Summary: A complex Aboriginal rock art site in Kulnura which has over a hundred motifs, including 50+ hand stencils, boomerangs, kangaroos and a gridded basket.

This small but deep and well protected shelter in Kulnura is one of the most complex and interesting Aboriginal rock art sites on the Central Coast, with over 100 motifs in charcoal as well as white and red ochre.

The motifs cover two large panels on the wall of the shelter, as well as on the ceiling.


The largest panel on the wall of the shelter is over two metres wide, with too many hand stencils to count as well as multiple boomerang stencils and a basket. (Unfortunately the panel also has some graffiti, which dates back to before the 1970s.)

One of the most unusual figures is a gridded basket in white ochre; it’s an uncommon motif on the Central Coast (Snakes Cave in the McPherson State Forest has two coolamons in red ochre, and near Leochares Peak the Roos and Men site has what may be a rock engraving of a basket).

Above the basket is an unusual ray-like motif.

Another unusual motif is a very clearly defined foot stencil.

The panel has at least two stone axe stencils.

Less obvious and superimosed on the stencils and white ochre drawings is a human figure in red ochre.

IMG 8817 LR Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs ShelterIMG 8817 LR lre Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs Shelter

A smaller motif in red ochre may be a lizard or a small anthropomorphic figure.

IMG 8826 LR Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs ShelterIMG 8826 LR yrd Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs Shelter

On the left of the largest panel is a second long panel, which has a number of stencils and charcoal drawings. Superimposed on this panel are multiple motifs in red ochre, including two human figures and a third figure which may represent a deity.

IMG 8893 Pano LR Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs ShelterIMG 8893 Pano LR lre Kulnura Hand Stencils and Boomerangs Shelter

On the left hand side of this panel is a kangaroo or wallaby, outlined in white ochre.

Next to it and facing the opposite direction is another kangaroo, superimposed on multiple red ochre figures.

Multiple hand stencils and a stencil of an arm are superimposed on these red ochre figures.

On the right hand side of the panel is the third human-like red ochre figure.

Above a natural “window” in the shelter is another smaller panel, which also has figures in charcoal and white ochre.

This panel includes two sets of tally marks, which found in other shelters in the region (such as the Narara Railway Dam Rock Art Shelter and Niagara Park Aboriginal Art Shelter), and are also more common in shelters around Yengo.

There are two boomerangs.

Drawn in charcoal is an (infilled) kangaroo or wallaby with a joey in its pouch.

At the top of this panel is a horizontal human or anthropomorph in red ochre and a charcoal human figure.

There are several more hand stencils on both the walls and ceiling of the shelter, some of them impacted by graffiti.

Within the shelter under the dripline are four deep grinding grooves.

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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

Yengo National Park was an important spiritual and cultural place for the Darkinjung and Wonnarua People for thousands of years, and 640 Aboriginal cultural sites are recorded in the park and nearby areas.
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area protects over 3,000 known Aboriginal heritage sites, and many more which are yet to be recorded. This area includes the Blue Mountains National Park, Gardens of Stone, Wollemi National Park and Yengo National Park.
Red Hands Cave, Glenbrook (Blue Mountains)
The Blue Mountains National Park (and surrounding areas along the Great Western Highway) is thought to have over a thousand indigenous heritage sites, although much of the park has not been comprehensively surveyed. The Aboriginal rock sites in the Blue Mountains include grinding grooves, stensils, drawing and rock carvings.