Cumberland Street Dig Site
The Cumberland Street Dig Site is located between Cumberland and Gloucester streets and lies within Australia's most important historical precinct, The Rocks.
The 2,650 square metre site has outstanding cultural significance. As a rare surviving element of the convict and ex-convict community established in the area at the time of Australia's first European settlement in the late 1700s, the site has strong historic association and provides physical evidence of 19th century events, processes and people.
More than 750,000 items and the remains of more than 30 buildings have been unearthed on the site during the past decade.
As part of its committment to the best historic conservation and contemporary urban architecture for the site, the Authority called for innovative proposals for the design, conservation, development and delivery of an interpretive project for the site in January 2006. In January 2008, a successful submission from Youth Hostel Association (YHA) was granted development approval.
In what will be the largest archaeological urban development ever completed in Australia, the proposal for Sydney Harbour YHA includes:
- a 106-room hostel with 354 beds, providing budget accommodation in The Rocks
- a world class archaeological centre, allowing visitors to interact with historical artefacts
- public access to the site, including a large open area on Gloucester Street where the most significant remnants are located
- reinstatement of Carahers and Cribbs lanes
- interpretation of the site's history.
It is anticipated that the Sydney Harbour YHA will open at the end of 2009.
