7.01 Early Lime and Cement
a. shell lime and imports
b. rock lime
c. lime burning
d. hydraulic lime and cement
e. mortar and grout
f. stucco
The nature of early buildings and engineering works in Australia was greatly affected
by the location of the raw materials, for where they were lacking it was simply
impossible to translate standard British practice onto the colonial scene. It was in fact
the very lack of a good hydraulic lime or cement, or indeed a rock lime of any sort,
which determined much of the architectural character of our first settlement.
a. shell lime and imports
Neither limestone or chalk was to be found in the vicinity of Sydney Cove,1 and
shells were burnt for lime in the first months of settlement, as they had been in other
colonies in North America2 and South Africa.3 Governor Phillip is said to have
brought a little lime from England to the settlement, but he had to try and obtain more
locally even for his own house. 'The Governor', wrote John White, 'notwithstanding
that he had collected together all the shells which could be found, for the purpose of
obtaining from them the lime necessary to the construction of a house for his own
residence, did not procure even a fourth part of the quantity which was wanted.'4
Such lime as could be obtained from sea shells at Sydney was in great demand for
stuccoing and plastering over the other inferior building materials, and not much was
used for mortar or other structural purposes.
To the shortage of good mortar can be attributed the prevalence of single storey
buildings in early Sydney, as well as their rapid rate of deterioration. As Phillip said.
'the materials can only be laid in clay, which makes it necessary to give great
thickness to the walls, and even then they are not so firm as might be wished.'5 Brick
walls were built with mortars of clay or loam at Government House, Parramatta, of
1
Arthur Phillip, The Voyage of Governor Phillip to B