Immerse yourself in Sydney’s rich Aboriginal heritage by visiting Clontarf’s Grotto Point Aboriginal engraving site.
Have you ever wondered what life must have been from our ancestors’ point of view? Good thing there are a few remnants that have survived over the century that currently allow us to have a glimpse of the past. It is also fortunate that there are numerous Aboriginal archeological sites found within Sydney’s region, which makes it even more accessible for all.
At the Sydney Harbour National Park lies one of Sydney’s historic rock art with scenic views, the Grotto Point Aboriginal engraving site. This is located specifically within the park at Dobroyd Head.
Grotto Point is considered to be one of the best places for locals and tourists to see historical rock engravings up close. The engravings are fascinating and well preserved. Even the site itself has added timber enclosures that surround all the engravings in order to further protect them.
Up close, you get to see various engravings such as people, animals- fish, sharks, and kangaroo, different geometric designs, and boomerangs. Also, there are informative signs found within the site to help you learn more about these Aboriginal engravings.
The engravings found at Grotto Point are said to be 1000 years old, and they were originally made by connecting a series of holes from sharp edges of hard rocks and other quartz tools.
The engravings found at the Grotto Point represent Aboriginal mythology and their spirituality. However, it must be noted that even though some of these engravings are quite similar to the ones found in other historical sites, the meaning of these engravings still varies.
Given the site’s close proximity to the available Grotto Point walking track, and as well as the high visitation of tourists each day, the site is no longer used for traditional ceremonial practices. But some of the remaining descendants of traditional families still maintain the site’s ceremonial significance up until today.