Aboriginal sites of New South Wales
Encyclopedia
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
where it is still possible to see visible signs of the activities and culture of the Australian Aborigines—or Indigenous Australians—who occupied these areas before the arrival of European settlers in 1788.
These sites are comparable with the petroglyphs of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
and the Rock Art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
found elsewhere in Australia, but are not restricted to rock carvings. Many of the sites are on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
History and description
The Aboriginal Australians arrived in the north of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
around 50,000 years ago. Sites over 22,000 years old have been found in the Blue Mountains area west of Sydney, while sites going back 40,000 years exist at Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo
Lake Mungo is a dry lake in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 760 km due west of Sydney and 90 km north-east of Mildura. The lake is the central feature of Mungo National Park, and is one of seventeen lakes in the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes Region...
. 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 Bondi
North Bondi, New South Wales
North Bondi is a coastal, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Bondi is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council....
and Tamarama
Tamarama, New South Wales
Tamarama is a beachside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Tamarama is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council...
.
It is worth noting that Indigenous Australians were not interested in "art for art's sake" as understood by Westerners. Art was not something that was separated from daily life and restricted to a gallery. The art they developed was an integral part of day-to-day life and would normally have 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, a hunting scene—a common subject in rock carvings—would be aimed at bringing about the desired reality of good hunting. 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 entertainment of children.
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 National Parks and Wildlife Service
National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
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. There were approximately 58,000 registered sites as of 2009.
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 sites (colloquially known as sacred sites) 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.
The sites are of many different types, for example:
- Paintings
- Rock carvings
- Hand stencils
- Charcoal drawings
- Shell middens
- Shield trees
- Restricted sites
Paintings 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 Milbrodale
Milbrodale, New South Wales
Milbrodale is a village in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in the Local Government Area of Singleton Shire Council.-Description:...
, with paintings depicting a large figure that may be Baiame
Baiame
In Australian Aboriginal mythology Baiame was the Creator God and Sky Father in the dreaming of several language groups , of Indigenous Australians of South-East Australia....
, the Sky Father.
Rock carvings, 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 Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an sailing ships, and so cannot be more than about 200 years old. Thus we are left with a date range of 5000–200 years ago. It is likely that some of the freshest engravings represent the later part of that time range, whilst the most worn represent the earliest part. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that we know the engravings were sometimes "re-grooved" during ceremonies. Carvings could be very large. In some carvings, the figure of Baiame the Sky Father could be eighteen metres tall. 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 sandstone), which is a very suitable surface for rock carvings. See Sydney Rock Engravings
Sydney rock engravings
Sydney rock engravings are a form of Australian Aboriginal Rock Art consisting of carefully drawn images of people, animals, or symbols, in the sandstone around Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
for the main article on these.
Hand stencils 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. The best-known example is Red Hands Cave, in the Blue Mountains National Park
Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue Mountains region of the Great Dividing Range. The park covers 268,987 hectares. The boundary of the park is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas...
, which has many stencils, including those created by children as well as adults.
Charcoal drawings 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.
Shell middens 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.
Shield trees 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.
Restricted areas (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.
Occupation sites and sacred sites
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 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 siteshave become known as sacred sites; those that were previously known as sacred sites are now known as restricted sites.
Imitations
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 Sydney Harbour National ParkSydney Harbour National Park
thumb|right|250px|[[Nielsen Park]]Sydney Harbour National Park is a national park comprising parts of Sydney Harbour, its foreshores and various islands. The park lies within the Sydney metropolitan area and was created in piecemeal fashion during the 20th century...
. This has been known for some time to be an imitation (or fake, as some would say).
Examples
- Appletree Aboriginal Area, 75 kilometres north-west of NewcastleNewcastle, New South WalesThe Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
. A group of rock shelters with hand stencils and paintings of human figures. Listed on the Register of the National EstateRegister of the National EstateThe Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
. - 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.
- 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.)
- Brisbane Water National ParkBrisbane Water National ParkBrisbane Water National park is a national park in New South Wales, , 47 km north of Sydney.The park has many pleasant and interesting walks that can vary from mild to rugged. One walk that can be easily accessed via public transport, is the walk to Pindar Cave on the escarpment above...
, Central Coast. The park contains many Aboriginal sites, notable Bulgandry on the Woy Woy Road, with many rock carvings. - Garigal National ParkGarigal National ParkGarigal National Park is a national park in New South Wales , 20 km north of central Sydney. The park is somewhat disjointed but covers the following areas:...
, Sydney. A large group of rock carvings is located near Bantry Bay. - Heathcote National ParkHeathcote National ParkHeathcote is a national park in New South Wales , 34 km southwest of Sydney. It lies west of the South Coast Line and the suburbs of Heathcote and Waterfall.-Description:...
, 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. - Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site, Wentworth FallsWentworth Falls, New South WalesWentworth Falls is a town in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales located 100 kilometres west of Sydney, and about 8 kilometres east of Katoomba, Australia on the Great Western Highway, with a Wentworth Falls railway station on the Main Western line. The town is situated at an elevation of...
. 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. - Ku-ring-gai Chase National ParkKu-ring-gai Chase National ParkKu-ring-gai Chase is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 25 km north of Sydney located largely within the Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Warringah and Pittwater municipal areas. Ku-ring-gai Chase is also officially classed as a suburb by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales...
, north of Sydney. Contains many sites, notably those along the Basin Track, the Echidna Track, the Cowan Track and the Red Hand Track. - 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.
- Mungo National ParkMungo National ParkMungo National Park is an isolated national park in south-western New South Wales, Australia, 876 km west of Sydney, in the Balranald Shire. It is part of the Willandra Lakes Region, a World Heritage Site covering 2,400 square kilometres, and incorporating seventeen dry lakes...
, western New South Wales, contains the oldest known remains of humans in Australia, dating back 40,000 years, plus artifacts, tools, fire places and hearths. - Muogamarra Nature ReserveMuogamarra Nature ReserveMuogamarra is a nature reserve New South Wales , on the northern edge of Sydney. It lies between the outer Sydney suburb of Cowan to the south, and the Hawkesbury River to the north. It is closed to the public for most of the year, but opens for 6 weekends each year in spring, when there are...
, Hawkesbury River area, contains numerous sites including carvings and grinding grooves. - Mutawintji Historic Site, north-east of Broken Hill, contains excellent collection of rock art. Access is restricted to guided tours.
- Mutawintji National ParkMutawintji National ParkMutawintji is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 878 km west of Sydney and about 130 km north-east of Broken Hill.The rugged, mulga-clad Byngnano Range is dissected by colourful gorges, rockpools and creek beds lined with red gums...
, north-east of Broken Hill, contains galleries of rock art and paintings. - Red Hands Cave, Blue Mountains National ParkBlue Mountains National ParkThe Blue Mountains National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue Mountains region of the Great Dividing Range. The park covers 268,987 hectares. The boundary of the park is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas...
, outside GlenbrookGlenbrook, New South WalesGlenbrook is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Glenbrook had a population of 5,138 people....
, contains large collection of hand stencils. - Stonewoman Aboriginal Area, InverellInverell, New South WalesInverell is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate...
area, features Tingha Stonewoman rock formation, a teaching and ceremonial site. - Tamarama, Sydney. A large carving of a whale and fish is located beside the path from Bondi Beach to Tamarama.
- Wollemi National ParkWollemi National ParkWollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness...
, north of the Blue Mountains, contains many Aboriginal sites, notably at Eagles Reach Cave, discovered by bushwalkers in 1995.