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Aboriginal sites of New South Wales facts for kids

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Baiame Cave, Milbrodale

Aboriginal sites in New South Wales are special places in Australia. They show us signs of the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people. These people lived in these areas long ago.

These sites are like the rock art found in other parts of Australia. They are also similar to carvings made by Native Americans. But in New South Wales, these sites are not just rock carvings. Many of them are protected places.

A Journey Through Time: Aboriginal History in NSW

Aboriginal Australians arrived in Australia a very long time ago. Some experts think they arrived at least 70,000 years ago. Other ideas suggest it could be as far back as 120,000 years!

In New South Wales (NSW), sites over 22,000 years old have been found. These are in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Even older sites, from 40,000 years ago, exist at Lake Mungo.

There are thousands of these ancient sites known today. Many are inside national parks. Some can even be found in city areas. For example, you can see rock carvings in Sydney suburbs like Bondi and Tamarama.

Why Did Aboriginal People Create Art?

Aboriginal art was a part of everyday life. It usually had a special purpose. One idea is that some art was made for "wish fulfilment magic." This means people believed creating the art would help make the depicted event happen. For instance, a hunting scene might have been drawn to bring good luck for hunting.

Many artworks were also made for ceremonies. These were not meant to last forever. Other art was more for teaching or entertaining children.

Different Art Styles Across NSW

The art styles changed depending on where it was made in NSW. Art from the western part of the state could look very different from art near the coast.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service in NSW looks after these Aboriginal sites. All known sites are recorded in a system called AHIMS. This stands for Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System.

Protecting These Special Places

Most Aboriginal sites are kept secret to protect them. Only a few are made public. Good examples are sites at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Brisbane Water National Park.

Very special sites, sometimes called "restricted sites," are never made public. If someone has a good reason to see a restricted site, they can ask AHIMS for permission.

What Kinds of Aboriginal Sites Can You Find?

Aboriginal sites come in many different types. Here are some of them:

  • Paintings
  • Rock carvings
  • Hand stencils
  • Charcoal drawings
  • Shell middens
  • Shield trees
  • Restricted sites

Amazing Rock Paintings

Paintings show many different things. Some are about spiritual beliefs, others about daily life. The colours came from natural materials. Ochre made red or orange. Charcoal made black. Ash made grey.

A famous example is Baiame's Cave at Milbrodale. It has paintings of a large figure. This figure might be Baiame, who is known as the Sky Father.

Ancient Rock Carvings

Rock carvings are also called petroglyphs or rock engravings. They are often simple pictures. Experts believe many are from the last 5,000 years. Some carvings show European sailing ships. These must be less than 200 years old. This means carvings were made between 5,000 and 200 years ago.

Newer carvings look fresher. Older ones are more worn down. Sometimes, carvings were re-cut during ceremonies. This makes it harder to know their exact age. Some carvings could be very big. The figure of Baiame the Sky Father could be eighteen metres tall!

Besides pictures, there are also grinding grooves. These are marks left from sharpening stone tools on rocks. Places like Sydney and the Blue Mountains have many rock carvings. This is because they have a lot of sandstone. Sandstone is perfect for carving. You can learn more at Sydney Rock Engravings.

Hand Stencils: A Unique Signature

Hand stencils are often found in rock shelters and caves. These places protected them from weather. To make a stencil, a hand was placed on a rock. Then, coloured powder was blown around it. This left the outline of the hand on the rock. You often see many stencils in one spot.

The most famous example is Red Hands Cave. It is in the Blue Mountains National Park. This cave has many stencils, including some made by children!

Charcoal Drawings: Art with Fire

Charcoal drawings were simply pictures made with a piece of charcoal. Like rock carvings, they showed many different things. Animals were often drawn.

Shell Middens: Ancient Kitchen Scraps

Shell middens are piles of shells. They built up at places where people lived and ate shellfish. Over many years, layers of shells would form in the soil.

Shield Trees: Marks of Tools

Shield trees are sometimes seen in the bush around Sydney. A large piece of bark would be cut from a tree. This bark was used to make a shield or a tray. This left a visible "scar" on the tree. These scars could be quite big.

Restricted Sites: Special Places

Restricted sites are very special places. They are usually important for spiritual or ceremonial reasons. These sites were only for certain members of the community. They could include places for ceremonies or special gatherings.

Understanding Occupation Sites and Restricted Sites

It's important to know the difference between occupation sites and restricted sites. Many people think all Aboriginal sites are "restricted sites." But it's more complicated.

Before European settlement, most Aboriginal sites were occupation sites. These were used by everyone in a tribe. Restricted sites, on the other hand, were only for specific people. In more recent times, all Aboriginal sites are often called "sacred sites." What were once called "sacred sites" are now known as "restricted sites."

Imitations: Not All Art is Ancient

It's interesting to know that some sites are not real Aboriginal art. These are imitation sites. Europeans created them, usually as rock carvings.

One well-known example is a large carving of a kangaroo. It's found along a walking track at Grotto Point in Sydney Harbour National Park. People have known for a while that this carving is an imitation.

Examples of Aboriginal Sites in NSW

Here are some examples of Aboriginal sites you can find in New South Wales:

  • Appletree Aboriginal Area: North-west of Newcastle. It has rock shelters with hand stencils and paintings of people.
  • Baiame Cave, Milbrodale: A large rock shelter with paintings of a human figure and objects like boomerangs.
  • Bondi Golf Course, North Bondi: Contains a group of rock carvings.
  • Brisbane Water National Park, Central Coast: Has many Aboriginal sites. A notable one is Bulgandry, with many rock carvings.
  • Garigal National Park, Sydney: A large group of rock carvings is near Bantry Bay.
  • Heathcote National Park, south of Sydney: Known for a shield tree and charcoal drawings near Myuna Creek.
  • Kings Tableland Aboriginal Site, Wentworth Falls: Features large grinding grooves and carved animal tracks.
  • Koonadan Historic Site: A Wiradjuri ceremonial and burial site in southern NSW.
  • Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, north of Sydney: Contains many sites along tracks like Basin Track and Red Hand Track.
  • Mootwingee Aboriginal Site, western New South Wales: An important area for Aboriginal life due to waterholes. It has many paintings and carvings.
  • Mungo National Park, western New South Wales: Holds the oldest known human remains in Australia, dating back 40,000 years. It also has ancient tools and fireplaces.
  • Muogamarra Nature Reserve, Hawkesbury River area: Contains many sites, including carvings and grinding grooves.
  • Mutawintji Historic Site, north-east of Broken Hill: Has an excellent collection of rock art. You can only visit with a guided tour.
  • Mutawintji National Park, north-east of Broken Hill: Also has galleries of rock art and paintings.
  • Red Hands Cave, Blue Mountains National Park, near Glenbrook: Famous for its large collection of hand stencils.
  • Stonewoman Aboriginal Area, Inverell area: Features the Tingha Stonewoman rock formation, a teaching and ceremonial site.
  • Tamarama, Sydney: A large carving of a whale and fish is located near the path from Bondi Beach.
  • Wollemi National Park, north of the Blue Mountains: Contains many Aboriginal sites, like Eagles Reach Cave, found in 1995.

See Also

  • Sydney Rock Engravings
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