Earlwood Aboriginal Art Site facts for kids

The Earlwood Aboriginal Art Site is a special place in Earlwood, Australia. It's a heritage-listed site that shows us about the history and culture of Aboriginal people. This site includes ancient rock art and a "midden," which is a pile of shells and other remains left by people long ago. It's also known as Aboriginal Art and Midden. This important site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 November 2009, meaning it's officially protected for future generations.

Discovering Ancient History

Before Europeans arrived in Australia, the Cooks River Valley was home to many Aboriginal groups. Different clans lived in different areas. For example, the Gameygal lived near Botany Bay, and the Cadigal people lived closer to Sydney Heads. The Wangal people lived between the Parramatta River and the Cooks River. South of Botany Bay, the Gweagal people lived along the coast.

Who Lived Here?

It's believed that the Bidiagal clan lived in the area around the Earlwood art site. They lived between the southern bank of the Cooks River and the northern bank of the Georges River. The Cooks River might have been a boundary between two different language groups, the Bidiagal and the Gweagal. After a big sickness in 1788 and the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal people sometimes traveled beyond their usual areas. This means the Bidiagal people likely used this site.

Art from the Past

We don't know exactly how old the midden or the rock paintings are. No deep scientific study has been done yet. However, we know that Aboriginal people regularly used this site. They traveled between important places, finding food and water that changed with the seasons. They likely spent warmer months near the coast and colder months inland.

Aboriginal people across Australia created art in places they visited. Rock art includes engravings, paintings made with natural colors like ochre and charcoal, and stencils. The Earlwood site has stenciled hands and feet. To make these, people would spray a mix of white ochre and water from their mouths over their hand or foot placed on the rock.

Why Make Art?

We aren't completely sure why Aboriginal people made stencils or other art on certain rocks. However, discussions with Aboriginal people suggest the reasons varied across Australia. It might have been a way to show that a group had been there and where they were going next. The art could also have been part of a special ritual or ceremony. Sometimes, stenciling might have shown a person's connection to a piece of land.

Making art and stencils could also have been a way to connect with spirit ancestors. These ancestors were believed to be part of the natural features of the land, like the rocks at Earlwood. Older, respected members of the group might have used stenciling to introduce younger members to these ancestors. For example, older members might stencil their forearm and hand, while younger members only stenciled their hands. Foot stencils are very rare, and their meaning isn't fully known. They might have shown direction or just been made by chance.

Changes Over Time

Land closer to Sydney was quickly given to European settlers. However, land on the southern side of the Cooks River wasn't granted until 1904. By 1808, large land grants were made in areas that Aboriginal people traditionally used for resources, like the Georges River and Salt Pan Creek. This led to conflict between the Bidiagal people and European settlers.

In 1809, a Bidiagal man named Tedbury led an attack on two farms at Punchbowl. Tedbury was the son of Pemulwuy, a famous leader of Aboriginal resistance in the Sydney Basin. This attack at Punchbowl was the last major act of Aboriginal resistance reported in the Cooks River Valley. In the years that followed, Aboriginal people lost their land and suffered from European diseases. Their population in the area greatly decreased. By 1845, only a few Aboriginal people were reported living between the Cooks and Georges Rivers.

During the 1800s, European settlers changed the land along the Cooks River. They set up farms for grazing animals and growing food. Other industries like tanning and sugar production also started. They even harvested timber and made lime from the many middens left by Aboriginal people. Lime was important for building in the early colony.

The part of Earlwood where the art site is located was bought by Abraham B. Pollack between 1835 and 1836. He acquired a large area of land. By the 1880s, this land was divided up, and the area became more urban, with many houses.

Despite these changes, there is still strong evidence of Aboriginal life before European contact, including the rock art and midden site. The art site was first officially recorded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in 1974. An earlier drawing of the site dates back to around 1970.

What You Can See Today

The Earlwood Aboriginal Art site includes a midden inside a rock shelter. On the rock walls of the shelter, you can see stencils of hands and feet. There are 23 white hand stencils, with two of them also showing forearms. There are also two white foot stencils, which are very rare in the Sydney area and across Australia. The midden itself is mostly untouched, though some soil and rubbish are on top of it.

The site is located within a rock outcrop that is part of a sandstone ridge. This ridge overlooks the Cooks River valley in Earlwood.

The Art and the Midden

The art is inside the rock shelter, which faces north towards the Cooks River valley. The midden is at the front and on the floor of the shelter. Some plants that used to hide the shelter have been removed. This means the shelter and midden are now more exposed to the weather. The site also has some weeds growing, especially on the midden, which has been disturbed by people trying to remove them.

The painted stencils are on the walls inside the rock shelter. The first official record in 1974 only noted "5 very faint hand stencils." This might have been because plants were covering them. An earlier informal record from around 1970 noted at least 10 hand stencils.

A more detailed record was made in 1979. It counted 23 white hand stencils, with two showing forearms. It also noted 2 foot stencils. The person recording the site thought there might be more stencils hidden under dust at the south end of the shelter. The 1979 record also said the shell midden was about 4 feet deep and mostly untouched, though it had some rubbish. Shells found included Sydney Cockle, Hercules' Club Whelk, and Sydney Rock Oyster. A former neighbor had also collected about 20 stone flakes from the site before laws protected Aboriginal relics.

The most recent study in 2005 found the site's condition was similar to previous visits. It also noted a possible third foot stencil. This study suggested that the site would benefit from a very detailed recording of the stencils.

