There are at least 800 known sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the largest park in the Sydney metropolitan area and the home of the Kuringgai or Guringai Aboriginal people. The sites below range from obscure and hard-to-reach engravings, to well-known sites with interpretative signage.
Barrenjoey
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Barrenjoey Head This group of three fish engravings, all showing two eyes, enjoys fine water views. There are numerous Aboriginal heritage sites on the Barrenjoey Headland, including three listed Aboriginal archaeological sites, two middens and a cave. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 3/5 Location: Barrenjoey Head More info: Barrenjoey Lighthouse bushwalk & Sydney Rock Art |
Bobbin Head
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Bobbin Head Marina Located on vertical rock face in the Bobbin Head Marina carpark is an engraving of a fish; nearby is a six-foot long iguana, with the end of its tail curved round to the underside of the joint of rock. View sketch. Distance: 0km. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 3/5 for fish Location: Bobbin Head Marina More info: Rockin On & Campbell Plate XXI Fig 6 |
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Bobbin Head Track (main site) A short side-track to some marked Aboriginal engravings; many of them are very indistinct. Continue a bit further to another rock with a clearer engraving. Across the multiple sections there are a goanna, greater glider, two birds, two emus, a wallaby or large tiger quoll and some figures. View sketch. Distance: 3.2km return from Bobbin Head Road. Ease of Access: Easy/Moderate Quality: 3/5 (many are very faint) Location: Just off Bobbin Head Trail (there is a sign) More info: Bobbin Head loop bushwalk, Sydney Rock Art & Campbell Plate XXI, Figs 3-5 |
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Bobbin Head Track (lower site) Located a short distance from the track, this Aboriginal engraving site is very weathered and covered in leaf litter. The site has over 20 engravings across two adjacent rocks, with most very hard to discern. View sketch. Distance: 3.2km return from Bobbin Head marina. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 (very hard to see any of the engravings) Location: Just off Bobbin Head Trail More info: Campbell Plate XII Figs 5 & 6 |
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Cockle Creek / Spring Gully – Man Part of a complex site documented by McCarthy, this “poorly designed figure of a man” stands 30-40m from the larger group. Recorded by McCarthy. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 Location: North Wahroonga More info: Spring Gully engravings |
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Cockle Creek / Spring Gully – Mundoes A maze of forty mundoes of different sizes (which form part of the main site) may represent a meeting of natives, a dance, or a fight between the two men for the woman. Recorded by McCarthy. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 Location: North Wahroonga More info: Spring Gully engravings |
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Cockle Creek / Spring Gully – Woman The main group includes a boomerang, the mundoes (above), an echidna, a stingray, a woman in an animated pose (left) and man wearing a rayed headdress. The group is similar to the Bobbin Head Track (main site) and probably illustrate a similar mythological incident or episode. Recorded by McCarthy. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 Location: North Wahroonga More info: Spring Gully engravings |
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Cockle Creek Shelter Despite being relatively close to suburbia, this small sandstone cave is relatively graffiti-free. It has as a number of red ochre handprints, and some other indeterminate paintings. Ease of Access: Easy/Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: North Wahroonga More info: Nil |
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Gibberagong Track Opposite an Aboriginal engraving (of a single human figure) are a number of axe-sharpening grooves. There is also a fish and small shield. The site is signposted. Distance: 3km return. Ease of Access: Easy. Quality: 3/5 Location: Both sides of the Gibberagong Track / Rainforest walk. More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings |
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“Sphinx Trig” cave Described as the “largest recorded art shelter” in the Sydney area by Jo McDonald (Dreamtime Superhighway) and measuring 40m x 10m x 8m, this large overhang contains 91 motifs. Most are very hard to make out. Distance: 1.6km return from Bobbin Head. Ease of Access: Very Hard. Quality: 4/5 Location: Near Sphinx Memorial More info: None available |
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Warrimoo Track Shelter In a long but shallow sandston cave are 21 motifs, all of them child and adult white ochre hand stencils (six are well-defined, and some very hard to distinguish). A large midden is below the cave. Ease of Access: Moderate. Quality: 4/5 Location: Along Warrimoo Track More info: None available |
