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Their art was part of day-to-day life and would normally have had a purpose. One such purpose is thought to have been what some people call "wish fulfilment magic"—or sympathetic magic—in which the act of creating the magical work is thought to bring about the event depicted in the work. For example,
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It is necessary to distinguish between occupation sites and sacred sites, a subject about which there is often great confusion. Many people think that all
Aboriginal sites are "sacred sites", but the reality is more complex. Before white settlement, most indigenous sites were occupation sites, which
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can often be found in rock shelters and caves, which have given them protection from the elements over the years. They were created by placing the hand on a rocky surface and blowing pigmentation around it, leaving the silhouette of the hand on the rock. There is often a number of them in one place.
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There were also many artworks that were created for specific ceremonial purposes and which were not intended to last after the ceremony was over. In addition to such themes, there were also works of a more secular nature, which could be created for a number of reasons, including the instruction and
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were used by all members of a tribe. Sacred sites, on the other hand, were restricted to adult males, except for certain women's sites. In more recent times, all indigenous sites have become known as sacred sites; those that were previously known as sacred sites are now known as restricted sites.
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There is generally a policy of protecting
Aboriginal sites, although a small number of sites are publicised. Notable examples are those at the Basin Track, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and the Bulgandry site, Brisbane Water National Park. However, most sites are not publicised, and restricted
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In addition to pictorial carvings, there are many grinding grooves, caused by grinding stone implements on a rock surface to shape them and give them an edge. Areas like Sydney and the Blue
Mountains have many rock carvings because they predominantly consist of sandstone (known as Hawkesbury
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cover a wide range of subjects, both spiritual and secular. Coloured pigmentation was created with ochre (giving a red/orange colour), charcoal (for a black pigmentation) and ash (for grey pigmentation). One good example is the rock shelter popularly known as Baiame's Cave, at
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It is worth noting that there are many imitation sites, in which
Europeans created imitations of Aboriginal art, usually in the form of rock carvings. One of the most prominent examples is a large carving of a kangaroo alongside a walking track at Grotto Point, in the
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There are substantial variations in the character of art developed in different parts of New South Wales. Art in the western part of the state could be very different from the art created in coastal areas. Aboriginal sites in the state are administered by the
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are seen occasionally in the Sydney bush. A substantial piece of bark would be cut out of a tree and used as a shield or tray. A visible "scar" was thus left behind, which could vary considerably in size, some being quite large.
336:(otherwise known as sacred sites) are usually of a spiritual nature and were restricted to adult males and, in some cases, women. These sites could include ceremonial sites, bora grounds, men's sites and women's birthing sites.
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Mootwingee
Aboriginal Site, western New South Wales. Secure waterholes made this an area for Aboriginal life. Contains galleries of paintings and carvings. On the Register of the National Estate.
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of New South Wales. All known sites are recorded on the register known as the
Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS), which is run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
108:) will never be made public. If anyone thinks they have a legitimate reason for wanting to inspect sites that are not normally available to the public, they can apply to AHIMS for permission.
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developed in occupation sites where shell fish were consumed. Over the years, layers of shells would build up, creating a concentration of many shells in the soil around the occupation site.
76:. There are some thousands of known sites, many but not all located in national parks. Some sites are also found in more suburban settings; rock carvings can be seen in the Sydney suburbs of
399:, south of Sydney. Various sites are known, including a shield tree west of the Bullawarring Track, adjacent to an occupation cave, plus a group of charcoal drawings alongside Myuna Creek.
285:, also known as petroglyphs or Rock Engravings, are of a style known as "simple figurative", which conventional archaeological thinking dates to the last 5000 years. Other engravings show
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409:. A rocky knoll is topped by a group of large grinding grooves, plus carved images of wallaby and emu tracks. On the eastern side of the hill there is an occupation cave.
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Bondi Golf Course, North Bondi. Contains a group of rock carvings. (A nearby group of carvings is thought to have been done by
Portuguese sailors in the 18th century.)
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were exactly that: drawings executed with a piece of charcoal. Like the rock carvings, they could be of a wide range of subjects, with animals often featured.
438:, western New South Wales, contains the oldest known remains of humans in Australia, dating back 40,000 years, plus artifacts, tools, fireplaces and hearths.
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Baiame Cave, Milbrodale. A large rock shelter with paintings of a human figure plus objects like boomerangs. Listed on the
Register of the National Estate.
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where it is still possible to see visible signs of the activities and culture of the
Australian Aboriginals who previously occupied these areas.
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a hunting scene—a common subject in rock carvings—would be aimed at bringing about the desired reality of good hunting.
