Milyerra Trail – Man, Birds and Fish

Summary: A rock ledge with multiple Aboriginal engravings, axe grinding grooves and a waterhole near the Milyerra Trail

One of three long rock ledges, this Aboriginal engraving site near the Milyerra Trail has a waterhole near the middle, three axe grinding grooves, and 16 engravings along its length (including a fish, multiple birds, a headless kangaroo and a set of 15 ovals).

engraving sim group167 series5 Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish
awat7893 lr Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

Many of these engravings (Sim Group 167, Series 5) are hard to see without good lighting: this small engraving of a bird is one of the most distinct. Next to the small pothole is a curved drainge groove.

AWAT0504 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

On the other side of the small pothole is a fish, which is missing a tail.

IMG 5394 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

A second bird at the eastern end of the site is less distinct.

IMG 5388 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

Next to the bird is an eel.

IMG 5386 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

Another motif was described as an “elongate figure [with] round end, narrow parallel shaft with long bar in the middle of open end, with several pits along the middle of the shaft”.

IMG 5383 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

Near the middle of the site is a man with outstretched arms.

IMG 5385 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

A set of “fifteen small circles” look almost natural after hundreds of years of erosion from water seeping across the rock.

awat7929 lr Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

A “headless wallaby” or kangaroo has two punctures on its body, and an oval with a line protruding from its body.

AWAT0525 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish
IMG 5395 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

The three axe grinding grooves are at the western edge of the ledge.

IMG 5404 LR Milyerra Trail - Man, Birds and Fish

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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

Aboriginal Rock Art – Blue Mountains 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.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire - which is the largest LGA in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region - contains approximately 600 recorded Aboriginal rock art sites (and over 1,200 Aboriginal heritage sites). These date back from thousands of years to post-European contact art.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Lane Cove
Over 40 sites have been recorded within the park; many were located along the river bank and were flooded by the building of the weir in 1938.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Maroota and Marramarra NP
Located to the north-west of Sydney, just south of the Dharug and Yengo National Parks, Maroota has a high concentration of (known) Aboriginal sites. Many more Aboriginal heritage sites are located in the Marramarra National Park. The original inhabitants of the area were the Darug people.