Duffys Forest & Terrey Hills
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Cowan Creek Above Cowan Creek and buried deep in the bush on a spur is a site with a carving of what is likely to be a numbat, and as well as a female figure and a male spirit figure. Distance: 8km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 5/5 More info: Wildflowers on the Cowan Trail & Rock Art of the Sydney Basin |
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Harvey Trig There’s a great view from an old trig point on top of a rock outcrop – and apparently some very weathered engravings on the large rock platform, which I didn’t manage to spot. Distance: 0.9km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 1/5 Location: Rough track from McCarrs Creek Rd – trackhead and rock art site More info: Rockin On |
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Long Trail (east) A complex site across at multiple adjacent platforms, which includes a very long line of footprints (mundoes) stretching across the top of the rock, a man, a depiction of Baime, a dingo, a school of fish and other engravings. View sketch. Distance: 7.4km return. Ease of Access: Very hard Quality: 5/5 More info: Long Trail bushwalk & Campbell Plate XXI, Fig 1 & 2 |
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Long Trail (west) What looks like a hunting scene on a large rock platform, with two shields and a wallaby or kangaroo. I haven’t seen any references to this small site, which has some views over the national park. Distance: 6km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 4/5 More info: Long Trail bushwalk |
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Mount Murray Anderson – kangaroos A group consisting of two wallabies and two kangaroos, “depicted in an unusually energetic manner”. This is one of many sites on Mount Murray Anderson, View sketches. Distance: 11km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track off the Perimeter Trail More info: Mount Murray Anderson bushwalk & Campbell Plate XIV, Fig 1 |
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Mount Murray Anderson – figures Not far from the wallabies and kangaroos above, are a number of well-defined figures, as well as some boomerangs and shields. Distance: 11km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track off the Perimeter Trail More info: Mount Murray Anderson |
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Mount Murray Anderson – deities Closer to the end of Mount Murray Anderson are two figures, most likely deities. The larger one one is cut deeper and is easier to make out. View sketch. Distance: 11km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track off the Perimeter Trail More info: Mount Murray Anderson bushwalk & Campbell Plate XVI Fig 12 |
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Mount Murray Anderson – Damaralan Enjoying a commanding position over Smiths Creek and carved in hard ironstone is the figure of a large deity; a feather-like tip embellishes its chest. View sketch. Distance: 11km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track off the Perimeter Trail More info: Mount Murray Anderson bushwalk & Campbell Plate XVI Fig 11 |
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Slade Lookout At the end of the Slade Lookout Track is a very clear engraving of an emu or waterfowl (which is thought to be non-Aboriginal in origin) and a lizard that is almost directly underneath the emu/waterfowl. Distance: 1.4km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 4/5 Location: End of Slade Lookout Track More info: Duffys Wharf Track and Slades Trail bushwalk & Sydney Rock Art |
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Spirits Rock (Cowan Trail) A rock platform near the end of the Cowan Trail which has numerous engravings (most fairly distinct) including a dozen figures, shields, an assortment of fish and a very large carving of Baiame. Distance: 8km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 5/5 Location: End of Cowan Trail More info: Cowan & Wilkins Track & Sydney Rock Art |
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Terrey Hills – Hunting Site This is the easier of two nearby sites to reach via a rough bushwalking track: it shows a man and woman celebrating a successful kangaroo hunt. View sketch. Distance: 0.6km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track from Larool Road More info: Terrey Hills Aboriginal Engravings & Stanbury & Clegg p.43 |
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Terrey Hills – Lyrebird Site Further on from the Hunting Site is a second series of rock platforms; one has a lyrebird in the middle as well kangaroos/wallabies and a flying possum. Nearby is a cave with rock art. View sketch. Distance: 1km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 4/5 Location: Rough track from Larool Road More info: Terrey Hills Aboriginal Engravings & Stanbury & Clegg p.43 |
Cottage Point
