Snakes Cave

Summary: A shelter with spectacular Aboriginal drawings in the McPherson State Forest (Warre Warren Aboriginal Area). Figures include a shark, snakes, macropods and an echidna in charcoal, red ochre and white ochre.

  • Site type: Cave Painting
  • Number of motifs: 39
  • Motif/s: Basket, Echidna, Kangaroo, Shark, Snake, Wombat
  • Quality: 4.5/5
  • Condition of site: Good
  • Year first recorded: 1993
  • Originally Recorded by: Warren Bluff

Near the Crane Ridge Trail in the McPherson State Forest is a low and unassuming shelter, which contains a number of Aboriginal cave drawings.

AWAT6862 LR Snakes Cave

The largest panel is stunning, containing at least 30 figures, many of them overlapping. Behind the many charcoal figures is an enormous marine creature – perhaps a shark – in red ochre.

mainpanel stitch2 LR Snakes Cavemainpanel stitch2 LR lrd Snakes Cave

Two snakes, a macropod (probably a wallaby or kangaroo) and human figures with upraised arms are the most obvious figures. Many other figures in black charcoal are less obvious.

AWAT6782 LR Snakes Cave

Behind the charcoal art are drawings in red ochre, which may be older.

AWAT6783 LR Snakes Cave
AWAT6783 LR yre Snakes Cave
AWAT6784 LR Snakes Cave
AWAT6784 LR yre Snakes Cave
AWAT6788 LR 2 Snakes Cave
AWAT6788 LR yre Snakes Cave

On the ceiling of the cave in red ochre are two figures which may represent coolamons (a traditional Aboriginal carrying vessel with curved sides).

AWAT6834 LR Snakes Cave
AWAT6834 LR yre Snakes Cave

There is another of these motifs on the wall of the shelter.

AWAT6825 LR Snakes Cave
AWAT6825 LR yre Snakes Cave

A figure drawn in white ochre may be an echidna.

AWAT6828 LR Snakes Cave
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