Mount Grenfell Historic Site is an Aboriginal rock art site, about 50 kilometres west of Cobar, in the arid lands in central west New South Wales. It is a spiritually important place for its Aboriginal owners, the Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan people.
For thousands of years before Europeans settled in this part of NSW, Ngiyampaa (pronounced nee-yam-par) people regularly gathered around the semi-permanent waterhole and took shelter in the rock overhangs. The site’s three main rock shelters feature more than 1,000 images that depict human and animal figures painted with ochre, clay and other natural pigments.
There are also some fine examples of hand stencils which are of ceremonial significance to traditional owners. Just follow the blue arrows for the art site walk. There is a visitors book to sign along the way.
Aboriginal Rock Art:
Australia has some of the oldest and largest open-air rock art sites in the world. Some archaeologists call rock art “rock documents” or “a third archive”, besides oral history and written documents.
At Mount Grenfell, art featuring all facets of Aboriginal life covers rocky overhangs surrounding the park’s waterhole. Many are linear paintings done by applying wet pigment with a fingertip or natural brush. Others are hand stencils. In some places, white pipeclay and ochre have been applied thickly and left to dry. Ochre is a natural earth pigment and was the most important painting material used traditionally by Aboriginal people.
Ochre:
Ochre, particularly red ochre, has been used for millennia by Aboriginal people in Australia for body decoration, mortuary practices, cave painting, bark painting and other artwork as well as the preservation of animal skins.
Ochre pigments are plentiful across Australia. They are mined from special sites and vary in hardness and texture and were traded by different groups. The major mineral of all the ochres is the same yet it comes in a variety of colours/pigments ranging from pale yellow to orange and purple to dark reddish brown.
Ochre is made into paint by grinding the source rock to a powder and then mixing it with a fluid to bind it together. Traditionally, this fluid would have been saliva or blood, often kangaroo blood to give a rich, dark red colour.
A variety of ochres.
Hand stencils in ochre:
Children’s stencils are usually found in lower areas where they were made when the child was very young. Only after initiation are they allowed to place a second stencil. Elders were the only ones who could have the stencil of the entire forearm on a rock wall. The higher up a hand stencil on the rock, and the more the wrist and arm appeared, the more important the person was.
The local Aboriginal people put a mixture of ochre, water and animal fat into their mouth and blew it across their hand which rested on the rock surface. The ochre chemically reacted with, and sunk into, the surface of the rock just as ink does into paper.
Australia’s Aboriginal culture is the oldest surviving culture in the world and its art has gained worldwide recognition. The art is a reminder that this landscape has a long and ongoing human history. Indigenous people relate these ancient images to the actions of Dreaming beings. The images are sacred because they show a continuing ancestral presence.
Mt Grenfell is an important place of ochre cave paintings depicting local indigenous life in New South Wales. These artworks are precious and timeless and must be respected at all times. When visiting rock art sites please remember that the art is fragile and can be permanently damaged by touching, even accidentally.
Bring the family, water and a picnic lunch as free gas barbecues are provided. Remember to leave the geodog home. There are no bins so all rubbish must be taken home with you and there is no overnight camping. Take your time in this special place to enjoy the surroundings and learn more about Ngiyampaa culture and heritage.
Remember to take only photos and leave no trace of your visit. We hope you enjoy your visit to this interesting area using rock as an art canvas.
You may log this Earthcache straight away but then please email your answers to the questions to the CO. We will contact you ONLY if your answers need extra work. Logs with no answers sent will be deleted. The answers can be found by observing the landscape, reading the information boards and a little research.
Q1. What mineral gives ochre its colour?
Q2. At site 1 (S31 18.021 E145 18.655) there are some lines made of pliable silicone. What purpose do you think they serve?
Q3. At site 2 (S31 17.967 E145 18.658) which natural material was used to make most of these paintings?
Q4. At site 2 find a hand stencil. Which natural material has been used to paint the background?
Q5. At site 3 (S31 17.924 E145 18.668) which coloured ochre has been predominantly used to paint animals?