Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Summary: An impressive Aboriginal rock art gallery in a tall but shallow shelter near Jacks Trail. Most of the art consists of charcoal figures, with some red ochure figures and faint hand stencils.

  • Site type: Cave Painting, Stencil - Hand
  • Number of motifs: 45
  • Motif/s: Eel, Indeterminate figure, Man
  • Quality: 5/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • Year first recorded: 2018

A fairly long but shallow shelter in a gully near Jacks Track, which contains an interesting Aboriginal rock art site.

1X3A7734 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7735 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

The site has many figures in charcoal and red ochre, spread across a number of panels on the wall of the sandstone shelter.

1X3A7737 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7748 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Below these three charcoal figures is a smaller panel with some weathered charcoal figures – and a small motif in red ochre, which looks like an abstract human figure with outstretched arms.

1X3A7749 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7749 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

The artwork includes a number of eels, as well as some fairly abstract figures (which is unusual, as most Aboriginal rock art in the Sydney-Hawkesbury region is figurative).

1X3A7744 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7760 LR 1 Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7767 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Another panel has more large charcoal motifs, including another eel.

1X3A7745 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7772 LR 1 Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7777 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Close to the ground are two more large eel figures, and some smaller figures.

1X3A7753 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7771 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

A charcoal figure that resembles an elongated rabbit is higher up the wall of the shelter.

1X3A7789 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Although many of the charcoal figures are very clear, a few are more weathered and it’s hard to determine what they represent.

1X3A7755 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7751 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7781 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

Although most of the motifs are in charcoal, there are a couple of panels which contain predominantly red ochre art.

1X3A7787 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures1X3A7787 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

This panel has a hand stencil in red ochre, as well as a number of lines.

1X3A7793 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures1X3A7793 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

There are also a few charcoal figures that have red ochre art superimposed on them, which can be be hard to see without image enhancement.

1X3A7784 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7784 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7783 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7783 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7762 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7762 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7759 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7759 LR yre Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures

A second hand stencil next to a drawing is also fairly hard to see.

1X3A7796 LR Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
1X3A7796 LR lds Jacks Track Red Ochre and Charcoal Figures
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