Summary: Three very distinct Aboriginal hand stencils and a fish in red ochre, on rock overhangs along Smiths Creek

On a low cliff along Smiths Creek are red ochre drawings of hands fish, about 2-3 metres above the water. Although these are documented and illustrated as a single site, these two Aboriginal rock art sites are are some distance apart.

Painting Smiths Creek hands Smiths Creek red ochre paintings

On one rock surface is the red ochre fish, which can be seen from some distance away.

AWAT9465 LR Smiths Creek red ochre paintings
AWAT9458 LR Smiths Creek red ochre paintings

Near the fish and not documtented by Campbell is an additional solid red drawing, and some indeterminate figures also drawn in red ochre.

A few hundred metres away on a separate overhangs are the three handprints, also visible from some distamce away.

AWAT9485 LR Smiths Creek red ochre paintings

These were are still very much as described by Campbell in 1899: “In the case of the three stencilled hands upon the rock, the surrounding surface has been stained red for several inches:.

AWAT9476 LR Smiths Creek red ochre paintings
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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

A review of different techniques for photographing Aboriginal rock art. This includdes oblique flash, chain and planar mosaic imaging which combines hundreds of overlapping photos.
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.
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.
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.
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.