How the Site is Doing

As of 2009, the site has been getting worse over time. This is due to a lack of protection and poor management. The midden has been disturbed by erosion and by people removing weeds by hand. The stencils inside the shelter are harder to see now compared to records from the 1970s. This seems to have gotten worse since the plants around the shelter were removed.

Even though it has been disturbed, the midden might still hold important archaeological information. Experts believe that the most valuable archaeological potential is in a specific protected area around the site. While some shell fragments have been found elsewhere on the property, they are likely from erosion or other disturbances. Stone tools were found at the site before 1974, but none have been seen since then.

We don't know if the painted stencils were all made at the same time or over a long period. We also don't know the exact age of the midden and rock art without more study. There is no sign that the art shows any contact with Europeans.

The surface of the midden has been disturbed by erosion and weed removal. The painted stencils haven't been damaged by vandals, but rubbish has been seen in the shelter. The paintings are harder to see because of weathering, which is worse now that the protective plants are gone. Experts are needed to see if the stencils can be restored and preserved.

Some stories suggest there were other Aboriginal sites nearby, including engravings on a cliff directly behind this site. However, these were destroyed by development by 1979.

Why This Site is Special

The Earlwood Aboriginal art site is very important for the history of New South Wales. It clearly shows that Aboriginal people lived in this area long before Europeans arrived. With its rock shelter, midden, and stencil art, the site gives us a rare look into the daily life and culture of the Bidigal people before European contact. It's especially significant because it's a rare example of such a well-preserved site in a busy city area.

A Window to the Past

This site is important because it provides strong evidence of Aboriginal life in this region for thousands of years. It offers a unique look into the daily life and culture of Aboriginal people before Europeans arrived. The hand and foot stencils are powerful reminders made by individuals. Aboriginal people made stencils for various reasons, like showing where a group had been or as part of a ceremony. They might also have shown a person's connection to the land or helped connect with spirit ancestors. The foot stencils are very rare and their meaning is still being studied.

This site is important beyond just the local area. It's part of the history of Aboriginal people in the Sydney basin, especially the Bidiagal and Gweagal groups who lived in the Cooks and Georges River valleys.

Connecting with Ancestors

The Earlwood art site and midden are important because they are linked to the Aboriginal people who lived here before colonization. These people faced huge challenges, including losing their land and suffering from diseases after contact with Europeans. We can't say who exactly made the stencils, but they are very personal reminders of the original inhabitants. These stencils represent the Aboriginal people of the Sydney basin and New South Wales as a whole.

This site is also important to today's Aboriginal community. It has been a place for education and pride. For example, students from Tranby College visited the site in 1986. Officers from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council have also visited, with one commenting that the shelter reminds them of their traditions of caring for the land.

Amazing Artistry

The Earlwood rock shelter, with its 21 painted hand stencils, 2 hand and forearm stencils, and 2 foot stencils in white ochre, is very important for its artistic qualities. It's a beautiful and rare example of Aboriginal stencil art in a city setting. The site is special not only because of the stencils but also because it shows different types of stencils (hand, hand and forearm, and foot) all in one place. The rare foot stencils make this site even more important.

The site also has landmark qualities, even though it's now surrounded by houses. It's located high above the Cooks River in a classic sandstone formation with a natural overhang. This shelter was a good camping spot, as shown by the midden. It also offered a wide view of the group's land. This location made it an important place for older members to teach younger ones about the land's important features. They would also make art on the walls to show their presence. One important feature visible from the site is an island in the Cooks River near the Tempe railway bridge. This island is part of a Pelican Dreaming story. It's one of the few surviving Aboriginal art sites in busy city areas that were central to traditional Aboriginal life.

Learning from the Site

This site is very important because it has the potential to provide a lot of information through archaeological study. The midden could reveal details about what Aboriginal people ate, how old the midden is, and what the local environment was like before Europeans arrived. Stories suggest that stone flakes (parts of stone tools) were found here before 1974. This means the site might contain more such items if studied. (However, there are no plans to dig up the midden right now.)

Also, the stencils haven't been recorded in great detail yet. A more detailed recording could find more stencils and provide measurements. This could help us understand how many people made the art, their gender, and their age. This would greatly increase our understanding of this site and similar sites across New South Wales.

The research potential of this site is even greater because many similar sites in the central Sydney area have been destroyed by city growth. Information from this site could be compared with findings from Aboriginal groups in Northern Sydney and other areas. This would help us understand the differences in customs and lifestyles between Sydney clans and those elsewhere. The information from this site is also important for today's Aboriginal people to learn about their ancestors' history.

A Rare Treasure

The Earlwood site is extremely rare because it's an occupation site with both a rock shelter, a midden, and painted stencils. The stencils make it the most important Aboriginal site in the local area. The number of stencils, the rare forearm and hand stencils, and the very uncommon foot stencils make it a rare site in the central Sydney region and the entire state. Another site with foot stencils is at Bantry Bay on the South Coast, but it uses red ochre. This makes the white foot stenciled shelter in Undercliffe (near Earlwood) unique in its design. The site is also rare because it's in a city. It's considered "one of only 5 rock shelters with pigment known and used in the wider central part of the Sydney basin."

This site is a good example of painted stencils in the Sydney region. As such, it helps us understand regional differences across New South Wales and is valuable for comparisons across the state.