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

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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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

A review of different techniques for photographing Aboriginal rock art. This includdes oblique flash, chain and planar mosaic imaging which combines hundreds of overlapping photos.
Located to the north-west of Sydney, just south of the Dharug and Yengo National Parks, Maroota has a high concentration of (known) Aboriginal sites. Many more Aboriginal heritage sites are located in the Marramarra National Park. The original inhabitants of the area were the Darug people.
Over 40 sites have been recorded within the park; many were located along the river bank and were flooded by the building of the weir in 1938.