Smiths Creek Two Deities

Summary: A significant Aboriginal engraving site at Cottage Point, with two deity (Baiame) figures. Both have a rayed headress and vertical stripes on their bodies.

  • Art type/s: Rock engraving
  • Number of motifs: 3
  • Motif/s: Baiame, Deity
  • Quality: 4.5/5
  • Condition of art: Good
  • View site sketch
  • Year first recorded: 1898
  • Originally Recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
  • Campbell Reference: BROKEN BAY Plate 20 Fig 4 in Aboriginal Carving of Port Jackon and Broken Bay (Download)
  • McCarthy reference: BROKEN BAY Group 119 in Catalogue of Rock Engravings (1983)

On a small rock platform in the middle of a ridge at Cottage Point are two Aboriginal engravings of deities.

AWAT1032 LR Smiths Creek Two Deities

Both deities, most likely representations of Baiame, have a rayed headdress, and multiple vertical stripes on their body.

Engraving PLATE XX Fig4 Smiths Creek Two Deities

The larger of the two Baiame figures is sixteen feet (over five metres) in height.

AWAT1044 LR Smiths Creek Two Deities

The figure has six vertical stripes on its body.

montage3 LR LR Smiths Creek Two Deitiesmontage3 LR highlighted LR Smiths Creek Two Deities

The smaller Baiame is 14 feet high (just under five metres), and has three vertical stripes on his body.

AWAT1195 LR Smiths Creek Two Deities

Both the Baiame figures have very detailed rayed headresses.

AWAT1162 LR Smiths Creek Two Deities

The sacred site was interpreted by McCarthy as a place where “these heroes have come down from the sky to the earth during a ritual”. A line of mundoes at an Aboriginal engraving site near Taber Trig points to this site. Another Baiame figure on Mount Murray Anderson is said to be pointing to this site.

A kangaroo was also recorded by Campbell about twenty metres north-west of the two deities.

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