Devil’s Rock (Maroota)

Devil’s Rock, located at the Maroota Historic Site (south of Wiseman’s Ferry) was used for initiation rituals, and possibly also totemic increase rites. It was considered by Fred McCarthy to be one of most important engraving sites in the Sydney-Hawkesbury region, because of its planned composition and the line of dots linking two Ancestral Beings. At the time the Great Northern Road was being constructed in 1826, it was reported that the local Aboriginal people avoided certain areas in which there were engravings, calling them “Debbil Debbil Rocks” (Stanbury & Clegg).

The engraving site has a total of 67 figures connected by 89 tracks, with most of the engraving situated between the two Ancestral Beings: Baiame and his one-legged son or brother, Daramulan. The engraving techniques used indicate that the figures were engraved at different times, and over a long period of time (McCarthy 1983)

The most prominent and impressive carving is of Baime, at one end of the complex site.

Nearby is another significant – and unusual – engraving of an emu with a clutch of eggs. The left image (below) is an enhanced photo by Jo McDonald; the right a photo under flat lighting with no enhancement.

Just above the main line of engravings and more obvious is a small leaping wallaby or kangaroo.

There are 26 axe grinding grooves around the site.

The site also has motifs depicting European contact (rare in the Sydney region), including a sailing ship, a man in a top hat and a woman in a crinoline dress.