Background to the Site Study:
Observatory Hill has, throughout its history, served as a site of Aboriginal occupation and the
location for a variety of important Government facilities and buildings. It was the site of
Australia's first windmill 1796-97 which acted as a symbol of the colony's earliest attempts at
self-sufficiency. In 1804 construction of Fort Phillip, a citadel for defence from insurrection,
was commenced and together with the Military Hospital built by Governor Macquarie in
1815, made Observatory Hill part of a military installation that stretched from the Battery at
Dawes Pt. to the barracks and parade grounds at present day Wynyard.
Important to the maritime history of the colony was the establishment on Observatory Hill in
1825 of a Signal Station. This transmitted and received messages via South Head, from ships
in the Harbour and off the coast. In 1850, with the departure of the military from Wynyard to
Victoria Barracks in Paddington, the Military Hospital was converted for use as a school. At
that time it was known as the Fort Street Model School, later to become Fort Street High
School and eventually to become the NSW headquarters of the National Trust.
Observatory Hill derives its name from the Sydney Observatory which grew from plans for a
simple timeball tower to a full astronomical observatory in 1858. The Sydney Observatory is
currently a part of the Powerhouse Museum. When it was operating, the Observatory took
daily records of Sydney's weather until 1922 when the Weather Bureau building was erected.
Nowadays, the weather station is automatic and housed in the enclosure next to the
Environmental Education Centre. A limited number of readings are taken at this location
because construction and development in the city has rendered some recordings unreliable.
Lead-up Activities:
Wherever possible, teachers are encouraged to pre-visit the study area to familiarise
themselves with the area and to select the most appropriate activities and format for the day
(the staff at the Environmental Education Centre are available to assist). The most successful
fieldwork visits are those that have direct relevance to current classroom learning and we
recommend the completion of the suggested lead-up activities to enhance classroom learning
and to emphasise to students that their fieldwork is an extension of their school's educational
program.
Activities carried out prior to the Site Study will prepare students for the day and provide a
link with classroom learning.
These should include:

defining terms and concepts involved with heritage. (Refer to glossary, bibliography and
internet sites)

investigating Aboriginal culture and groups present in the local area prior to white
settlement.

revising basic mapping skills; scale, contours, direction etc.

describing features of local heritage 1) around the school (ea. Honour Boards) and
2) in the local area (ea. Memorials, Historic Houses).

identifying some sources used in investigating heritage.

examining the work done by archaeologists.

schools will need to reproduce a class set of Student Activity Booklets for use on the day.
Students should be given a "walk through" in preparation for their visit.

students should also have an opportunity to study contemporary and historic maps on The
Rocks and Millers Point to place Observatory Hill within the context of the growth of the
colony and its position in relation to the Central Business District. (Internet addresses may
help here)
Glossary
Archaeology
Citadel
Bunya Nuts
Copperplate
Eora
Heritage
Kadigal
Semaphore
Site Study
Tuhbowgule
Warrane
The scientific study of any culture by excavation and description of its
remains.
A fortress in or near a city built to fire upon the inhabitants in times of
insurrection or unrest.
Edible nuts of the Bunya - Bunya Pine.
An ornate, rounded style of handwriting.
The nation of Aborigines who lived in the Sydney region. The word itself
means people. Also spelt EORAH and IYORA.
Those valuable features of the historical and contemporary environment
that we seek to conserve from development or decay so that future
generations may share in the aesthetic, cultural, political, social and
economic legacy bequeathed from one generation to the next.
The Aborigines who lived in the area around Observatory Hill. A group
of the Eora.
A system of signalling in which a flag is held in each hand at arm's
length in various positions.
An enquiry-based visit to historically significant locations. (The field
work involved is an integral part of the mandatory question on heritage
in the History 7-10 Syllabus).
The Eora name for Sydney Harbour. Also spelt TUBOWGULE.
The Eora name for Sydney Cove. Also spelt WARRAN and WARRUN.
Bibliography
Board of Studies
* Fitzgerald, S & Keating, C
* Horan, Ronald S
* The National Trust of Australia
Kerr, James Semple
NSW Dept. School Education
Public Works Dept. of NSW
* Vulker, Judy
History 7-10 Syllabus, 1992
Millers Point. The Urban Village, Hale & Iremonger,
1991
Fort Street, Honeysett Publications, 1989
Local History. Ideas and Suggestions for Teachers. The
Heritage Council of Australia, 1981
Sydney Observatory, Museum of Applied Arts and
Science, 1991
Australian History 7-10 Curriculum Support
Document
Australian History Support Document Met. North
Region, 1993
Observatory Hill Conservation Management Plan.
Govt. Architects Branch, 1987.
Studying Australian Architecture. Royal Australian
Institute of Architects, 1990
* Denotes that the book is available for loan from the Observatory Hill Urban Field Studies
Centre.
Heritage internet sites
Web sites with a focus on heritage and/or the Observatory Hill Site Study
Australian Heritage Commission
Archives Authority of NSW
Australian Museums on line
Historic Houses Trust of NSW
National Trust
NSW Heritage Office
State Library NSW
Sydney Observatory
www.erin.gov.au:80/portfolio/ahc/ahc/.htm1
www.records.nsw.gov. au
www.nma.gov.au
www.hht.nsw.gov.au
www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au
www.heritage.nsw.gov.au
www.s1nsw.gov.au
www.phm.gov.au/observe/
This program has been created and designed by Paulene Dowd.