Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving

Summary: A large rock platform above the Boree Track which has several engravings, including a large emu, two spirit figures and a line of mundoes.

  • Site type: Rock engraving
  • Number of motifs: 10
  • Motif/s: Deity, Emu, Man, Mundoe (foot)
  • Quality: 3/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • View site sketch
  • Year first recorded: 1966
  • Originally Recorded by: Ian Sim
  • Sim Reference: Group XV (McDonald River)
  • Ian Sim, “Occasional Papers in Aboriginal Studies Number 7” in Rock Engravings of the McDonald River District, Group XV (Plate 6C)

The largest figure on this long rock platform above the Boree Track is an emu, first documented by Ian Sim in the 1960s:

This group contains a large male emu, with its footprint attached. It appears that the erosion has shaped this emu in the form of a natural depression in the sandstone. The aboriginals have apparently noticed its resemblance to an emu and grooved the the inner edge deeply. In wet weather, the body of the emu fills with water and overflows along the legs.

Ian Sim

Using the natural formation of the rock for part of the emu makes this engraving relatively unusual for this area. Parts of the rock surface has experienced cracking and natural weathering, which was noted by Sim in the 1970s.

1X3A9563 LR Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving
1X3A9564 LR Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving

About 70m from the emu is a man with a rayed headdress, described as a small spirit figure, and were possibly engraved after the emu.

1X3A9544 LR Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving

A second rayed figure is nearby.

1X3A9541 LR Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving

As with many of the elevated Aboriginal engraving sites along the Boree Track, the spiritually significant and distinctive Mount Yengo can be seen to the north-west.

1X3A9548 LR Boree Track Big Emu and Deities engraving

A line of six mundoes (footprints) was also recorded on the rock platform (not recorded by Sim) which appear to come from the Finchley engraving site.

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