The University of Notre Dame Australia Archaeology lecturer, Dr Shane Burke, has a achieved a significant milestone in historical preservation in the Albany region recently leading the Southern Ports Community excavation project at the Port of Albany Pilot Station.
Southern Ports invited community members to take part in an archaeological excavation of the Port Albany Station in January. The Pilot Station precinct has a long history; it was used to house Port of Albany marine pilots from 1853-1936 and was included on the State Register of Heritage Places in 2002.
The work aims to uncover Albany's maritime history and revitalise the historic site for community use, telling the story of the Port of Albany. The dig welcomed the public to engage in the excavation to learn more about the Pilot Station's history.
The dig uncovered children's toys, such as marbles and the remains of a small doll, and unearthed the foundations of the original structure.
Dr Burke described the excavation as a wonderful achievement.
"Thanks to the organisation work of Southern Ports and the University of Notre Dame Australia the public was given the opportunity to become involved in the work and to take in a small way, ownerships of the research," Dr Burke said.
The excavation was an opportunity for Notre Dame students to engage in research, with seven students participating alongside Notre Dame staff Lauren Tomlinson and Dr Burke.
Third-year archaeology student Edgar-Jerome Ani said the highlight of the excavation was the interactions with the public and engaging with everyone's interpretations of the site and artefacts, "I gained invaluable experience in community engagement in archaeology, the dig gave me the opportunity to see community archaeology works in practice. This experience was beneficial for me as a student and hopefully a future practising archaeologist," said Edgar.
The University of Notre Dame Australia is proud of the continued collaboration with Southern Ports.
