Riverbank & Nyunda Park Area

The Riverbank and Nyunda Park Area comprises an area of bushland located between the core hospital complex and the former Farm Complex, stretching northeast around the reservoir and uphill towards the Basil Stafford Centre.  The former sandstone quarry workings and associated transport infrastructure are evident amongst the riverbank bushland to the west of Explorer’s Walk, which winds north-south through the area.

The modern warehouse to the west and the youth detention centre to the east are not of state-level cultural heritage significance.

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Features of the Riverbank and Nyunda Park Area of state-level cultural heritage significance include:

• Landscape and Views • Early Road Network (Explorer’s Walk)

• Former Sandstone Quarry and Track (1860s)

• Hospital Dump Sites

Landscape and Views

The landscape comprises a mix of remnant and regrowth bushland across an area of varied topography.

A sandstone ridge runs along the steep-sided riverbank and the undulating inland terrain comprises a series of contoured ridges, slopes and gullies that form a catchment area around the dam reservoir to the north.

The area has remained substantially undeveloped throughout its history.

It forms part of the natural landscape setting for the hospital complex and contrasts with the relatively open, designed landscapes surrounding the hospital buildings and across the golf course areas to the east and south.

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Features of the Landscape and Views of state-level cultural heritage significance include:

• Areas of open and enclosed bushland, providing a natural setting for the core hospital complex and a buffer between it and the Farm Complex and Basil Stafford Centre.

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Former Sandstone Quarry and Track (1860s)

The area west of Explorer’s Walk contains a series of quarry workings where stone was extracted from outcrops along the sandstone ridge. There are two main workings (north and south) and other smaller workings scattered around the centre of this area.

The workings are evidenced by worked faces (vertical) and benched areas (horizontal) and are accessed by a track along which stone was transported to a jetty on the river, approximately 600m to the north.

A second track diverts southeast to access the main hospital complex.

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Features of the Quarry Workings and Track of state-level significance also include:

• Northern workings, comprising a group of four faces and benches that step down towards the river; the largest face (closest to the river) is approximately 80m in length

• Southern workings, comprising a single face and bench approximately 50m in length

• Smaller workings, comprising a collection of worked faces scattered throughout the centre of the area

• Early tracks, including route, clearing and formation • Stone jetty remnants along the riverbank (not sighted in 2020)

• timber bridge remnants, located along the track approximately 60m southeast of the jetty remnants (not sighted in 2020).

 

Hospital Dump Sites

The Hospital Dump Sites comprise a series of medium to high-density artefact scatters located adjacent to a modern powerline easement to the north of the former Quarry Workings.

The scatters contain discarded material associated with the hospital and farm complex; with some evidence it has been deposited in a systematic manner – grouped by type.

The largest scatter contains a concentration of glass, ceramic and metal kitchenware and tableware, including large and small fragments of white-glazed earthenware and stoneware jugs, cups and other vessels, white-enamelled metal jugs and pans, and assorted metal containers and utensils.

Other scatters contain collections of metal milk cans, water tanks, bed frames, wire fencing and electrical equipment.