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:Â Â
- 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.
A single Aboriginal hand stencil in red ochre near the Callicoma Trail in Cherrybrook.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2024
Seven faded Aboriginal hand stencils in red ochre, in a shallow rock shelter above the Callicoma Trail in Cherrybrook.
- Number of motifs: 7
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1979
- Originally recorded by: R Taplin
An Aboriginal engraving site above Campbell Creek, depicting two men, fish and a shield, in what may be a fishing scene.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1899
- Originally recorded by: C. Douchkov
The Canoelands 2 Aboriginal site has about 50 motifs in charcoal, yellow and red ochre, including a large kangaroo and many hand stencils. Nearby are three axe grinding grooves.
- Number of motifs: 50
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1981
- View site sketch
Canoelands is one of the most significant Aboriginal sites around Sydney, and would have been of great importance in the ritual and mythology of the local tribe. The site includes cave art in different pigments dating over six periods, rock engravings and axe grinding grooves.
- Number of motifs: 130
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1961
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Stanbury and Clegg, Jo McDonald
- View site sketch – shelter art / rock engravings
Rock outcrop in Canoelands (Marramarra NP) with a kangaroo, emu and fish engravings.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2001
- Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
Weathered charcoal and red ochre Aboriginal drawings in a small shelter in Canoelands (Marramarra NP)
- Number of motifs: 6
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Unknown recording date
- Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
A small and somewhat unusual Aboriginal cave painting site, in a shelter at the base of a tall cliff near the significant Canoelands 1 site.
- Number of motifs: 3
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1980
A mundoe is on a small rock in front of a low shelter, which contains some very weathered Aboriginal cave art.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1956
A small shelter in Canoelands, which contains several charcoal and one white painting. Nearby is a grooved water channel.
- Number of motifs: 8
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2016
The Coat of Arms Cave or Koh shelter in the Canoelands area contains considerable Aboriginal rock art, with over 50 figures in red ochre, white and charcoal.
- Number of motifs: 55
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1977
A shallow shelter at the base of very tall cliffs on a spur off the Coba Ridge. The Aboriginal charcoal art drawings are very weathered.
- Number of motifs: 3
- Quality: 1.5/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2020
An Aboriginal engraving of a Daramulan figure and a bird, on a long but narrow rock platform near the Coba Ridge walking track.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2019
A small Aboriginal engraving site with a kangaroo and Daramulan figure, on a small rock platform near the Coba Ridge in Marramarra National Park.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1977
- Originally recorded by: Bob Conroy
Aboriginal engravings of four kangaroos on a large rock platform near the Coba Ridge Fire Trail.
- Number of motifs: 4
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2020
1 Comment
veronica · June 3, 2025 at 12:14 pm
wow!!! this is so cool!