Summary: An enormous overhang in a remote section of the Wollemi, with a small panel of Aboriginal rock art which includes an unusual therianthrope motif.

This large overhang in the Wollemi National Park contains a number of charcoal figures on a small panel of the back wall. It’s one of a number of rock art sites recorded by the Wollemi Rock Art Project, following the discovery of Eagles Reach.

One of the interesting motifs here is at least one therianthrope – a half-human, half-animal figure – which are fairly uncommon in the greater Sydney area, but have been found at a few Wollemi sites including Eagles Reach. These mythical or folkloric beings which are depicted here are in the form of human-bird creatures can be found in rock art across the world.

Not easily visible without image enhancement, many of the charcoal figures are outlined in red ochre – which is usually a much older layer.

1X3A8980 LR Therianthrope Shelter in the Wollemi1X3A8980 LR yre Therianthrope Shelter in the Wollemi

A single human figure is also outlined in red ochre.

1X3A8978 LR Therianthrope Shelter in the Wollemi1X3A8978 LR yre Therianthrope Shelter in the Wollemi

There are more stylised, human-like figures drawn in charcoal (but without red ochre outlining).

It”s unclear if these lines resemble “dancing figures”, or an indeterminate motuf.

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Hiking the World, and receive notifications of new posts by email. (A hike is added every 1-2 weeks, on average.)

Join 749 other subscribers

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Avatar placeholder

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.
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.
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.
Hornsby Shire - which is the largest LGA in the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region - contains approximately 600 recorded Aboriginal rock art sites (and over 1,200 Aboriginal heritage sites). These date back from thousands of years to post-European contact art.