Documented by Fred McCarthy and Ian Sim, this Aboriginal engraving site in Kariong is near a major tributary of Piles Creek. The site has a whale (or shark), a man and a kangaroo in close proximity: McCarthy described the scene as possibly representing “whale magic”.
The man and the whale may again portray magic to entice the whale to become stranded, but as the man is facing the kangaroo he might be engaged in hunting this animal – he is, however, closer to the whale and I favour whale magic.
McCarthy in Catalogue of Rock Engravings
The whale/shark is the largest figure, described as McCarthy as having a “long and conical head, no eyes, pair of pectoral fins in middle, sides of body convex from fins to tail, a second attempt to shape left side between fin and tail otherwise this second outline represents part of a young whale beside its mother, poor tail, one fin has the side of the body continued to form a diagonal bar on the fin”. Sim alsop referred to the additional lines on the side of the figure “as though the artist had made two attempts at that part of the outline”.
Next to the head of the whale is a man, who is very weathered. He has “half oval head, no eyes, broad neck, truncated and curved arms half upraised, straight sided body tapers from armpits to hips, straight legs wide apart, pointed knees well placed, flat, pointed feet outward, pointed penis”.
The kangaroo is partly buried, but the grooves are fairly distinct. It is “posed standing on its hind feet and tail in a watchful attitude”.
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