An excavation of a midden complex at the Toulkerrie Oystermens Lease, Moreton Island, S.E. Queensland

Abstract

In 1968, the Queensland Government proposed the granting of an Oysterman's Reserve at Toulkerrie on the south west coast of Moreton Island, under the trusteeship of the Fisheries Division, Department of Primary Industries. The lease consists of some 11 Lots within a wedge-shaped tract from 400m long (N-S) by between 100m (in north) and 50m wide (south). As a consequence of this proposal the National Parks and Wildlife Service decided to alter the route of a stretch of road running through the lease area and called for a prior archaeological inspection of the new route. This work revealed numerous middens within the proposed lease proper (Hall 1988a) and subsequent discussions between D.P.I. and the (then) Archaeology Branch, Department of Community Services, led to a cultural resource management study (Hall 1988b). On the basis of an assessment of the surface manifestation of cultural material this area was deemed a significant Aboriginal midden-camp complex. Accordingly, a management plan was proposed which included limited archaeological excavation.