Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01306:reg:10:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01306
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 10 (pt 1/2)
Character Range: 38357–41213

10   Godden Mackay Logan, 2012, ANU Heritage Study Acton Campus, vol 1, Report prepared for The Australian National University.

  An archaeological assessment of the Murrumbidgee River Corridor within the ACT was undertaken in the early 1980s.11 The general survey findings indicated that there were Aboriginal sites throughout the Murrumbidgee corridor environment, with both riverine and non-riverine oriented economic activities being reflected. However, the survey showed a strong positive association between the concentrations of sites with distance from water sources. Higher concentrations of sites were common in close proximity to water sources (for example the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo Rivers). Such an association is indicative of a high economic exploitation of resources within river valleys and permanent water sources.

2.3    The National Film and Sound Archive site

  In 1919, on a visit to the site of the new Australian Capital, Henry Percival Moss, the Commonwealth Chief Electrical Engineer, found a stone axe head in the vicinity 'quite close to the Acton offices. In 1925 an examination of the surface
  of a 'sandy ridge' between Old Parliament House and the Molonglo River resulted in the discovery and collection of several stone scrapers and points. At around the same time another axe head was located during the laying out of the laws in front of Old Parliament House. During 1929 and 1930 and succeeding years Moss made several surveys of the City and Acton areas. He identified particular areas of focal occupation along the Molonglo corridor:
    >        The site of the Institute of Anatomy and the peninsula running from it around to Lenox Crossing near the Acton offices.
    >        The long sandy spur running down from Black Mountain towards the Forestry School.

    >        The western slopes of Mount Russell or Mount Pleasant at Duntroon and possibly the eastern slopes also, which have been built over since 1911.
    >        An area between Duntroon and Scott's Crossing on the north bank of the Molonglo.
    >        An area between Scott's Crossing and Lennox Crossing including the area around Provisional Parliament
    House (now the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House).12

  Moss continues:

   [In 1931 and 1932 the area bounded by the Institute of Anatomy and Sullivan's Creek and the Hospital yielded a large grinding stone and two pounding stones. This grinding stone is well adapted for resting on a man's knees while he sharpens the edge of an axe or other tool.
   One or two chips were also found and during the same period Mr. Kinsella, of Sydney, found a fine axe-head in the same locality.13

  Moss collected over 300 stone artefacts in the area now defined as Acton and Canberra City, some of which were first exhibited in the Institute of Anatomy and then later