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Cleanliness is Next to Godliness : An archaeological perspective on the influences of Victorian values and city-wide health in Parramatta, New South Wales - E. Jeanne Harris

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

An archaeological perspective on the influences of Victorian values and city-wide health in Parramatta, New South Wales

By: E. Jeanne Harris

Paperback | 31 July 2025

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For more than 30 years, archaeologists have recorded and studied the colonial past of Parramatta, the second-oldest European settlement in New South Wales. Archaeological investigations provide a wealth of information that contributes to the interpretation of the landscape, the history of the town's development and our understanding of the people who lived there. Cleanliness is Next to Godliness uses archaeological assemblages generated by these investigations as the basis for exploring what these mainly British settlers and their descendants held as societal beliefs, principles and norms (termed "Victorian values"), which emerged concerning cleanliness and health-related issues.

Dr E. Jeanne Harris explores the ways in which the colonial population of New South Wales was heavily influenced by "Victorian values", which encouraged good health practices through a clean lifestyle. Eight residential sites were chosen for examination based on the following four criteria:

  • sealed rubbish deposits
  • a long 19th-century date range
  • a cross-section of social classes
  • identified resident(s) associated with the location and deposits.

Synthesising these findings, Cleanliness is Next to Godliness analyses the evidence for social reforms that promoted both public health initiatives and personal health practices, providing insight into the everyday lives of those who lived in Parramatta in the 19th century. Cleanliness is Next to Godliness is the first scholarly work that presents the archaeology of Victorian social conventions as evidence of something more than respectability manifested as socio-economic status, manners and etiquette.

Industry Reviews

"The perfect combination of academic research built on legacy commercial data, Cleanliness is Next to Godliness presents a detailed analysis of 19th century health and its treatment by one of Australia's premier experts on historical artefacts." 

- Professor Heather Burke, Flinders University

"Cleanliness is next to godliness is a timely synthesis of a foundational part of Australia's history, presenting a fascinating and thorough historical archaeology of health and society." 

- Dr Caitlin D'Gluyas, University of Queensland

"This is a noteworthy contribution to studies of health in colonial Australia. Perspectives drawn from medical anthropology inform the analysis of a rich record of artefacts and archaeological deposits, integrated with the social history of households and communities. Harris synthesises decades of commercial archaeology in Parramatta in order to provide new insights into white Australia's second-oldest settlement. The multi-scalar approach incorporates individual consumer behaviour and waste disposal patterns with municipal initiatives to manage public health in a developing urban environment. Harris' expertise in Parramatta's history and its archaeological record is clear. She has produced a detailed and intriguing treatment of a fascinating subject." 

- Professor Susan Lawrence, La Trobe University

You Can Find This Book In

Non-FictionArchaeologyArchaeology by Period & RegionHistoryEarliest Times to Present DayModern History from 1700 to 1900MedicineMedicine in GeneralPublic Health & Preventive MedicinePersonal & Public Health / Health EducationGeneral & World HistorySociety & Culture
Social Issues & ProcessesSocial Aspects of Illness & Addictions

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