What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?
Three public archaeological outreach programs, one for Irwin Historical Society and two for the Town of Claremont
An archaeological conservation plan for the Old Port, Fremantle
Interpretation panels for the history and archaeology of Chase Farm, a site I have previously test excavated and surveyed.
On a volunteer basis I am also heavily involved in advocacy for our archaeology heritage. At the moment I am co-ordinating a nation wide campaign to save the historic site of Cossack from being developed into a housing estate. Archaeologists are instead advocating the site is developed as an archaeological heritage tourism iconic site like Port Arthur in Tasmania.

Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries.
I excavated pearls at Cossack. That was pretty neat. Cossack was the birthplace of the Northwest pearling industry, which later moved to Broome, but no one had ever found pearls there before. I was using public volunteers on the dig and they actually uncovered the two pearls, which was great. They were so wrapped. The pearls along with other artifacts from excavations are on display at the Courthouse Museum in Cossack.

Another discovery, which always springs to mind was a human tooth set with a C19th gold denture clip. We found it under Government House in Perth, alongside a bullet. The crew always stoutly claimed “The Butler Did It”. And of course, there was the maggot in a sealed test tube under a chemist shop. That was a very odd find.

Tell us about a funny/disastrous/amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology.
My most amazing experiences as an archaeologist come from involving the public in the discipline, through outreach programs. People get so excited when they are involved in archaeology; it reminds you of why you choose to be an archaeologist in the first place.

I will always remember a young girl at one dig. The dig was to expose the foundations of a railway trestle, not an artefact rich dig as the trestle was buried by a series of gravel and bitumen hard covers, but a very enjoyable one. She found a lump of rusty iron and was dancing around so excited because she had found something. In the midst of her dance she asked me what it was. A fishplate. She had no idea that a fishplate was part of the railway line and I didn’t have chance to tell her before she danced away shouting “I found a fishplate”. It was so funny and so describes how exciting it is to find artefacts even if they are a rusty bit of iron.

What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?
Working with the public to bring my love of archaeology alive for them. Seeing people light upwith enthusiasm, and knowing that enthusiasm will last.
This was nicely brought home to me during the Save Cossack campaign when a young guy sat down at one of the public consultation meetings. He was full of fire trying to explain to the government consultants that the archaeology of Cossack was too important to trash for a housing estate. They just couldn’t do this. When I spoke up he suddenly turned around, looked hard at me and said. “Wait a minute, you’re the Cossack archaeologist. You came to my school. I went to your site. That’s why I am here”. That dig was in 1990.

Follow up reading:
There are a number of works, mostly conservation plans, available for viewing in the Western Australian State Library. Below is a selection:

Nayton, G. 1991 An Archaeological survey of Cossack and Old Onslow. Report for the Western
Australian Heritage Council.

Nayton, G 2005 Bringing a Ghost Town Back to Life: The heritage spin threatening to destroy the archaeological heritage of Cossack.

Nayton, G & William, L 2002 Kenwick Pioneer Cemetery Conservation Plan. Report for the City of Gosnells

Bodycoat, R. Nayton, G. Palmer, P. & Richards, O. 1995 Conservation Plan, Government House Grounds Perth Western Australia. Report for the Governor's Establishment, Government House Management Advisory Committee & the Building Management Authority.