Clarkson, Marianne (2011) Forging ahead at Hervey's Range in the hinterland of Townsville, north Queensland. Australasian Historical Archaeology, 29. pp. 45-51.

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Abstract

One of the acknowledged gaps in historical archaeological research themes is that of early Australian secondary industries, such as blacksmith shops, making any comparison to conclusions drawn from research elsewhere in the world very difficult. The classic diagnostic criteria for a stand-alone blacksmith shop was described by Light (1984) following his work at several Canadian fur trade era sites, with Hyett (2002) suggesting some reasons, such as climate, availability of local materials and transportation difficulties, as to why his findings at an early Australian blacksmith did not adhere to these strict descriptions. Recent excavation work on a heritage listed site in the Townsville hinterland has revealed a possible smith dating to the mid-1860s that also deviates from Light's criteria, hinting that other factors, such as the customer base, distance from a main town and the experience of the smithy himself, may be important for the shop’s design and layout. Further research in this area could help to define a more specific set of diagnostic criteria for early Australian blacksmiths.

Item ID:	37702
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1322-9214
Date Deposited:	16 Nov 2015 01:46
FoR Codes:	21 HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 2101 Archaeology > 210108 Historical Archaeology (incl Industrial Archaeology) @ 100%
SEO Codes:	95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9505 Understanding Past Societies > 950503 Understanding Australias Past @ 100%
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