No shovels, just science: how ground-penetrating radar is rewriting local history
Ground-penetrating radar technology is being used for the first time in Port Macquarie to uncover historical information from 200 years ago. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingAll. . .
Ground-penetrating radar technology is being used for the first time in Port Macquarie to uncover historical information from 200 years ago. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingAll articles from our websiteThe digital version ofToday'sPaperThe University of New England and the Port Macquarie and Districts Family History Society have joined forces to link historical information gaps about Port Macquarie's colonial past at Allman Hill, which overlooks the Hastings River and Town Beach area. Established by Captain Francis Allman, the hillside location served as the township's primary cemetery for two years before expanding settlement forced its closure in late 1824. The historical society's Clive Smith, who is also a Fellow of the Australian Society of Archivists, said it's the first time the technology has been used by the historical society and potentially the whole area. The historical society's Clive Smith, who is also a Fellow of the Australian Society of Archivists, said it's the first time the technology has been used by the historical society and potentially the whole area. Picture by Liz Langdale. Mr Smith said his research into death records suggest there could be as many as 50 burials, far exceeding the 28 previously assumed. University of New England Professor David Andrew Roberts and Professor Martin Gibbs visited Port Macquarie and have already discovered some anomalies using the ground-penetrating radar. "The disturbances tend to be in this sort of sweet spot area of [about] 1. 5 to two metres deep," Professor Gibbs said. "So we're always very careful to not say we can see a grave. ". . . We can see anomalies, but those anomalies are at the sort of depth and of the sort of type which may indicate graves. "While it may take time for the professors to piece together their findings, Professor Gibbs said they are "very hopeful that we may have found at least one section of unmarked graves". The University of New England and the Port Macquarie and Districts Family History Society have joined forces to link historical information gaps about Port Macquarie's colonial past at Allman Hill, which overlooks the Hastings River and Town Beach area. Picture by Liz Langdale. Mr Smith said the discovery is an exciting development, as it could also help bridge gaps for residents' family tree research. The information could also give more thorough details about Port Macquarie's early colonial society, which Mr Smith said was a "more complex" society than previously thought. According to research, Mr Smith said there were also about 50 children who lived during that time and two schools were operating. He said it's likely babies and children could be buried on the hill, due to poor diet and limited medical technology of the 1822-1824 era. However, Mr Smith said the aim of the research was never to find out exactly who is buried at Allman Hill, but to determine the physical extent of the burial ground. ". . . Then we can say well this area has so many graves in it and here's a list of the people we think are probably buried here," he said. Professor Gibbs said operating the ground-penetrating radar requires systematically pushing the device back and forth across grids to ensure no areas are missed. For Allman Hill, the team mapped the area systematically using two 20-metre square grids. "You essentially push it in at the same rate and in the same way you would push an extremely expensive lawn mower," Professor Gibbs said. Mr Smith will present their official findings at the NSW and ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual State Conference at Panthers, Port Macquarie in September. A free family history fair is on Friday, September 18 which is open to the public. The conference is on September 19 and September 20. As it happensBreaking news alertBe the first to know when news breaks.