaeologists, a Geologist, a Field Assistant  and th ree  Administrative s t a f f .  The organisation is  housed i n  new Office accommodation, an up-to-date laboratory is shortly t o  be constructed t o  support f i e l d  a c t i v i t i e s .  Work Pronramme One of the  principal  objectives of the  Office is  t o  compile a l ist of archaeological s i t e s  throughout the  S ta te .  In  t h i s  respect  Victoria has been divided i n t o  140 areas  based on the  1 t o  100,000 metric maps. Intensive f i e l d  work i s  being conducted i n  th ree  re la ted  areas i n  the  Western D i s t r i c t  of Victoria.  Fie ld  work comprises an intensive s i t e  survey supported by a l imited amount of excavation t o  es tabl ish  the  bas ic  archaeological parameters of each area.  Work i n  one of the areas  ( the Willaura Map Sheet) is now nearing completion. The in tent ion is t o  publish a repor t  s imi lar  i n  many cases t o  those published by t h e  Victorian Geological Survey. A l l  information about s i t e s ,  including known l i t e r a r y  references a r e  kept on s i t e  record cards.  This information i s  shor t ly  t o  be stored on magnetic tape s o  t h a t  it can be e a s i l y  extracted. To date  approximately 1500 s i t e s  have been located and from the  bas i s  of the  f i l i n g  system. Education To date  the  Office has concentrated on advising Government Instrumentali t ies such as  the  Country Roads Board, Crown Lands & Survey Department and so  on of the  exis tence of t h e  Office and i t s  functions. Education pamphlets have been compiled and a r e  avai lable  t o  the  General public. During the sunnuer o f  1975 t h e  Office undertook t o  run a Summer School i n  Archaeology which provided members of the  general public with an introductory course i n  archaeology, plus pract ica l  aspects of  conservation, excavation and laboratory processing. I t  i s  envisaged t h a t  s imi la r  schools w i l l  be run during future summers. Eventually, we hope t h a t  t h e  amateur through the  medium of such schools w i l l  become a main force  i n  archaeology i n  t h i s  State.  As the amateur graduates t o  professional standards, excavation permits w i l l  be granted when adequate supervision, laboratory f a c i l i t i e s ,  equipment and advice is avai lable.  Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.auDeclaration o f  S i t e s  The Office i s  concerned with protecting and preserving important archaeology s i t e s .  Following the  preparation of interim l i s t  of  these  s i t e s  i n  Victor ia ,  one has now been declared an archaeological  area.  This i s  the  M t  Rothwell ceremonial s i t e  near  Geelong. I t  i s  ant ic ipated t h a t  o ther  s i t e s  w i l l  be declared during t h e  next 12 months. Warden G Inspectors A State-wide network of survei l lance has been s e t  up. Victor ia  has been divided i n t o  eighteen regions each controlled by an Inspector under our Act, whose job i s  t o  supervise Wardens i n  a reas  under h i s  control .  There a r e  now approximately 180 Wardens and Inspectors i n  Victoria.  The Inspector is  the  s i t e  record keeper f o r  h i s  own a rea  and responsible f o r  maintaining surve i l l ance  of  s i t e s  within h i s  sphere of control .  Superimposed on t h i s  system, t h e r e  a r e  Wardens with roving commissions who exercise  control  wherever it is deemed necessary. A t h i r d  category of Wardens a r e  those which a r e  appointed t o  administer spec i f i c  s i t e s .  Excavation Permits A t  t h e  present  time, it i s  the  general policy of t h i s  Office t o  give permits only t o  persons with appropriate q u a l i f i c a t i o n s  i n  archaeology. Potent ia l  applicants a r e  required t o  s ign  a document which seeks t o  control  t h e i r  a c t i v i t i e s  i n  respect  of minimum standards and reporting.  Basically the document seeks t o  control  the  a c t i v i t i e s  of amateurs and professionsls working on t h e  premise t h a t  a l l  archaeological s i t e s  a r e  unique. Excavators have a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  t o  ensure t h a t  t h e i r  f i e l d  work i s  carried out i n  a profess ional  manner, t h a t  maximum information i s  extracted from s i t e s ,  and t h a t  a l l  excavated materials  a re  analysed and the  r e s u l t s  made ava i l ab le  within a specif ied  time. Unpopular though these measures may prove, we f e e l  t h a t  i n  the  present cl imate,  it is  necessary t o  impose such minimum standards. Finally,  potent ia l  appl icants  f o r  excavation permits i n  Victor ia  a r e  strongly advised t o  plan t h e i r  work well i n  advance and t o  give a much no t i f i ca t ion  of t h e i r  in ten t ion  t o  apply f o r  a permit a s  is  possible. Three months n o t i f i c a t i o n  would normally be appreciated. Copies of  the  relevant Act and forms t o  make appl icat ions  f o r  permits a r e  available from the  Off ice  on request  f o r  a token sum. D r  Peter J.F. Coutts Archaeological 6 Aboriginal Relics Office,  M e  l bourne Archived at Flinders University: dspace.flinders.edu.au

Victorian Relics Office

http://dspace.flinders.edu.au/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2328/191/1975002032033_final.pdf?sequence=3

Victorian Relics Office

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