Reached via the short Red Hands Cave loop walking track from the Resolute Picnic Area, this is one of the most visited and photographed sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase. The track passes directly in front of the long shelter.
The hands were thought to have been painted between 500 and 1600 years ago, using a mixture of ochre and water. The more typical method was to blow ochre over an outstretched hand to produce a ‘negative’ impression; an alternative technique was to press a hand covered in wet clay against the rock toleave a ‘positive’ print. Elders would leave their imprints higher up on the wall of the cave: the inclusion of wrists and forearms indicated a higher status. Younger members’ prints were lower down.
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