Australian Aboriginal Sites |
Australian Aboriginal Sites
Below you will find two Traditional Australian Aboriginal Sites
These two aboriginal sites are significant as they are the only aboriginal sites in Australia to display exceptional factors.
Australian Aboriginal Site One
Yeddonba, Mt Pilot , Chiltern / Beechworth |
Near the twin border towns of Albury / Wodonga, which are about 300 kms north of Melbourne along the Hume Highway, is an exceptionally good Australian Aboriginal Site known as Yeddonba, located at Mt Pilot.
Mt Pilot is half way between Chiltern, which is on the Hume Highway, and Beechworth, about 22 kms east.
This aboriginal site has been well laid out, and is a circular walk taking about 1 hour at very slow pace. There are notice boards or information stands along the way, and the walk takes in caves, spectacular views, food sources and gives a basic understanding to some of the local aboriginal traditions.
The outstanding aspect of this site is that there is a cave drawings thousands of years old of a Tasmanian Tiger.
Yeddonba, The Aboriginal Art Site
This Aboriginal Art Site was re opened in October 1997 to showcase the artwork of the dominant indigenous clan of the area, the Duduroa. The clan, of around 2000 covered the area south of Wodonga, around Beechworth, and almost to Wangaratta. They were a sub-clan of the Goulbum Valley people, the Pangarang.
Mt Pilot was important to the Duduora, Pangarang, Quat Quatta and Minjambutta clans as a spiritual and ceremonial site. Springs located in the rock of the Mt Pilot lookout were an essential water source to these clans.
The artwork, thought to be over 2000 years old, is of a Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, a Goanna and a Snake. These three items represent totem spirits of the Duduroa.
The site is well signposted and is in Toveys Forest Road which runs off the Beechworth to Chiltern Road about 12 Km from either town.
This walk begins to the left of the picnic area towards the bracken. Follow the path the whole way. Use this map and the interpretive signs located along the walk as a guide to a better understanding of the indigenous way of life.
Rock Art Clan elders used this sacred site to pass on the Dreaming Story of the Tasmanian Tiger, the totem spirit of the Duduroa people. The images thought to be around 2000 years old are quite faded but cannot be repainted as there are no known descendants of the Duduroa alive today. It is thought the orange ochre used in the paintings was acquired from Aboriginal clans in South Australia through trade.
Above is a photo of the superb viewing platform at the rock art site and you can see two white message boards for you to read and understand what you are looking at.
TASMANIAN TIGEROne of the paintings is quite clearly a Tasmanian Tiger. How did the local Victorian Aboriginies paint a Tasmanian Native Animal?
Please Note, the disastrous bush fires of 2003 have destroyed the above viewing platform, and completely faded the paintings.
The rest of the site is still well worth a look.
Australian Aboriginal Site Two
Boat Rock, Yarrawonga/ Mulwala |
This site is about 25 kms north from Mulwala, and is very seldom visited.
The exceptional quality of this site is that it is the only site in the whole of Australia that demonstrates that the Aboriginies were able to construct a water storage from solid granite rock.
The Australian Aboriginals have never been considered people who prepare for the future. The Boat Rock is a man made reservoir to catch and hold water for use over the summer period.
Very considerable initiative was shown in its creation. A big fire was lit on the site then allowed to cool. When cold gravel would be loosened and dug out. The same process would then happen again, and again, fire - dig.
This process was repeated until a hole 2 metres deep was made. This process may have taken dozens of years to complete.
Another amazing factor at this site, is that it takes very little rain to completely fill the water reservoir. The hole that was "dug, built or made" is in the perfect position to catch the entire run off of the granite outcrop into which it has been made. A small shower of rain is sufficient to fill the hole with water, which is very necessary over the summer period.
Within close vicinity to the Boat Rock are Kangaroos which stay in the area because of the water supply. This made them an easy catch for the aboriginals.
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Above is a photo of the reservoir, dug out near the top of a hill. The next photo shows the rocky outcrops sloping towards the dug out hole. This water hole is situated on the only hill for miles/ kilometres around.
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A trip to Boat Rock is a must do item for anybody who is interested in Australian history. This man made dam, although very small, is one of its kind throughout the many thousands of years of aboriginal history. The round trip is about 50 km, and the map on the left is NOT to scale. Leaving Mulwala drive north along Melbourne St, turn left over the canal, and right into Savernake Rd, driving straight until the railway line crosses the road. Turn left at the next intersection, and cross the dirt road. Boat Rock gate is about 400 metres on the left, and Boat Rock is about 400 metres in through the gate2. |
The Boat Rock is on land proclaimed by the Government, it is not a picnic area. To get to it you have to pass through private land. Please remember to close both gates as you pass through.
Even though there are no facilities there, Boat Rock is a one of a kind, and thus you will not see a phenomenon like this anywhere else in the World. Worth a trip for this alone.
Australian Aboriginal Paintings |
Significant Australian Aboriginal Sites |
Mt Pilot Cave Drawings |
Cave Paintings thousands of years old of a Tasmanian Tiger..... |
Boat Rock |
The only known example of Aboriginals digging a water catchment "well" in solid rock. |
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to many of the Region's Town Names |
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