Wilton Aboriginal Art Shelter Hiking The World

Hiking the World
Wilton Aboriginal Art Shelter
 Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands and Tablelands
Summary: The Wilton Shelter is a signi:cant

and spectacular Aboriginal rock art site in
Sydney's south-west. The long shelter has over
60 motifs, all drawn in charcoal including two
life-size kangaroos and a large
anthropomorphic :gures.
 Art type/s: Cave Painting

 Number of motifs: 60
Motif/s: Anthropomorph, Club, Dingo, Emu, Hand,

Kangaroo, Man, Woman, Wombat
 Quality: 5/5
Condition of art: Good, GraGti damage, Weathered
View site sketch – Southern section / Northern

section
 Year Orst recorded: 1964
 Originally Recorded by: Ian Sim
Ian SIm, Aboriginal Drawings near Wilton NSW in

Oceania (September 1964), p.35
A signiOcant Aboriginal rock art shelter in the Wilton

area, the Wilton Shelter was extensively documented
and analysed by Ian Sim in 1964, although it had been
known to locals for over 100 years prior. The charcoal
drawings can be seen in two sections.
Southern Section
The southern section of the long sandstone overhang

has the most art, and is in better condition.
The rock art within the Wilton Shelter is typical of the

rock shelter art of the Sydney in style and subject
matter, but with several unusual features:
Large anthropomorphic /gures, although

common among the rock engravings, are a
rare subject in the cave drawings of the
Sydney-Hawkesbury district. In the few sites
where they have been recorded, these /gures
are more elaborately drawn in red and white,
and in one case, in red, yellow and black. In
most of the sites where the drawings have an
obvious ritual signi/cance, bichromes in black
and red or black and white are more common
than simple black monochromes. Large
charcoal drawings are uncommon in this area,
particularly north of the Hawkesbury River.
Ian Sim
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Wilton Rock Art Shelter
At the southern-most end of the southern section are

inOlled Ogures of two men, who were described as
having bulbous heads or headdresses Thry have been
drawn over a series of lines. Next to them are the
upper parts of two kangaroos.
Next to the men are a life-size male and female

kangaroo facing each other; the slimmer female
kangaroo has a joey in its pouch.
A “small outline Ogure resembling a four-petalled

aower” above the male kangaroo can no longer be
seen, while outline of a kangaroo had between the two
large kangraroo is only visible with some image
enhancement.
Next are three men, shown in proOle and about 40cm

in height.
(1) The Orst is “rotund and hump-shouldered, with

slender legs and no arms. Most of his head is
obscured by a long horizontal headdress, the
extremities of which taper and terminate in rounded
knobs”.
(2) Below him is another man who has “a slender Ogure

with rounded buttocks, a long penis and scrotum
reaching to his feet, and thin arms and legs… He holds
an elongated object in each hand”.
(3) The third Ogure “is that of a stockily built man

holding an axe and cutting or trimming a vertical pole.
His body is drawn to morphological detail”.
There’s also the outline of a kangaroo head, four small,

inOlled Ogures (one of them described as an emu track)
and outline Ogures of an echidna and a small animal.
To the right is an inOlled Ogure of a woman who is
1.2m high, and is holding am elongated object in one
hamd. There is some graGti in this area, including a
red hand stencil which can barely be seen – but has
resulted in damage to some of the charcoal art.
The next Ogure is the largest and most impressive: “a

male anthropomorph about seven and half feet long.
He is drawn in a horizontal position with arms
stretched above his head. His trunk is relatively long
and slender, the legs short and thick.” The body of the
anthropomorph has been drawn over a kangaroo, and
an outline of a large emu is drawn over the arms and
head. Below the anthropomorph are two small inOlled
Ogures of men, one holding a boomerang. Next to the
anthropomorph to the right is “a grotesquely shaped
emu-like bird with a squat and misshapen body, a long
thin neck thickened at its extremity for a head and a
small penis (?) and long legs terminating in large club-
like feet, each with three toes”.
The anthropomorph’s “hands are outspread, each with

eight sharply pointed Ongers”.
To the right of the anthropomorph and “grotesquely

shaped emu” are some more outlined Ogures.
Shown in Sim’s site sketch but not described in the text

is the outline of a hand.
Next is a man holding an object, a partly-inOlled

kangaroo and two more outlined Ogures, which may be
kangaroos or a kangaroo and a wombat.
Next are a series of small Ogures: heads and and

shoulders of two kangaroos (one inOlled), an
indeterminate Ogure, an animal which may be a dingo,
another kangaroo and a man holding a long object.
The Onal two distinct motifs are “the Ogures of two

men Oghting with clubs (?) and shields. They are about
10 inches high, shown in proOle, with slender waists,
powerful chests and buttocks, arched bodies and
spread and aexed legs. Each is protecting himself with
an upraised narrow shield in one hand and holds in the
other a club (?) ready to strike”.
The last Ogures at the northern-most end of the

southern section are an outline of a boomerang and
two indeterminate, inOlled Ogures (these last two being
almost impossible to make out).
Northern Section
The Ogures in the northern section are much more

weathered; even in the 1960s Ian Sim noted that “the
series is very poorly preserved”. At the northern end of
the northern section is an inOlled kangaroo, and
another six ot seven indeterminate Ogures.
On the roof are two Osh, one larger than the other,
which are still in fairly good condition.
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Aboriginal Sites by National Park
Aboriginal Rock Art – Garigal

