Slade Lookout engraving

Summary: At the end of the Slade Lookout Track is "fake" engraving of an emu or waterfowl, and a lizard that is almost directly underneath the bird.

At the end of the Slade Lookout Track is an engraving of what has been described as an emu, waterfowl or goose – it’s thought to be non-Aboriginal in origin.

Emu or waterfowl (believed to be non-Aboriginal in origin) at Slades Lookout

Almost directly underneath is a engraving of a lizard. This may also be fake; its provenance has not been verified and the grooves look very smooth, rather than pecked.

AWAT1476 LR Slade Lookout engraving
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2 Comments

Miriam Lewis · February 4, 2026 at 8:29 pm

“… it’s provenance has not been verified” – this applies to every engraving, cave art etc. out there doesn’t it? i.e. what’s fake or not doesn’t come from any historical record of whoever created it. For all we know it’s as authentic as any other.

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    oliverd :-) · February 4, 2026 at 9:06 pm

    It could be “authentic” – my comment was based on both my somewhat untrained assessment (looking at the grooves and style of the figure) anjd the fact I could find no information on this site.
    Some sites are clearly “fake” in that they were engraved using an angle grinder or metal tool.
    Other sites have documentation dating back to the 1880s or have been researched by anthropologists who have determined them to be “genuine” based on dating techniques or analysis of the grooves and style of the figures.
    But it’s not perfect – in 2019 a hand stencil in Glenbrook was deemed to be “culturally significant” by an independent archaeologist specialising in Aboriginal heritage – until it was discovered that two (non-indigenous) teenagers created them in the 1960s.

    Reply

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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

Aboriginal Rock Art in the Greater Blue Mountains
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area protects over 3,000 known Aboriginal heritage sites, and many more which are yet to be recorded. This area includes the Blue Mountains National Park, Gardens of Stone, Wollemi National Park and Yengo National Park.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Lane Cove
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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.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Yengo National Park
Yengo National Park was an important spiritual and cultural place for the Darkinjung and Wonnarua People for thousands of years, and 640 Aboriginal cultural sites are recorded in the park and nearby areas.
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.