America Bay – upper site

Summary: A short detour off the America Bay Track reveals some fascinating Aboriginal rock engravings, including a large whale

  • Site type: Rock engraving
  • Number of sites: 2
  • Number of motifs: 9
  • Motif/s: Goanna, Mundoe (foot), Stingray, Whale, Woman
  • Quality: 4.5/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • View site sketch
  • Year first recorded: 1898
  • Originally Recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy, Stanbury and Clegg
  • Campbell Reference: BROKEN BAY Plate 19 Fig 1 in Aboriginal Carving of Port Jackon and Broken Bay (Download)
  • McCarthy reference: BROKEN BAY Mankind Group 33 Series 1 and 2 in Catalogue of Rock Engravings (1983)
  • Peter Stanbury and John Clegg. A Field Guide to Aboriginal Rock Engravings. 1990. p.28
  • Sydney Rock Art – America Bay

The largest Aboriginal heritage site at America Bay (which was previously sign-posted) has a number of overlapping figures. It features a whale in the middle of the group.

engraving plate xix fig1 America Bay - upper site

The large and still very distinct whale was described by W.D. Campbell in 1899: “the group comprises a whale sixteen feet long and three small figures. The whale has a double line at the anterior and posterior portion of the body; the large fin also has a narrow double line near its extremity, and a narrow triple line at its base. In the middle of the body opposite the large fin is a circle with a sword-like projection; this, doubtless, has a mystic meaning.” (Plate 19, Fig 1).

img 4121 lr America Bay - upper site

Overlapping the whale below its posterior band is the figure of a woman.

img 4119 lr 2 America Bay - upper site

Below the large fin and outside the figure of the whale is a goanna.

img 4122 lr America Bay - upper site

The woman depicted within the whale may have entered the whale to seek a cure for an ailment; a similar engraving can be seen at Balls Head.

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