🌿 Carnarvon Gorge
Australia
About This Sacred Site
Carnarvon Gorge, in the central highlands of Queensland, is a spectacular 30-kilometer sandstone gorge containing some of the most significant Aboriginal rock art in eastern Australia. The Art Gallery, the largest site, stretches over 62 meters and contains over 2,000 individual stencils, paintings, and engravings created by the Bidjara and Karingbal peoples over thousands of years. The stencils include hands, boomerangs, eel-tail catfish, and other culturally significant items. Cathedral Cave, another major site, features additional art in a dramatic overhanging rock shelter. The gorge is an oasis of subtropical vegetation in otherwise dry country, which is why it held such importance as a meeting place and ceremonial ground.
Key Facts
- •The Art Gallery stretches over 62 meters with more than 2,000 stencils and paintings
- •Created by the Bidjara and Karingbal peoples over thousands of years
- •Cathedral Cave provides a dramatic natural amphitheater for viewing rock art
- •The gorge's subtropical microclimate made it an important meeting and ceremonial site
- •Hand stencils were created by spraying ochre over hands pressed against the rock
Location
Coordinates: -25.0667, 148.2167
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