Summary: Along the Resolute Track are a number of scattered Aboriginal engraving sites. These include the signposted Resolute Aboriginal Engraving Site.

Along the Resolute Track at West Head are a number of scattered Aboriginal engraving sites. Most of them were recorded by Ian Sim in 1965, and a few by W.D. Campbell much earlier in 1898.

Resolute Track engravings
Snake (Sim Group 140 Series 2) Man with Club (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Leg (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Fish (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Kangaroo (Sim Group 140 Series 1) Fish (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Shark (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5) Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

Snake (Sim Group 140 Series 2)

Aboriginal engraving of doubled-up snake near Resolute Track

A "headless snake, bent double” and about six feet long.

Man with Club (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7144 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A man with outstretched arms, and what appears to be a massive knob-headed club across his waist.

Leg (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7156 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

Directly below the man is the leg of another man.

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7152 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of two eels above the Man with Club

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7154 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of two eels above the Man with Club

Fish (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7166 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of three fish on the western side of the platform which is still visible.

Kangaroo (Sim Group 140 Series 1)

AWAT7183 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A kangaroo and fish 18 feet south-west of the Man with Club, described as “fading though weathering” over a hundred years ago.

Fish (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT9835 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of two fish recorded by Sim; the other one is covered by soil.

Shark (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT7133 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A tiger shark, with open mouth.

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT7140 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of five eels recorded by Sim, next to Resolute Track

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT7129 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of five eels recorded by Sim, next to Resolute Track

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT7136 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of five eels recorded by Sim, next to Resolute Track

Eel (Sim Group 140 Series 4)

AWAT7142 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

One of five eels recorded by Sim, next to Resolute Track

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9850 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9853 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9853 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9852 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9858 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9860 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

Mundoe (Sim Group 140 Series 5)

AWAT9861 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

A line of six mundoes, on an isolated rock platform

The largest Aboriginal engraving site is signposted and easily accessible via the the Resolute Track from the Resolute Picnic Area. Or take the 4km Resolute Loop Trail, which is one of the best bushwalks at West Head – it goes past the sites below, as well as visiting the Red Hands Cave (another Aboriginal site).

Resolute Track Aboriginal Engraving Site (Sim Group 140, Series 1)

The biggest site is the signposted Resolute Track Aboriginal Engraving Site, which has a very clear engraving of a Man with Club and some eels nearby.

Man with Club Aboriginal engraving along Resolute Track

At the eastern side of the site are three fish (only one is now visible) and an angular line, which is “perhaps a fin or tail of a whale or shark”.

There’s also a very faded engraving in between the Man with Club and the fish. It’s most likely a kangaroo and fish, documented by W.D. Campbell in 1989 (Plate 17, Fig 1) and already described as very weathered over a hundred years ago. From the eastern end of the sites is a nice view over Pittwater and the Barrenjoey Peninsula.

AWAT7176 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

Resolute Track Snake Engraving (Sim Group 140, Series 2)

Above the Resolute Track on a separate rock platform is the Resolute Track Snake Engraving, a “doubled up” snake about six feet in length.

Aboriginal engraving of doubled-up snake near Resolute Track

Resolute Track Snake Engraving (Sim Group 140, Series 4)

The Resolute Track Eel engravings are right next to the Resolute Track, about 80m past the main (signposted) Aboriginal engraving site. The site has five eels and and a tiger shark, all fairly distinct.

One the opposite side of the track and part of the same group are two fish, one of them quite clear and the other covered by soil.

Resolute Track Mundoes (Sim Group 140, Series 5)

The Resolute Track Mundoes is a line of six mundoes above the Resolute Track, pointing south-west.

Resolute Track Whale (Sim Group 141)

As well as an enormous Aboriginal engraving of a whale above the Resolute Track, the Resolute Track Whale site has a small fish and several faint lines which suggest the outline of another whale.

AWAT9868 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

Resolute Track Small Man

A fairly small Aboriginal engraving of a small man, with upstretched arms, was recently recorded just above the Resolute Track.

AWAT9820 LR Resolute Track Aboriginal engraving sites

Resolute Track Hands and Mundoes

Below the Resolute Track is a shelter with a faint hand stencil and a mundoe, and another shelter (Little Hands) which has some very distinct hand prints.

Summary of Resolute Track engraving sites

Site NameNo. MotifsMotifsAHIMS ID
Resolute Track Aboriginal Engraving Site9Man with belt, fish, eels45-6-0142
Resolute Track Kangaroo1Kangaroo and Fish45-6-3772
Resolute Track Snake1Snake45-6-3773
Resolute Track Leaping Wallaby1Wallaby (not found)N/A
Resolute Track Eels8Eels, fish, shark45-6-3775/6
Resolute Track Mundoes6Mundoes45-6-3774
Resolute Track Small Man1ManTBA
Resolute Track Whale2Whale, fish45-6-0143
Resolute Faint Hands1Hand stencil45-6-3919
Resolute Mundoes and V Engs5Mundoes45-6-3920
Little Hands12Hand stencils45-6-1764
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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

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