Aboriginal Rock Art - Hornsby Shire

Although the quantity and density of surviving Aboriginal rock art sites in the Hornsby Shire is significantly lower than on the Central Coast, there were 598 recorded sites with art in the 2023 Hornsby Shire Aboriginal Heritage Study (compared to 454 in a previous 1996 study). The Hornsby area was inhabited by the Darug and GuriNgai people, and the art is thought to date back to the early Bondaian period (8,000 to 4,000 years ago) up to post-European contact.

	Total Sites	Non-NPWS Land
Art	598	205
Grinding Grooves	125	56
Modified Tree	9	7
Stone Arrangement	16	2

The rock art of the Hornsby Shire was originally documented by W.D. Campbell, R.H. Mathews and R.E. Etheridge in the 1880s to early 1900s and later by John Tipper, Fred McCarthy and Ian Sim in the mid-twentieth century. More recently, archaeologist Jo McDonald conducted extensive research on and excavated a number of sites in the Sydney Basin, whch included several in the Hornsby LGA.

The list below includes all of the Aboriginal rock art sites within the Hornsby LGA; or you can view sites located in specific National Parks:

Berowra Valley National Park rock art – this park is wholly contained within the Hornsby LGA
Ku-ring-gai Chase NP rock art – this park is within the Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai and Northern Beaches LGAs
Marramarra National Park rock art – wholly within Hornsby and has a diverse range of Aboriginal sites.

Shark Rock Ridge Ledge Engravings

A ritual or mythological Aboriginal engraving site along Shark Rock Ridge. The six figures include a man with large and distinct mouth.

Number of motifs: 6
Quality: 3.5/5
Condition of art: Good
Year first recorded: 1960
Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
View site sketch

Shark Rock Ridge Whale

Along the Shark Rock Ridge track is an Aboriginal engraving of a whale; the enormous figure is ten metres in length, with a goanna and whale inside the whale.

Number of motifs: 3
Quality: 3/5
Condition of art: Good
Year first recorded: 1898
Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
View site sketch

Still Creek Charcoal Figures

Small panel of Aboriginal rock art in a shallow shelter above Stills Creek near Crosslands. There are two hand stencils and multiple charcoal drawings.

Number of motifs: 8
Quality: 2/5
Condition of art: Good
Year first recorded: 1983

Taffys Gully Shelter

Shelter with a single Aboriginal charcoal drawing in Taffys Gully.

Number of motifs: 1
Quality: 2/5
Condition of art: Good
Year first recorded: 1899
Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell
View site sketch

Taffys Rock Whales

An Aboriginal engraving site on a low saddle along the track to Taffys Rock, which has two whales and a wallaby.

Number of motifs: 5
Quality: 3.5/5
Condition of art: Good
Year first recorded: 1899
Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell
View site sketch

Turner Road Hand Stencils

At least 12 Aboriginal hand stencils in red ochre, in a low overhang in Berowra.

Number of motifs: 12
Condition of art: Weathered
Year first recorded: 1986
Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald

Vize Spur engraving site

Recorded during a field survey conducted prior to the construction of the Sydney to Newcastle freeway through Cowan, this Aboriginal engraving site was determined as being of significant anthropological significance.

Number of motifs: 35
Quality: 4/5
Condition of art: Good, Weathered
Year first recorded: 1960
View site sketch