Consultant required for an archaeological project in Perth (Australia)

Project Brief:
Proposed Ground Sonar Testing of Cemeteries at Woodman Point Regional Park, Western Australia

Background:
Friends of Woodman Point Recreation Camp Inc was incorporated on 10 May 2001; its purpose is to preserve the buildings and heritage of the former Woodman Point Quarantine Station, allowing community access to the area for recreational purposes and to be enveloped in the significant cultural heritage that is Woodman Point.

The proposed project (which is subject to a successful grant application from Lotterywest), will be to conduct an archaeological survey of two known cemeteries at Woodman Point in order to delineate the extent of both cemeteries, and to plot possible sites of burial. Methods should include ground penetrating radar, photographic, documentary, and site analysis (such as metal detection).

Cemetery 1 is located in the Woodman Point Recreation Camp, and a 1901 site plan shows its size to be approximately 26,500 sq feet. Cemetery 2 is located in the nature reserve adjoining the camp, and a site plan drawn in 1995 (indicative only), shows it to be approximately half the size of Cemetery 1. Both plans, and an aerial photograph, are available for electronic transmission. The terrain is flat and easily accessible, but permission should be pre-arranged.

Aims of the Project:
Friends of Woodman Point’s goal in commissioning the project are to conserve and interpret these sites in order to provide context to engage with the history of public health and quarantine in Western Australia. Park visitors are the intended audience for that interpretation. Currently approximately 2,000 people visit the Recreation Camp each year, and 280,000 people visit other areas within the Park. Future audiences may include those seeking a heritage tourism experience.

The consultant archaeologist will produce a report and will also provide and deliver a Powerpoint presentation of the resulting data. Four unbound copies of the report will be required in A4 portrait format, with sans serif font, photographs, and A3 maps. Four CDs of the Powerpoint presentation will also be required. Friends will distribute copies the report to Lotterywest (the proposed funding agency), the Department of Sport & Recreation (DSR, the Recreation Camp’s managing agency), and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC, the Park’s lead managing agency, and the department responsible for managing the nature reserve).

Project tasks/components:

The archaeological focus of the project will be on those who were buried in Cemetery 1 from c1893 to 1918 (victims of smallpox, typhoid, leprosy, and bubonic plague); and those who were buried in Cemetery 2 from 1918 to 1943 (victims of smallpox and pneumonic influenza).

Sources which should be consulted include:

• The conservation plan for the Recreation Camp
• Archival records
• Photographs
• A register of those who are known to have died, been cremated, or buried at Woodman Point
• An assessment of the crematorium and cemeteries at Woodman Point Quarantine Station (fmr): for the National Trust of Australia
• An interpretation plan for Woodman Point Regional Park
• A thesis on the significance of the cemeteries and crematorium at Woodman Point

These sources may be viewed, by appointment, at the office of Woodman Point Recreation Camp, and a CD of the last four documents is available on request.

Additionally, the consultant is required to conduct historical research to determine whether either cemetery was consecrated, and whether church records exist for cemeteries at Woodman Point.

Liaison with Friends, DSR, and DEC for planning, reporting, and site visits, is a requirement.

Timeline:
The proposed starting date is December 2007, and the deadline for project completion is July 2008.

Budget:
The total budget will be the grant received by Lotterywest for this project.

Selection Criteria:
The archaeologist should demonstrate that he/she is suitably qualified and experienced, has research and writing skills of a high order, and demonstrated experience in project management and meeting project deadlines.

Expressions of Interest:
For further information, please contact:
Gail Dodd, Honorary Historian, Friends of Woodman Point Inc.
36 Stefanelli Close, Wandi WA 6167 Australia
[9397 0990; fax (‘phone first for connection: 9397 1090) dodd@iinet.net.au].

Expressions of interest should include a quotation, an explanation of services provided, and a CV.

The closing date for submissions is 30 June 2007.