National Park
Garigal National Park has extensive Aboriginal history, with over

sites including cave art, rock engravings, shelters, middens and
grinding grooves.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Illawarra

and Southern Highlands
Many sites Aboriginal engraving sites across the inner suburbs

of Sydney have been destroyed or are very weatheredl. The sites
which remain are isolated from their natural environment.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Parr State

Conservation Area
Bordered by Wollemi and Yengo National Park, the Parr State

Conservation Area has many indigenous heritge sites, including
rock engravings, cave pintings and axe grinding grooves.
Swintons Cave handprints
Aboriginal Rock Art – McPherson

State Forest
There are over 350 Aboriginal engraving and sites recorded in

the Central Coast region, many of these in the Brisbane Water
National Park.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Ku-ring-gai

Chase
There are at least 800 known sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase National

Park, the traditional home of the Darramuragal people.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Berowra

Valley
Over a hundred Aboriginal sites have been recorded in the

Hornsby region, with many of these in the Berowra Valley
National Park and around the suburb of Berowra.
Aboriginal Rock Art around

Sydney
An overview of Aboriginal rock art around Sydney, including
engravings (rock art) and cave paintings, and other heritage
sites.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Central

Coast
There are over 350 Aboriginal engraving and sites recorded in

the Central Coast region, many of these in the Brisbane Water
National Park.
Aboriginal Rock Art in the

Greater Blue Mountains
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area protects over

3,000 known Aboriginal heritage sites, and many more which are
yet to be recorded. This area includes the Blue Mountains
National Park, Gardens of Stone, Wollemi National Park and
Yengo National Park.
Aboriginal Rock Art – Yengo

National Park
Yengo National Park was an important spiritual and cultural

place for the Darkinjung and Wonnarua People for thousands of
years, and 640 Aboriginal cultural sites are recorded in the park
and nearby areas.
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Hiking the World

Wilton Aboriginal Art Shelter

 Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands and Tablelands

Summary: The Wilton Shelter is a signi:cant

 Art type/s: Cave Painting

A signiOcant Aboriginal rock art shelter in the Wilton

The southern section of the long sandstone overhang

The rock art within the Wilton Shelter is typical of the

Large anthropomorphic /gures, although

Nyna High Pressure Cleaning Services

Nyna High Pressure Cleaning

Wilton Rock Art Shelter

At the southern-most end of the southern section are

Next to the men are a life-size male and female

A “small outline Ogure resembling a four-petalled

Next are three men, shown in proOle and about 40cm

(1) The Orst is “rotund and hump-shouldered, with

(2) Below him is another man who has “a slender Ogure

(3) The third Ogure “is that of a stockily built man

There’s also the outline of a kangaroo head, four small,

The next Ogure is the largest and most impressive: “a

The anthropomorph’s “hands are outspread, each with

To the right of the anthropomorph and “grotesquely

Shown in Sim’s site sketch but not described in the text

Next is a man holding an object, a partly-inOlled

Next are a series of small Ogures: heads and and

The Onal two distinct motifs are “the Ogures of two

The last Ogures at the northern-most end of the

The Ogures in the northern section are much more

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Wilton Clements Creek Sams Creek Art Shelters

Taffys Gully Shelter

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Aboriginal Sites by National Park

Aboriginal Rock Art – Garigal

Garigal National Park has extensive Aboriginal history, with over

Aboriginal Rock Art – Illawarra

Many sites Aboriginal engraving sites across the inner suburbs

Aboriginal Rock Art – Parr State

Bordered by Wollemi and Yengo National Park, the Parr State

Swintons Cave handprints

Aboriginal Rock Art – McPherson

There are over 350 Aboriginal engraving and sites recorded in

Aboriginal Rock Art – Ku-ring-gai

There are at least 800 known sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase National

Aboriginal Rock Art – Berowra

Over a hundred Aboriginal sites have been recorded in the

Aboriginal Rock Art around

Aboriginal Rock Art – Central

There are over 350 Aboriginal engraving and sites recorded in

Aboriginal Rock Art in the

The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area protects over

Aboriginal Rock Art – Yengo

Yengo National Park was an important spiritual and cultural