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.

Callicoma Trail Red Hand Stencil

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

Callicoma Trail Red Hand Stencils

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

Campbells Creek Fishing site

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

Canoelands 2 Aboriginal Site

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 Aboriginal Site

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