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.
Multiple piles of stones on a small rock platform are likely to be an Aboriginal stone arrangement.
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Partially Destroyed
- Year first recorded: 2012
- Originally recorded by: Bob Conroy
A small Aboriginal engraving site along the Peats Crater Trail in the Muogamarra Nature Reserve.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Unknown recording date
The largest figure at this Muogamarra Aboriginal engraving site is a manta ray; nearby are five men, a woman, a kangaroo rat and a very clearly-carved bird.
- Number of motifs: 14
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1899
- Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch
A large whale engraving next to the Peats Crater Trail in Muogamarra Nature Reserve. Nearby is a wallaby and two circles (which may represent squid or food for the whale).
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 4/5
- Year first recorded: 1899
- Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch
A low shelter with a complex panel of Aboriginal rock art, primarily in charcoal but with one red ochre fiigure. Most of the motifs are wallabies or kangaroos.
- Number of motifs: 30
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1984
A weathered cave painting of a kangaroo in red ochre, below Peebles Road.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1979
- Originally recorded by: R Taplin
A circular pothole surrounded by over 20 axe grinding grooves, near the Peeble Trail just outside Marramarra National Park. The rock platform also has some very weathered Aboriginal engravings.
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2016
Grooved water channel and axe grinding grooves on a rock platform near the Pogson Trig Firetrail.
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2021
First recorded by the 1st Hornsby Scout Group, this Aboriginal engraving site depicts a man and his pregnant wife.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
- View site sketch
A weathered Aboriginal engraving of two wallabies (or kangaroos) on a sloping rock platform
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1967
- Originally recorded by: C. Douchkov
A tall overhang above Pyes Creek, which contains eight Aboriginal charcoal drawings. Some of the figures appear clothed, suggesting this may be a post-contact site.
- Number of motifs: 8
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1984
- Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
- View site sketch
A signposted site next to Quarter Sessions Road has an Aboriginal engraving depicting a pair of leaping kangaroos.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Partially Destroyed, Re-located
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Jo McDonald, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
- View site sketch
An Aboriginal engraving of an emu and a smaller (indeterminate) figure at Refuge Rock in Cherrybrook.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2024
One of the most spectacular Aboriginal rock art sites in Sydney's north, with a large panel of red ochre and charcoal drawings.
- Number of motifs: 20
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2021
A shallow overhang above Sams Creek with Aboriginal rock art depicting what appear to be a shield and animals.
- Number of motifs: 7
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2021
1 Comment
veronica · June 3, 2025 at 12:14 pm
wow!!! this is so cool!