Aboriginal Rock Art in Carnarvon Gorge, South Central Queensland

Abstract

During 1968-69 the Department of Aboriginal and Island Affairs and the Queensland Museum received many reports alleging deliberate vandalism to Aboriginal art and burial sites both within the confines of Carnarvon National Park and on cattle stations adjacent to its western, southern and eastern boundaries. Consequently in August 1969 the writer in his capacity as a Warden under the Aboriginal Relics Act carried out a preliminary inspection of Aboriginal sites on the upper Warrego and upper Maranoa rivers. As a result members of the Specialists advisory committee set up under the relics act informally approached the Queensland Museum to undertake a survey of the region. During this same period I had applied for admission to candidature for the M.A. degree at the University of New England. Coincidentally my future supervisor suggested a survey of the Carnarvon rock art. The subsequent official survey was originally envisaged as a twofold exercise: (i) to reconnoitre, locate and record as rapidly and accurately as possible Aboriginal parietal art sites in the Carnarvon Range and the Upper Maranoa river region as far west as the Chesterton Range (ii) to observe significant differences or similarities in technique, style, form and content of the parietal art in these two adjacent drainage systems, which rise in the same central highlands complex, but are physically separated by the Great Dividing Range.