Archaeological investigations at Bremer Mills, 2026

Uncovering History at Bremer River, Bundamba
The Bremer River at Bundamba was identified as a priority reach for bank stabilisation following the 2022 floods due to the significant erosion that occurred along this section of the river. Rehabilitation works under the Urban Rivers and Catchment Program include bank reshaping, high-density native revegetation, and the installation of habitat stacks.

However, during pre-site investigations in July 2026, Council encountered a few roadblocks (pun intended, this will make sense by the end!).

Several artefacts and features had previously been identified, including what was believed to be an old drainage path, staircase, plates, and other bits and bobs. Council and the crew worked with archaeologist, Dr Serena Love,  the archaeologist who led earlier investigations on the site. Together, they conducted a site visit to locate what was believed to be the only remaining features of significance. At the time, this appeared to be a small number of surviving pavers, with the remainder presumed lost due to flood-related bank erosion.

Fast forward to construction, and the project was well underway. The crew had been briefed on the possibility of uncovering known structures while reshaping the bank (and potentially lots of bones!). However, on the very first day of works, they uncovered something entirely unexpected.

Rather than just removing the feature, the team paused work and invited the archaeologist back to site. What followed was an exciting discovery, an undocumented structure comprising of hand-carved limestone blocks arranged in a 2 m x 2 m square formation. Based on the presence of a burned soil layer beneath the structure, it was determined that the feature was likely associated with a historical burning process.

The structure was carefully recorded, and excavated from the riverbank, ensuring valuable historical information was preserved before rehabilitation works continued.

This project is a great example of the collaboration between Council, contractors, and specialist consultants, demonstrating with the right team, environmental restoration projects can also uncover and preserve important pieces of our local history.