Lime kiln and tombstone uncovered at Quarantine Station

2 December 2024

At the end of August, storms, strong winds and very high tides combined to erode parts of the foreshore dune at the Quarantine Station, Point Nepean. The extreme weather scoured away beach sands and undermined the face of the sand dune, leading to the collapse of stabilising vegetation.

As a result, two remarkable and previously unknown archaeological features were uncovered.

Erosion exposes burial marker

The first was the base of a broken sandstone and marble tombstone. The marker was almost certainly once located in the burial ground that was established nearby following the tragic events associated with the ‘plague ship’ Ticonderoga. In 1852, 168 passengers died from typhus and scarlet fever, and a cemetery was established for their burial. The cemetery was in use for only a few years, before another one was opened in a less populous area to the west. Some exhumations and relocations of human remains took place, and the broken tombstone may be a relic from the time when the cemetery fell into disuse. Over the last few weeks the burial marker has again been naturally covered by beach sand and is no longer visible.

A historic lime kiln uncovered

The same weather event also exposed the very intact remains of a historic lime kiln. Lime burning was an important early colonial industry, providing much needed builders’ lime for the growing city of Melbourne. In the early 1850s, Patrick Sullivan and William Cannon established rudimentary pastoral holdings in the area that would become the Quarantine Station, with both men constructing lime kilns.

Following the arrival of the Ticonderoga, Sullivan and Cannon were given orders to vacate the Quarantine Station. Various historical plans, principally an 1854 survey plan, identify Cannon’s Limekiln on the foreshore in the area where the archaeological remains have now been exposed.

The lime kiln is a remarkable structure, with a width of almost 5 metres.It is astounding that it has remained undiscovered beneath sand, shrubs and bushes for so long. Despite the recent storm damage, it is in very good condition.

Preservation efforts underway

Heritage Victoria’s archaeologists have visited the site and recorded the lime kiln. Discussions are now underway between Heritage Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Emergency Recovery Coordination (Heritage) Program to determine how the lime kiln ruin can best be managed and protected.

Note: the Heritage Act 2017 provides protection for all historical archaeological sites in the state and strong penalties apply. Please report any suspicious activity to Heritage Victoria.