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Centre Trail An unmarked site on a rock platform just off the Centre Trail: there are three figures, a small decorated shield carving and a large echidna. There are also more mundoes a little further at the lookout. Distance: 1.3km return. Ease of Access: Easy/Moderate Quality: 3/5 More info: Centre Trail bushwalk & Sydney Rock Art |
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Cottage Point (Ellis Trig West) A huge rock platform to the west of Ellis Trig, with at least one (very faint) engraving of a figure. Accessed by a rough and informal walking track. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 1/5 More info: Hungary Trail |
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Cottage Point (Ellis Trig North) A long rock platform with glimpses of Coal and Candle Creek to the north-east has a very faint engraving of three boomerangs. There’s also a seal that’s been pierced by a spear and “another figure which may represent a fishing-line with a loop in it” described by W. D. Campbell. View sketch. Distance: 0.4km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 1/5 More info: Trig Bagging at Cottage Point & Campbell Plate XII, Fig 2 |
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Cottage Point (Xmas Tree Hill) A very long rock platform that stretches across the side of the hill, below Taber Trig. There are at least two figures here and a shield; I could only find a large engraving (I couldn’t identify what it represents). Distance: 1.2km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 1/5 More info: Trig Bagging at Cottage Point |
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Hungry Trig A small rock platform below a low cliff and surrounded by dense bush, with multiple engravings: “The surface of rock is nearly all covered by the figures, and in the middle of the group is a whale; within its outline is a circular figure, and adjacent to it are twelve others: (W.D. Campbell). View sketch. Distance: 0.4km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 4/5 More info: Trig Bagging at Cottage Point & Campbell Plate XIV, Fig 2 |
West Head
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America Bay Track – bottom site The larger of two sites near the America Bay Track, featuring a large Daramulum figure (an important deity) as well as a double boomerang, a lizard, a fish and seven mundoes. Distance: 0.8km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Faint trail off America Bay Track More info: Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.28 |
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America Bay Track – top site Some large engravings located in a fairly small site. The carvings includes a 5 metre long orca (the main engraving) as well as a female figure, stingray and goanna. Distance: 0.3km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Trail off America Bay Track More info: Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.28 |
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America Bay Track – Man Striking Wallaby A man is depicted striking a wallaby; the wallaby is quite distinct, but the man is hard to make out. A very weathered engraving of an eel is nearby. This site was recorded by McCarthy in July 1945. Distance: 0.6km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 3/5 Location: Trail off America Bay Track More info: F.D. McCarthy (Plate Z, Fig 6) |
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Bairne Trig There is a series of faint engravings on a large rock platform about 100m north of the Bairne Trig Station; they are very hard to make out on the uneven rock surface. Distance: 2.2km return. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 1/5 Location: 100m north of Bairne Trig More info: Bairne Trig bushwalk & Rockin On |
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Basin Site A well-preserved and popular engraving site, with interpretative signage and a divided walkway to keep people off the engravings. Many drawings including people, kangaroos, fish, and symbols. View sketch. Distance: 0.8km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Signposted detour off The Basin Trail More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings, Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.63, Ian Sim (Mankind Vol 6 No. 6, Nov 1965) |
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Basin Track – Ray Deeply cut, quite distinct and described as an “indeterminate figure” with seven appendages, it’s hard to work out what this carving represents! Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 4/5 Location: The Basin Track More info: Secrets of the Basin Track |
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Basin Track – Skate A fairly deeply-cut skate, or sting ray, on a small rock surrounded by dense scrub. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: The Basin Track More info: Secrets of the Basin Track & Campbell Plate XVII, Fig 2 |
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Echidna site While the Echidna Track (a boardwalk) has long been removed, the engraving site can still be accessed only a few metres from West Head Road. The site features a detailed carving of an echidna, as well as various fish and a very long line of mundoes (footprints). Distance: 0.1km return. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 3/5 Location: West Head Road More info: Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.68 |
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Euro Trig Around the Euro Trig (between the Basin and Euro trails) are multiple sites, many describbd by W.D. Campbell, and most quite weathered and hard to make out. The largest site features a whale, within which are a sheild and three seals. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 Location: Basin Trail / Euro Trail More info: Secrets of the Basin Track bushwalk & Campbell Plate XVII, Fig 4 |
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Elvina Track One of the largest engraving sites in Australia; the drawings include a giant whale, an emu and the Baime/Daramulan creator spirit and his emu-wife. View sketch. Distance: 0.5km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Elvina Track carpark near start of West Head Road (on the right) More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings, Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.28 |
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Lovers & Whales [3 sites] A few engravings spread over multiple rock plateaus: they include a shield, a pair of whales, a man and woman engaged in sexual intercourse and a bird. Some of the engravings are weathered and quite hard to make out. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate/Hard Quality: 2/5 Location: West Head Road More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings & Stanbury & Clegg p.54 |
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Mackerel Trail – stone arrangement A number of “stone circles” formed by thousands of small pebbles arranged in neat circles, on a large rock platform. Ease of Access: Moderate/Hard Quality: 4/5 Location: Off the Mackerel Trail More info: N/A |
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Mackerel Trail – whale Although hard to make out due to its size, this large engraving of a whale is fairly distinct, on a rock platform adjacent to the stone aarrangement above. Ease of Access: Moderate/Hard Quality: 4/5 Location: West Head Road More info: N/A |
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Red Hands Cave One of the best showcases of Aboriginal art in the area, the cave is reached via the Red Hands Cave loop walking track. The hands are thought to have been painted between 500 and 1600 years ago using a mixture of ochre and water. Distance: 0.6km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Trail starts from Resolute Picnic Area More info: NPWS Red Hands Cave |
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Resolute Track – “Garigal Site” A small, sign-posted site with well-preserved Aboriginal engravings depicting a man, shark/whale and two eels. There is a second site 80m further down the track, with a shark and some eels. View sketch. Distance: 0.9km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Just off Resolute Track More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings, Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.72, Ian Sim (Mankind Vol 6 No. 6, Nov 1965) |
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Resolute Track An unmarked site about 80m further down the track from the previous site has a reef shark, eels and fish. Most are still fairly distinct, and one of the fish is actually on the firetrail. Distance: 1.2km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 5/5 Location: Just off Resolute Track More info: Sydney Aboriginal Rock Engravings, Sydney Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.72, Ian Sim (Mankind Vol 6 No. 6, Nov 1965) |
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Topham Hill (Lower) An isolated site below Topham Hill, accessed via a bush-bash through thick scrub. There are a number of very distinct figures, including a man holding a boomerang. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 5/5 Location: South of Topham Track More info: Topham Hill Rock Art |
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Topham Hill (Upper) Multiple sites, including a school of 30 fish being attacked by a shark, as well as shields, a bird track and two figures a bit further to the west. A spectacular setting for the engravings, with Pittwater visible in the distance. View sketch. Ease of Access: Hard Quality: 4/5 Location: Near Topham Track More info: Topham Hill Rock Art & Stanbury & Clegg p.57 |
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Towlers Bay Track Near the start of the Towlers Bay Track are a couple of mundoes and another small carving (I can’t make out what it is). There are also reports of a fish engraving . Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 1/5 Location: Near start of Towlers Bay Track More info: Rockin On |
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Wallaroo Track A lone engraving of a woman just off the Wallaroo Track. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 2/5 Location: Rock platform above Wallaroo Track More info: Nil |
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Waratah Trail – Shield A fairly distinct shield and boomerang, on a small rock platform not far off the track Distance: 1.4km return. Ease of Access: Easy Quality: 3/5 Location: Waratah Track (off West Head Road) More info: Rediscovering the Waratah Trail bushwalk |
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Waratah Trail – Whale An enormous single whale, which was documented by W.D. Campbell in 1899 as being forty one feet in length. Some of the carving is weathered and hard to make out. View sketch. Distance: 4.6km return. Ease of Access: Very Hard. Quality: 3/5 Location: Waratah Track (off West Head Road) More info: Rediscovering the Waratah Trail bushwalk & Campbell Plate XIX, Fig 15 |
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Waratah Trail – Main Site Documented by W. D. Campbell, the engravings located on a large rock platform next to the track include a large whale within which is a man, a man and a purpoise-like figure. Nearby sites include a faint carving of an emu and another large whale. View sketch. Distance: 6km return. Ease of Access: Easy/Moderate. Quality: 4/5 Location: Just off the Waratah Track (which is off West Head Road) More info: Rediscovering the Waratah Trail bushwalk & Campbell Plate XX, Fig 1 |
Northern section (Mt Ku-ring-gai to Brooklyn)
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Crawford Road Shelter [45-6-3875] A newly-discovered site in Mt Ku-ring-gai, the Crawford Place Shelter has multiple chracoal motifs. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 3/5 More info: Crawford Road Shelter |
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Kilmory Place Shelter [45-6-1507] A small but deep cave in Mt Ku-ring-gai, with four clearly-stencilled ochre hand prints. The cave is relatively graffiti-free, but has a hearth chiselled out of the sandstone. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 More info: Kilmory Place Shelter |
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Myall Trail – Kangaroo & Man A group of engravings on the platform described by Fred McCarthy (Group 74) as the killing of an emu and the sighting of a pair of kangaroos or wallabies. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Along Myall Trail More info: Myall Trail |
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Myall Trail – Two Kangaroos Two more kangaroos, one of them drawn with a line of pendants from the stomach which is described by McCarthy as “representing the string of fatty tissues from the intestines”. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Along Myall Trail More info: Myall Trail |
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Myall Trail – Art Shelter One of two shelters with art in this area near the kangaroo engravings, with multiple motifs drawn in charcoal along the wall of the cave. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 3/5 Location: Along Myall Trail More info: Myall Trail |
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Myall Trail – Animal Scene A large engraving site which has over ten animals scattered over the large rock platform. Many are quite weathered and hard to make out, and a couple were missed from the sketch by McCarthy. View sketch. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 2/5 Location: Along Myall Trail More info: Myall Trail |
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Mt Ku-ring-gai A small but significant site sandwiched between the old Pacific Highway and the railway line and accessed by an unsigned track. The site features three figures and a line of mundoes. View diagram. Ease of Access: Easy/Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Just off Pacific Highway, 400m north of Mt Ku-ring-gai railway station More info: Sydney Rock Art & McCarthy pp.205-207 |
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Peats Ferry Bridge A rock platform under the Peats Ferrry Bridge (Old Pacific Highway) near Brooklyn has a distinct carving of a stingray just above the water. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: 4/5 Location: Kangaroo Point, near Brooklyn More info: Rockin On |
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Shark Rock Ridge – First Site The Shark Rock Ridge track access a number of engraving sites; the first major site about 1.2km from the start of the track has a very distinct stingray, and nearby a kangaroo rat that looks a bit like a rabbit. View sketch. Distance: 2.7km from Berowra station. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: varied (3-5/5) Location: On Shark Rock Ridge Track More info: Rockin On and Campbell Plate XXVI, Fig 2 |
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Shark Rock Ridge – Main Site Numerous Aboriginal engravings distributed around a huge tesselated rock pavement: there are at least 14 figures engraved in this area including four shields, two koalas, a bullroarer, a man, a fish and a bird. View sketch. Distance: 3.7km from Berowra station. Ease of Access: Moderate Quality: varied (3-4/5) Location: On Shark Rock Ridge Track More info: Rockin On |
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