Rock Art in the Australian Pilbara
Ancient Rock Carvings: Burrup Peninsula in Northwestern Australia
Mar 14, 2008
By any number of yardsticks, 2,500 million years ago is quite some time ago, which is approximately when the Pilbara region began evolving into the unique geological formations we see today in northwestern Australia. So in this context, 20,000 years is actually quiet recent: Archaeological dating of rock art and artefacts on the Burrup Peninsula indicates that Australian Aboriginals have inhabited the Pilbara for at least this long.
Much of this ancient rock art can be easily viewed today, once you know where to look, and what to look for. This particular form of art is known as petroglyphs. They are produced on basaltic rock by an extractive process, making them more like a carving than a painting.
The traditional owners, the Yapurarra tribe, know the Burrup Peninsula as Murujugga. The Burrup contains one of the world’s largest collections of petroglyphs, or ancient rock carvings. Numbers vary as to the exact number of rock carvings, as many have been destroyed or relocated as the resource industry moved in during the 1960s, but it appears to be in the tens of thousands.
Viewing rock art in its natural surroundings is nothing like visiting a structured gallery. There are many opportunities for visitors to explore these ancient lands of the Burrup and to view it’s scattered rock art galleries, despite the lack of signposts directing visitors. The only way to absorb the enormity of the works is to stand unmoving, allowing your eyes to linger over the rock.
From Dampier, take the Woodside Rd north to begin your exploration. On the Hearson’s Cove Rd, two poles on the left indicate a track to the right, marking the Deep Gorge turnoff. The first thing you will notice on walking into the gorge is the absolute silence, broken only by the eucalypt lined, burbling stream as you penetrate deeper into the gorge.
Towering scree slopes, with their jumble of deep red rubble rise up into the sky, providing welcome protection from the scorching sun. Look carefully into the shattered pre-historic rock piles and your eyes will soon start to notice the distinct lines of the rock art. Predominantly featured are kangaroos and wallabies, but there are also footprint groupings, marine creatures and human figures.
Deep Gorge is just one of many significant sites on the Burrup for the traditional people. Absorbing the enormous number of engravings, and their ancient history, it is easy to understand the spiritual force they feel there. According to Wilfred Hicks in a speech given at the National Trust of Australia Forum on rock art in April 2003, "The spiritual force is alive in the thousands of rock engravings that surround you here. They were placed here by our ancestors, and we receive from earlier generations the duty to protect them and must pass that on to our successors. The engravings are to us a spiritual source of energy - we can hear and see this energy when we are among them. It ties us to the land and the land to us."
Further along the Woodside Rd, King Bay is home to another significant rock art site. Although lacking the natural beauty of Deep Gorge, there is also a significant collection of engravings here. Looking skywards at the end of the rough unmarked track into the mass of ochre coloured basalt your eyes will soon notice the lighter coloured lines denoting the ancient engravings. Perhaps the most spectacular work here is of birds scratching in the dirt, but there are also saw human figures, spears, turtles and dugongs.
The heritage of the Burrup Peninsula was recognised by the National Trust as being under threat, and placed it on the Endangered Places 2002 Register. Discussion to preserve the significant rock art sites of the Burrup continues.
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