An interesting Aboriginal engraving site on Topham Hill; an old National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) sign is a sad reminder that many of these engraving sites were far more accessible in the past.
McCarthy Group 103 Series 1 / Campbell Plate 17 Figs 6 & 8
The most prominent group of engravings is a school of 30 “bream-like fish”, most of them swimming head to tail.
All the fish have a pointed head and no eyes. Overlapping one of of the fish is a lizard or goanna (McCarthy describes both a lizard and goanna, while Stabury & Cleg describe them both as lizards.)
A bit further north are another four fish, which are swimming towards the main school.
Further along the rock ledge, and one of the last figures in the group, is a figure described as a “skate like figure” with “a pair of elliptical figures projecting from its head”.
McCarthy Group 103 Series 2 / Campbell Plate 17 Fig 7
On a separate platform lower down Topham Hill is one more Aboriginal engraving. It’s very weathered, and was recorded by Campbell as a “somewhat rudely-shaped figure of a man”. McCarthy is a bit more detailed in his description, documenting that the man has a “tall, big straight sided head, straight arms downward, 2 eyes, armlet at right shoulder, 4 pointed fingers on right hand and 3 bar fingers on left hand, broad body straight on right side and concave on left side...”
It’s likely from the description and location that the photo above is the same figure described by Campbell and McCarthy. However, this means that Campbell’s sketch is missing what seems to be a rayed headdress on the man.
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