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found elsewhere in
Australia, but are not restricted to rock carvings. Many of the sites are on the (now defunct)
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at least 70,000 years ago, and potentially 120,000 years ago Sites over 22,000 years old have been found in the
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450:, north-east of Broken Hill, contains excellent collection of rock art. Access is restricted to guided tours.
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539:"Australian dig finds evidence of Aboriginal habitation up to 80,000 years ago | Indigenous Australians"
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483:, Sydney. A large carving of a whale and fish is located beside the path from Bondi Beach to Tamarama.
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557:"Ancient Aboriginal site Moyjil could rewrite the global story of human migration - ABC News"
371:. A group of rock shelters with hand stencils and paintings of human figures. Listed on the
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444:, Hawkesbury River area, contains numerous sites including carvings and grinding grooves.
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Walks in the Sydney Harbour National Park, Neil Paton (Kangaroo Press) 1987, p.31
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2003 Guide to NSW National Parks (National Parks and Wildlife Service) 2003, p.59
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area, features Tingha Stonewoman rock formation, a teaching and ceremonial site.
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Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, Neil Paton (Kangaroo Press) 2004, p.170
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Aboriginal Art of Australia, Barbara Mullins (Mulavon Pty Ltd) 1986, p.8
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sandstone), which is a very suitable surface for rock carvings. See
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Grinding grooves, Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site, Wentworth Falls
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area west of Sydney, while sites going back 40,000 years exist at
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consist of a large number of places in the Australian state of
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Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1981, pp.50-67
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Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1981, p.2/290
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Appletree Aboriginal Area, 75 kilometres north-west of
275:, with paintings depicting a large figure that may be
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Charcoal drawing, Myuna Creek, Heathcote National Park
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The sites are of many different types, for example:
537:Davidson, Helen; Wahlquist, Calla (19 July 2017).
307:The best-known example is Red Hands Cave, in the
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470:, contains large collection of hand stencils.
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602:"AHIMS website:Retrieved 17 September 2009"
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683:Koonadan Historic Site: Plan of management
671:Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, p.132
662:Sydney and Blue Mountains Bushwalks, p.57
831:Archaeological sites in New South Wales
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821:Australian Aboriginal cultural history
788:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.40
779:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.17
770:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.60
758:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.59
740:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.35
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653:2003 Guide to NSW National Parks, p.32
220:Mundoes, North Bondi, New South Wales
7:
36:These sites are comparable with the
98:National Parks and Wildlife Service
27:Aboriginal sites of New South Wales
510:Australian Aboriginal sacred sites
419:ceremonial and burial site in the
259:European imitation, Grotto Point,
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614:Aboriginal Art of Australia, p.11
591:Aboriginal Art of Australia, p.33
340:Occupation sites and sacred sites
163:Shield tree, Bullawarring Track,
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816:Australian Aboriginal mythology
427:Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
373:Register of the National Estate
300:for the main article on these.
244:Hand stencils, Red Hands Cave,
50:Register of the National Estate
644:Heritage of Australia, p.2/211
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691:Government of New South Wales
104:sites (colloquially known as
473:Stonewoman Aboriginal Area,
464:Blue Mountains National Park
385:Brisbane Water National Park
356:Sydney Harbour National Park
309:Blue Mountains National Park
261:Sydney Harbour National Park
246:Blue Mountains National Park
207:North Bondi, New South Wales
192:Brisbane Water National Park
92:entertainment of children.
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148:Rock carving, Bantry Bay,
442:Muogamarra Nature Reserve
190:Rock carving, Bulgandry,
454:Mutawintji National Park
448:Mutawintji Historic Site
64:arrived in the north of
423:region of southern NSW.
397:Heathcote National Park
165:Heathcote National Park
56:History and description
22:Baiame Cave, Milbrodale
505:Indigenous Australians
500:Sydney rock engravings
413:Koonadan Historic Site
298:Sydney Rock Engravings
62:Aboriginal Australians
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826:Rock art in Australia
487:Wollemi National Park
391:Garigal National Park
150:Garigal National Park
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563:. 4 September 2020.
436:Mungo National Park
693:. September 1996.
279:, the Sky Father.
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405:Aboriginal Site,
315:Charcoal drawings
126:Charcoal drawings
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38:petroglyphs
810:Categories
516:References
466:, outside
349:Imitations
273:Milbrodale
74:Lake Mungo
726:ignored (
716:cite book
468:Glenbrook
417:Wiradjuri
369:Newcastle
268:Paintings
115:Paintings
66:Australia
561:ABC News
494:See also
481:Tamarama
475:Inverell
421:Riverina
362:Examples
287:European
82:Tamarama
46:Rock Art
44:and the
689:(PDF).
706:17 May
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277:Baiame
687:(PDF)
78:Bondi
728:help
708:2019
695:ISBN
415:, a
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60:The
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