Summary: Two adjacent shelters with Aboriginal rock art in the Ourimbah State Forest; the main shelter has over 40 motifs in charcoal and red ochre.

These two adjacent shelters in the Ourimbah State Forest were documented by Bob Pankhurst in the early 1970s, and later by the South African archaeologist and artist Patricia Vinnicombe after she emigrated to Australia.

A large panel along the back wall of the deep shelter has a number of charcoal figures, and superimposed on these are three figures in red ochre.

IMG 9674 Pano LR Ourimbah Aboriginal Rock Art shelters at Caves PointIMG 9674 Pano LR yre Ourimbah Aboriginal Rock Art shelters at Caves Point

One of the red ochre figures is a woman with upstretched arms (another, more faint, human figure is directly beneath her) who is next to and partly superimposed on five hand stencils.

To the left on the same panel is an indeterminate red ochre figure and a number of motifs in charcoal (which appear to be the top half of a series of human figures, the bottom half having been lost to weathering).

There are more (indeteminate) charcoal motifs and hand stencls on this long panel.

The long panel extends to the ceiling at the front of the shelter.

Several other figures are scattered on smaller panels within the shelter; this appears to be a kangaroo and possibly a lizard.

Near the entrance to the shelter are what appear to be part of three human figures.

There are more intriguing charcoal figures near the front of the shelter.

On the ceiling is a small human figure with upstretched arms.

At the very front of the shelter – facing the outside – is a long snake.

A second, much smaller shelter about thirty metres to the east also contains some Aboriginal rock art drawn in charcoal.

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