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.
A rock platform near the Kimmerikong Trail has Aboriginal engravings whch include a row of ten fish, and a very weathered human figure.
- Number of motifs: 13
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2007
- Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
Axe grinding grooves along an unnamed creek along the Kimmerikong Ridge in Muogamarra National Park
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2016
A weathered Aboriginal rock engravings site along the Kimmerikong Ridge, which was said to depict an initiation ceremony.
- Number of motifs: 7
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch
An elevated rock platform along the Kimmerikong Ridge (Muogamarra National Park) which has 13 figures, incuding a large Daramulan.
- Number of motifs: 13
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch
An Aboriginal engraving site on a large rock platform along the Kimmerikong Ridge, with three fish, an oval and an eel. Nearby are multiple heaps of stones.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1899
- Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch – Eel (Mcarthy) / Fish (Campbell)
A very weathered shelter in Mount Colah, originally documented as having five figures drawn in charcoal.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Partially Destroyed, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1979
- Originally recorded by: R Taplin
A significant site based on the incredibly large number of axe grinding grooves (>250), this site along Layburys Creek also has two shelters with rock art.
- Number of motifs: 13
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1987
Three weathered charcoal figures located in a long shelter behind a waterfall on Layburys Creek.
- Number of motifs: 3
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1987
Little Devils Rock at Maroota is a significant Aboriginal engraving site, which has a number of motifs including a large Baiame and a Daramulan figure.
- Number of motifs: 12
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1897
- Originally recorded by: R.H. Mathews, F.D. McCarthy, Stanbury and Clegg
- View site sketch
A complex Aboriginal rock art assemblage in Maroota, which has stencils and drawings in charcoal, white ochre and red ochre. Nearby is a cluster of grinding grooves.
- Number of motifs: 75
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1986
- Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
Eleven hand stencils in a low overhang near Marramarra Ridge; many of them are very distinct
- Number of motifs: 11
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1984
A large rock platform above the Old Northern Road, which has five Aboriginal engravings including a large man and koala/Daramulan figure.
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1977
- Originally recorded by: R Taplin, Bob Pankhurst
Aboriginal engraving of an indeterminate object, near the Mitchell Fire Trail
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1995
A complex Aboriginal engraving in Mount Colah, which includes five men (one a post-contact figure), a giant snake and at least 15 mundoes.
- Number of motifs: 25
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good, Vandalised
- Year first recorded: 1980
A small and shallow shelter with Aboriginal rock art in Mount Colah, with three weathered figures in charcoal.
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2023
1 Comment
veronica · June 3, 2025 at 12:14 pm
wow!!! this is so cool!