▁when ▁a ▁concrete ▁sl ab ▁was ▁laid ▁as ▁the ▁pav ement ▁for ▁a ▁bus ▁dep ot . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁the ▁site ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁the ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁Sydney ▁C ove ▁R ede velop ment ▁Author ity ▁and ▁its ▁successor ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Har bour ▁For esh ore ▁Author ity . ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁subject ▁to ▁arch ae ological ▁exc av ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁Th ematic ▁history ▁ ▁Ab original ▁cult ures ▁and ▁interactions ▁with ▁other ▁cult ures ▁The ▁Ro cks ▁area , ▁including ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁site , ▁was ▁witness ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁very ▁first ▁enc oun ters ▁between ▁the ▁traditional ▁own ers , ▁the ▁Cad ig al ▁people , ▁and ▁the ▁newly ▁arrived ▁sett lers ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁later ▁second ▁fle ets . ▁There ▁was ▁likely ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years , ▁a ▁transition , ▁when ▁both ▁cult ures ▁lived ▁close ▁by ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁occup y ▁the ▁same ▁locale . ▁Phys ical ▁evidence ▁collected ▁during ▁the ▁large ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁included ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁piece ▁of ▁post - 1 7 9 0 ▁por cel ain ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁expert ly ▁fla ked ▁by ▁Ab original ▁people , ▁pres umably ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁useful ▁tool . ▁ ▁Con v ict s , ▁migr ants ▁and ▁housing ▁The ▁Ro cks ▁area ▁was ▁within ▁the ▁town ▁site ▁most ▁often ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁conv ict ▁history