Latest Indigenous Sites

The latest indigenous sites I’ve visited and documented, with links to historical records where available. To find a specific site or search by site features, use the Indigenous Site Search.

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Stonequarry Creek Grinding Grooves

A significant Aboriginal site along Stonequarry Creek near Picton, which has 120 grinding grooves in three clusters.
  • Year first recorded: 1970
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Deep Bay Red Ochre Shelter

A small Aboriginal shelter with art along Berowra Creek, which has figures in charcoal and red ochre.
  • Number of motifs: 5
  • Year first recorded: 1990
  • Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
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Deep Bay Two Fish engravings

An Aboriginal engraving site on a boulder along Berowra Creek; two fish are very distinct, and another seven figures have weathered away.
  • Number of motifs: 10
  • Year first recorded: 1961
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim
  • Sim reference: Mankind 6(2) 1963 Sheet 3, Fig M, p.59
  • McCarthy reference: COWAN Mankind Group 126
  • View site sketch
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Deep Bay Kangaroo and Daramulan

An Aboriginal engraving site along Berowra Creek, which includes a complex figure with three superimosed motifs.
  • Number of motifs: 3
  • Year first recorded: 1990
  • Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
  • View site sketch
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Calabash Bay Hooked Fish Engraving

An Aboriginal engraving of a fish hooked on a line, on a vertical rock along Calabash Creek.
  • Number of motifs: 1
  • Year first recorded: 1976
  • Originally recorded by: R.H. Mathews, F.D. McCarthy
  • View site sketch
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Berowra Waters Man and Fish

An Aboriginal rock art site near Berowra Waters with what appears to be the lower part of a human figure, and multiple fish.
  • Number of motifs: 5
  • Year first recorded: 2018
  • Originally recorded by: C. Douchkov
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Berowra Waters Shields

An Aboriginal rock art site near Berowra Waters with three charcoal shields in a low shelter.
  • Number of motifs: 3
  • Year first recorded: 1982
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Berowra Waters Fish Feast

Multiple fish engraved on a vertical rock surface near Berowra Waters, including a fish within a larger fish.
  • Number of motifs: 4
  • Year first recorded: 1989
  • Originally recorded by: Jo McDonald
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Berowra Waters Fish and Seal

An Aboriginal engraving site on a vertical rock near Berowra Waters, with two fish and a figure which may be a seal.
  • Number of motifs: 3
  • Year first recorded: 1982
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Berowra Waters Arm engraving

An Aboriginal engraving site near Berowra Waters, with an arm on a vertical rock surface.
  • Number of motifs: 1
  • Year first recorded: 1982
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Berowra Waters Charcoal Frieze

A small Aboriginal Shelter with Art near Berowra Waters. There is a panel with a series of men in charcoal, and two red ochre motifs.
  • Number of motifs: 15
  • Year first recorded: 1982
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Berowra Waters – Shark Rock

The three Shark Rock Aboriginal engraving sites near Berowra Waters include a shark and eel, a kangaroo, and a human figure on a vertical rocks.
  • Number of motifs: 14
  • Year first recorded: 1961
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim
  • Sim reference: Mankind 6(2) 1963 Sheet 3, Figs J-K, p.59
  • McCarthy reference: COWAN Mankind Group 125
  • View site sketch
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South West Arm Creek Charcoal Frieze

A small charcoal frieze with three men in a small and low shelter above the eastern arm of South West Arm Creek.
  • Number of motifs: 4
  • Year first recorded: 1998
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Kiddle Top Shelter with Art

A low shelter with Aboriginal rock art mostly in charcoal, with some red ochre. The figures include a wombat or kangaroo, snake and fish.
  • Number of motifs: 16
  • Year first recorded: 1998
  • Originally recorded by: Warren Bluff
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Bundeena Whale

An Aboriginal engraving site with one whale and two fish on a large rock platform near Bundeena (originally recorded as part of four sites in the area by Ian Sim).
  • Number of motifs: 3
  • Year first recorded: 1962
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim, Bob Pankhurst
  • Sim reference: Mankind 6(1) 1965 p.23, Sheet 2, Fig A
  • McCarthy reference: SUTHERLAND Mankind Group 112 Series 4
  • View site sketch
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Bundeena Two Whales

Two whales engraved at the top of a large rock platform near Bundeena (originally recorded as part of four sites in the area by Ian Sim).
  • Number of motifs: 2
  • Year first recorded: 1962
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim, Bob Pankhurst
  • Sim reference: Mankind 6(1) 1965 p.23, Sheet 2, Fig A
  • McCarthy reference: SUTHERLAND Mankind Group 112 Series 3
  • View site sketch
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Bulbous Headed Man at Bundeena

Originally recorded as part of four sites in the area, the Bulbous Headed Man near Bundeena is one of only four around Sydney.
  • Number of motifs: 1
  • Year first recorded: 1962
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim, Bob Pankhurst
  • Sim reference: Mankind 6(1) 1965 p.23, Sheet 2, Fig A
  • McCarthy reference: SUTHERLAND Mankind Group 112 Series 1
  • View site sketch
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Mount Ku-ring-gai Three Men

An isolated and hard-to-reach Aboriginal engraving site in Mt Ku-ring-gai, which has three men side-by-side.
  • Number of motifs: 4
  • Year first recorded: 1960
  • Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
  • McCarthy reference: SOUTH COLAH Group 92 S1
  • View site sketch
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Oxford Falls Kangaroo and Shield

An Aboriginal engraving site on a small rock platform in Oxford Falls, which includes a shield, kangaroo and some indeterminate figures.
  • Number of motifs: 5
  • Year first recorded: 1899
  • Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
  • Campbell reference: MANLY Plate 9 Fig 7
  • McCarthy reference: MANLY Group 51
  • View site sketch
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Oxford Falls Five Kangaroos engraving site

An Aboriginal engraving site on a long ledge in Oxford Falls, which depicts five wallabies or kangaroos.
  • Number of motifs: 5
  • Year first recorded: 1899
  • Originally recorded by: W.D. Campbell, F.D. McCarthy
  • Campbell reference: MANLY Plate 9 Fig 6
  • McCarthy reference: MANLY Group 52
  • View site sketch

INDIGENOUS SITES BY PARK

Aboriginal Rock Art – Blue Mountains National Park
Red Hands Cave, Glenbrook (Blue Mountains)
The Blue Mountains National Park (and surrounding areas along the Great Western Highway) is thought to have over a thousand indigenous heritage sites, although much of the park has not been comprehensively surveyed. The Aboriginal rock sites in the Blue Mountains include grinding grooves, stensils, drawing and rock carvings.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Hornsby Shire
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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.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Lane Cove
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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.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Maroota and Marramarra NP
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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.