Duckholes Daramulan

Summary: An Aboriginal engraving of a deity (Daramulan) figure near the Duckholes Trail.

  • Site type: Rock engraving
  • Number of motifs: 2
  • Motif/s: Anthropomorph, Daramulan, Deity, Kangaroo
  • Quality: 4/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • View site sketch
  • Year first recorded: 1954
  • Originally Recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
  • McCarthy reference: NARRABEEN Mankind Group 46 Series 3 in Catalogue of Rock Engravings (1983)
  • McCarthy in Mankind Vol 5, No 1 (1954). Group 46, Series III, p.16.  Plate A, Fig 4G

Near the Duckholes Trail in Terrey Hills is an Aboriginal engraving of a deity figure: “a fine culture-hero of the Daramulan type, almost 10 feet high, with one human leg, emu-like body, one arm bearing very long fingers and a long head…”.

montage stitch LR Duckholes Daramulan

The figure is engraved quite deeply, and is quite distinct.

AWAT2723 LR Duckholes Daramulan

A “leaping kangaroo” is located nearby.

AWAT3372 LR Duckholes Daramulan

By comparison this figure is very weathered.

montage LR stitch LR Duckholes Daramulan

While you can make out the head of the roo, part of its body has weathered away.

AWAT3377 LR Duckholes Daramulan

These two figures form part of a series of seven sites described by McCarthy in this area:

  1. Line of eight fish near West Head Road (S1) – most likely destroyed
  2. Goanna near McCarrs Creek (S2) – not yet found
  3. Daramulan figure and kangaroo (S3) near Duckholes Trail – this site
  4. School of six fish and pregnant woman (S4) in McCarrs Creek – not yet found
  5. Large whale and man (S5) near Mona Vale Road
  6. Shields and wallaby (S6) above Deep Creek – this site
  7. Man along Kamber Trail (S7)
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1 Comment

An exploratory loop along McCarrs Creek | Hiking the World · October 17, 2021 at 3:53 pm

[…] make a short detour to look at the Duckholes Daramulan Aboriginal engraving site. I had photographed the Daramulan figrure before, but couldn’t find […]

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