As you walk across the plaza in front of the Museum, take time to look down. Observe granite markings that plot the archaeologists’ grid, peer into a window that reveals remnant archaeology underfoot, consider the fascinating story of this site. The site had many different uses before it became a museum: First Government House, a carter’s yard, ‘tin shed’, a car park.

During the 1980s, archaeologists uncovered the drains and foundations of first Government House, along with thousands of fragments dating back to 1788. See some of the fascinating artefacts unearthed, including the skeleton of a dog. Was this a feral dog or a much loved pet, carefully buried by its owner, perhaps one of the Governors? Look through the artifacts and imagine life in and around the First Government House of two centuries ago.