Bantry Bay

Bantry Bay is the first aboriginal rock engraving site near Sydney that Europeans visited in 1788. This is a large site with many interesting designs. This large panel shows a collection of shields and boomerangs.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of shields and boomerangs

Shields And Boomerangs

This image shows a school of large fish.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a school of fish

School Of Fish

This is an engraving of an emu track. These are fairly common at engraving sites and were used to lead the viewer from one set of images to the next.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of an emu track

Emu Track

These may represent the flukes of small whales or perhaps dolphin.

Bantry Bay - engravings of fish tails

Tails

This image shows a 5 meter shark and a life sized figure.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a shark And figure

Shark And Figure

This is an engraving of a small wallaby.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a small wallaby

Wallaby

A large decorated shield.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a large decorated shield

Shield

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a shield

Shield

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a shield

Shield

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a shield

Shield

There is a line of mundoes crossing the southern end of this site.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a mundoe

Mundoe

This very worn engraving shows a figure. The head and right arm have completely worn away.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a very worn figure

Figure

This image shows an engraving of an eel.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of an eel

Eel

This is another worn figure that seems to be making a pointing motion.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a pointing figure

Pointing Figure

This very long and meandering engraving is probably a snake.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of a snake

Snake

This image shows an engraving of an eel and some other interesting shapes.

Bantry Bay - an engraving of an eel

Eel

This young echidna was nosing around while we were at the site.

Bantry Bay - a young echidna

Echidna

This is a view looking across the bay showing Sydney CBD in the distance.

Bantry Bay - a view over Bantry Bay

Bantry Bay

10 thoughts on “Bantry Bay

    1. Sydney Rock Art Post author

      The Bantry Bay engraving site has a very extensive collection of interesting engravings. The large figure in the center of the main site is very eroded and difficult to image successfully. Sadly, this is the fate of many of these beautiful engravings.

      Reply
  1. Joanne

    I went through there with an aboriginal guide used a water bottle to trace out the shapes of the carvings. This made it very clear and didn’t damage the carvings.

    Reply
    1. Sydney Rock Art Post author

      Applying water to rock engravings is a very common way to enhance the images. Unfortunately, this will ultimately contribute to the inevitable chemical weathering that the rock naturally suffers. Chemical weathering undermines the structure of the rock which then becomes more susceptible to mechanical wear, causing the rock to crumble and flake away. Before European settlement the indigenous people would periodically attend and re-groove the engravings to overcome this type of problem.

      Reply
  2. Anthony Dunk

    I don’t know the Bantry Bay setting, but I actually wonder if the “emu track” shown above might not actually be a survey mark in this case ?

    Reply
    1. Sydney Rock Art Post author

      The emu track could be a survey mark, but survey marks are typically cut with a chisel and this engraving is pecked in a manner consistent with many other engravings.

      Reply
  3. Maki

    I went to the engraving site near Bantry Bay. The site is fenced and hard to see. Are visitors allowed to cross over the fence as long as they take extra care not to damage engravings?? (The board just tells not to interfere in any way with these rock engravins or with any part of this site.)

    Reply
    1. Sydney Rock Art Post author

      Many people step through the wooden fence to visit the engravings but please be careful where you walk as many of the engravings are very worn and difficult to see.

      Reply
  4. Ross Cretan

    I grew up at French’s Forest & used to explore the bush land & carving site in the early 70s. Sadly alot of people have carved their initials into the sandstone.
    There’s a relatively unknown site of carvings along Mona Vale Rd near Kimbriki tip also.

    Reply

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