Summary: The Lyrebird Site in Larool Reserve (Terrey Hills) features an engraving of a lyrebird, as well as many other animal carvings.

On the opposite side of the creek to the Hunting Site is the Lyrebird Site. It’s named after the lyrebird at the centre of the Aboriginal engraving site, which features many other animals.

Terrey Hills Lyrebird Site
Lyrebird Large kangaroo Leaping kangaroo Leaping kangaroo Flying phalanger

Lyrebird

AWAT4856 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

Large kangaroo

AWAT4833 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

The largest kangaroo is almost two metres in height, and shown standing upright.

Leaping kangaroo

AWAT4829 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

Two leaping kangaroos are shown in file.

Leaping kangaroo

AWAT4868 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

Two leaping kangaroos are shown in file.

Flying phalanger

IMG 4048 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

A "flying phalanger" (a lemur-like tree-dwelling marsupial which is part of the possum genus).

The lyrebird can be hard to see without the right light; it is the most important engraving in the group and was described by McCarthy as “the finest portrayal among the few known of this bird”. He also describes the site as probably being a sacred site of the lyrebird totemic clan. Tracks encircling the site are thought to be those of the lyrebird, and an engraving of a “noose on a stick” shows how the Aboriginal people caught these birds.

AWAT4856 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

Around the lyrebird are three of kangaroos or wallabies. The largest kangaroo (almost two metres in height) is shown standing upright.

Two more leaping kangaroos are shown in file.

Next to the larger kangaroo is a “flying phalanger” (a lemur-like tree-dwelling marsupial which is part of the possum genus).

IMG 4048 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

At the very top of the site is an additional figure, which is doesn’t correlate to McCarthy’s site sketch; it’s hard to discern what it is.

AWAT4882 LR Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"

Nearby is a cave with rock art, which was not described by McCarthy or Stanbury & Clegg. Although it looks incomplete, it has been described to me as having “the head and arms are on the lower right with the body stretched around with the legs on the left”.

img 4072 lr Terrey Hills - "Lyrebird Site"


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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

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.
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.
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.