A tradesman found a selection of leather shoes and textile pieces beneath the Officers Mess at Anglesea Barracks, a building constructed in 1827 as the ‘New Range’ Soldier Barracks, the second constructed on the site. Assessment of these artefacts identified that they dated to the early colonial period and represented a range of rare objects reflecting early convict, military and civilian footwear and garments. A mass of leather and textile offcuts, as well as extensive patching, mending and partial deconstruction of many artefacts themselves, suggested the presence of a tailor and cobbler in a workshop mending clothing for distribution, their workshop likely pre-dating the 1827 Barracks itself.

Objects remaining beneath the building were, however, at risk of damage from regular underfloor access and ingress of water and waste from sewerage pipes in the space. Latitude Heritage Pty Ltd was engaged by Ventia Pty Ltd, on behalf of the Department of Defence, to collect surface artefacts in a systematic manner and protect the site with geotextile and sand, ensuring its ongoing security and safety. Latitude Heritage also catalogued and analysed the resulting artefact collection, providing new insights into what was, at first appearance, a pile of rags and leather scraps.

The artefacts recovered provide evidence of the early colonisation of lutruwita/Tasmania and critical shortages of clothing and footwear supplies in the fledgling settlement. Research on the collection is ongoing by our Director, Dr Jennifer Jones-Travers, with the Army Museum of Tasmania.

(Latitude Heritage Pty Ltd)

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