Aboriginal Rock Art Sites

Northern Rivers is home to some of Australia's most significant and accessible Aboriginal rock art sites, offering an unparalleled window into the world's oldest living culture. These galleries of ancient paintings and engravings, often set in dramatic sandstone overhangs or along river valleys, date back thousands of years and depict ancestral beings, totemic animals, and ceremonial practices. Visiting these sites is a profound experience, combining cultural education with stunning natural scenery.

Highlights & What to See

• Bunjil's Shelter (Stawell): A key site featuring a painting of Bunjil, the Creator spirit, along with other ancestral figures and hand stencils. The shelter is set in a peaceful bushland setting.
• Gariwerd (Grampians) Rock Art: The Grampians National Park contains over 80% of Victoria's known Aboriginal rock art sites, including the iconic Manja Shelter and Billimina Shelter, with vivid depictions of emus, kangaroos, and human figures.
• Mungo National Park (Willandra Lakes): Part of a UNESCO World Heritage area, the Walls of China lunette reveals ancient footprints and burial sites, while nearby rock shelters feature rare engravings and ochre paintings.
• Kuring-gai Chase National Park: Just north of Sydney, this park has over 1,500 recorded Aboriginal sites, including the famous Red Hands Cave and Basin Track engravings of whales, fish, and kangaroos.
• Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula): Home to one of the world's largest collections of petroglyphs, with over one million engravings depicting extinct animals, ancestral figures, and daily life over tens of thousands of years.

Suggested Time to Spend

Dedicate at least half a day to visit one major rock art site, allowing time for the walk to the shelter and quiet contemplation. To appreciate the broader cultural landscape, plan a full day combining a site visit with a guided tour or interpretive walk. Many sites are within national parks, so factor in driving time and park entry fees. For a deep dive, consider a multi-day itinerary exploring several rock art provinces, such as a loop through the Grampians, Mungo, and the Flinders Ranges.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Grampians National Park (Gariwerd): Combine rock art viewing with bushwalking, waterfalls, and panoramic lookouts.
• Mungo National Park: Pair with the nearby Willandra Lakes Region for a journey through ancient landscapes and Aboriginal history.
• Kuring-gai Chase National Park: Easily combined with a day trip from Sydney, including ferry rides and coastal walks.
• Murujuga National Park: Visit the nearby Dampier Archipelago for stunning coastal scenery and further petroglyph sites.
• Flinders Ranges: Explore Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, which has its own significant rock art and dramatic outback scenery.

Please check official sources for current details.