Archaeologists uncover 19th century gaol under Perth suburban home

A team of 20 volunteers led by the LHS's John Dent and archaeologist Darren Watton spent 9 days at the end of 2023 uncovering the foundations, walls and other small objects from the site which holds significance for the area's local history.

Mr Dent, who heads the LHS' archaeology group, said they discovered this was the site of the old gaol when he and Mr Watton paid the homeowners a visit while they were working in the area.

The family pointed out an unknown object in their backyard and asked Mr Dent and Mr Watton what it could be.

"So we had a bit of a look. We didn't know at the time so we did some research and then we came back to them later and said, 'Oh, we think it's the first Perth gaol.'"

"They were surprised at that," he said.

An archaeological crew arrived in December to dig up the family's lawn.

"They were just really excited by the whole process as were their kids, and it was good to be able to show them what we found and what they had under their backyard, which they didn't realise," Mr Dent said.

The first record of the building is from 1829 when the bushrangers Samuel Britton and John Bevan, were captured by District Constable James Hortle, who happens to be Mr Dent's great-great-great-great-great grandfather.

That's the first documentary evidence of the building but it was likely used as a convict station beforehand, Mr Dent said.

Convicts were building the Perth bridge and would have been housed there, he said.

The building was in use from 1829 to 1844 but it's unclear what happened afterwards as Perth ended up getting another gaol.

Working layer by layer, the team found that the building had in fact been used as something else because they discovered jewellery, though nothing of any value, Mr Dent said.

They also found personal items like buttons and pipes as well as ceramics and bottles dating to the 1860s which suggest that the building could have been used as a dwelling or storeroom, he said.

But the most surprising and valuable discovery they made was a coin dating to 1827.

"You don't often find coins because people don't often drop them. They were valuable back then."

The find is significant because there aren't many buildings from the 1820s that have survived, Mr Dent said.

The site has now been covered up and will return to being the family's lawn.

And soon the results of the dig will be compiled in a report by Mr Dent and Mr Watton, who'll also present a talk later in the year.

Archaeology takes time, money and effort but the society hopes that they'll be able to conduct more future digs in the area, Mr Dent said.