Victoria’s post-contact history in objects on show

The exhibition includes more than 70 archaeological artefacts from Heritage Victoria’s collection, including 200-year-old objects from the failed convict settlement at Sorrento, a pistol from the site of the Eureka Rebellion, and burial boxes from the mass grave at Pentridge Prison where Ned Kelly was re-buried. 

The collection traces Victoria’s settlement and growth from convict times, through the years of the whaling industry and the Goldrush, up to the birth of ‘Marvellous Melbourne’.

The artefacts also tell the stories of forgotten Victorians – people such as the Chinese in the goldfields and impoverished workers in early Melbourne, who have not left their mark on traditional histories, but whose lives are reflected in the trinkets and treasures that are left behind. 

The exhibition, called Secret Lives, Forgotten Stories, is co-curated by Dr Andrew Jamieson from the Classics and Archaeology Program at the University of Melbourne and Jeremy Smith, Senior Archaeologist at Heritage Victoria. 

Dr Jamieson says that since amendments to the 1995 Victoria Heritage Act, over 900 archaeological sites have been investigated allowing professional management of precious artefacts in the Heritage Victoria conservation centre.

A champagne or wine bottle dating from 1795, which was found only 40 years ago by a local scuba diver and recently handed in to Heritage Victoria, and a 1697 coin found in the homestead ruin near Heidelberg – planted in the foundations possibly as a good luck charm, are among the artefacts.

“Stories from Victoria’s history are brought to life through these artefacts,” Dr Jamieson says, “but the stories about the archaeological digs that discovered them are also fascinating, and because most of the objects have been recovered in the last 20 years, represent the coming of age of Victorian archaeology.”

“Never before has it been possible to see the state’s history so richly presented through the lens of archaeology. 

“Excavations in Victoria over the past 20 years have uncovered significant archaeological remains and relics. Many of the artefacts in the exhibition have never been displayed publicly before.

“For the first time it is now possible to see the evolving story of Victoria’s 19th Century settlement and development reflected in its archaeology,” Dr Jamieson says.

The exhibition highlights the history of archaeology in the state, revealing the discoveries of archaeologists and the contributions they have made to our understanding of Victoria’s past. 

The collection also has a maritime theme, featuring artefacts recovered from two important shipwrecks, the Cheviot and the SS City of Launceston. 

“The exhibition represents a very exciting and important opportunity to collaborate with Heritage Victoria (and the Heritage Council) in telling the story of the settlement and growth of Victoria through these unique objects,” Dr Jamieson says.