A historical artefact assemblage from Saints Peter and Paul's Old Cathedral in Goulburn.

The stone foundations of four walls underlying Saints Peter and Paul's Old (former) Cathedral in Goulburn, echo an early phase of Australian Catholicism, prior to division into provinces and dioceses. Constructed between 1843-1847, it has long been assumed that this is all that remains of one of the oldest Catholic churches to be established in rural mainland Australia. In 2005, stabilisation of the church foundations revealed a small 19th-century artefact assemblage, coincident with the establishment of both the church and subsequent cathedral on this plot. In this paper we describe this assemblage, providing the first detailed historical archaeological assessment that is directly associated with a Catholic church dating to this period and region. We report religious insignia and domestic items, another first for church archaeology in Australia, and use this information to explore the development of Catholicism in rural New South Wales. A story that frequently focuses on the important role played by priests, bishops and cardinals, we examine the equally important influences of parishioners-including resident nuns, caretakers, and builders.