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 small Aboriginal shelter with art along Berowra Creek, which has figures in charcoal and red ochre.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1990
- Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
An Aboriginal engraving site on a boulder along Berowra Creek; two fish are very distinct, and another seven figures have weathered away.
- Number of motifs: 10
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1961
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim
- View site sketch
A distinct carving of a stingray, on a boulder just above the Hawkesbury River (Deerubbin) near Peats Ferrry Bridge.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1995
- Originally recorded by: R.H. Mathews
- View site sketch
One of the most significant sites in the Sydney basin, Devil's Rock at Maroota has over 80 figures, including Baiame and Daramulan who are are both ends of the rock platform.
- Number of motifs: 83
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1894
- Originally recorded by: R.H. Mathews, F.D. McCarthy, Stanbury and Clegg
- View site sketch
Aboriginal engraving and stone arrangement sites to the north-west of the main Devils Rock platform at Maroota.
- Number of motifs: 18
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1986
- Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
Three adjacent Aboriginal engraving sites to the west of the main Devils Rock platform at Maroota, which have almost 30 figures.
- Number of motifs: 28
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1959
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Jo McDonald
- View site sketch [partial]
Two weathered Aboriginal engravings depicting what may be a deity or cultural hero of the Daramulan type and his wife, on a rock platform along the Djarra ridge.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
- View site sketch
An emu and three (or four) mundoes on a boulder near Duckponds Ridge, in Marramarra National Park.
- Number of motifs: 3
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2021
An Aboriginal rock engraving site near Duckponds Ridge, which has a long line of mundoes, three emus and some other unusual figures.
- Number of motifs: 12
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1983
- Originally recorded by: Val Attenbrow
A scarred tree near Duckponds Ridge in Marramarra Narional Park.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2016
Aboriginal cave paintings including a kangaro, two birds and some indeterrminate charcoal figures in a shelter above Marramarra Creek.
- Number of motifs: 10
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1996
An Aboriginal art site with weathered charcoal figures below Dusthole Ridge.
- Number of motifs: 8
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1981
- View site sketch
An Aboriginal engraving site in Muogamarra Nature Reserve, which has a single carving of a whale.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
- View site sketch
A complex Aboriginal engraving site in Berowra, which has eleven figures along a long rock ledge overlooking Joe Crafts Creek.
- Number of motifs: 11
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, 1st Hornsby Scout Group
- View site sketch
Faint Aboriginal charcoal drawings, in a small shelter near the industrial area of Mt Ku-ring-gai
- Number of motifs: 6
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2021
- Originally recorded by: C. Douchkov
1 Comment
veronica · June 3, 2025 at 12:14 pm
wow!!! this is so cool!