Home Harbour PartnersAustralian MuseumLandscape of Blue Mountains Rock-Art
The Landscape of Blue Mountains Rock-Art: Wollemi National Park Phase 1
The known: 'Emu Cave'
Margrit Koettig twists and turns to make an accurate record of the Emu Cave engravings.
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Emu Cave, also known as the 'Cave Hotel', lies near the Bells Line of Road. It was not visited by a non-aboriginal person until 1823, when Archibald Bell, then only 19, established a stock route from Bilpin to Hartley Vale. He first passed through the area with Aboriginal guides but returned to survey with Robert Hoddle and others the following month. In the mid 1800s it was used as short-term accommodation for many people of European descent and several 19th Century visitors left names or initials behind, carved into the sandstone walls. However, this tradition of carving has a very ancient Aboriginal origin, with the innermost recess and the entire length of one wall covered with track-like designs. Some of these, primarily of emu tracks, are believed to be many thousands of years old because they resemble rock art elsewhere in New South Wales that has been more precisely dated and because a mineral crust has formed over top of many of them.
Although Emu Cave was surveyed by Ross Ellis in 1983, and published in the Journal of the Sydney Speleological Society in 1987, it had not been comprehensively described and recorded from a scientific-archaeological point of view. In 2003, 180 years after Bell's visit, we extensively photographed, videoed, measured and traced the Aboriginal engravings. To our surprise, instead of the presumed 60-100 individual motifs we found there were 172 engraved figures, as well as 5 faint red hand stencils. Most engravings resemble bird tracks but there also are macropod tracks, grooves, ovals, Y-shapes and a U-shape. We also found Aboriginal stone artefacts and other evidence of traditional Aboriginal activity.
The entire site was traced using sheets of plastic propped up with sticks after permission was obtained from the Aboriginal community and NSW NPWS. Our tracings are being transformed into a highly accurate scientific drawing. Currently we are also investigating ways to more precisely date the rock-art.
Emu Cave engravings have a very ancient appearance in terms of form and style. Many are covered by organic matter and chemical crusts.
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Most of the vertical engravings at Emu Cave are bird-like, resembling emu and lyrebird tracks.
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Stone artefacts found on the surface of the Emu Cave deposit illustrate the site's extensive use.
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Wayne Brennan (left) and Jill Ford trace part of the Emu Cave panel.
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In order to minimise damage to Emu Cave's wall, we held sheets of tracing plastic in place with sticks.
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Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002
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