A collection of 8,000 year old hearth stones recovered from the Randwick Campus Redevelopment site during early excavations has been returned to site as part of a curated cultural display in the public forecourt of the new Prince of Wales Hospital Acute Services Building.
Where the hospital stands today was once a landscape of enormous sand dunes, creeks and swamps where Aboriginal people fished for eels, yabbies and turtles with traps and spears, gathered plants, and hunted and prepared other animals in the dunes. Families sat around fires burning in hearths, connecting with each other as they cooked and ate their meals.
One of the most significant excavations in NSW Health history, the permanent display of these stones at the entrance to the Acute Services Building is as a symbol of welcome, healing and shared knowledge, and represents the project’s commitment to celebrating and preserving the unique cultural heritage of the site.
The hearth stone display was made possible through the collaboration of key project partners, including Health Infrastructure, Gujaga Foundation, La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, X Squared Design and TILT Industrial Designs and is now a permanent feature of the Randwick Campus Redevelopment site.
Find out more about the project by visiting
Randwick Campus Redevelopment.