'Leichhardt' rock art NT

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 08, 2009 at 23:09

ThreadID: 66651 Views:5661 Replies:5 FollowUps:12

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equinox

Leichhardt news stories are becoming more frequent (and I like it)...
From ABC News:

Traditional owners in the Northern Territory have revealed a piece of rock art they believe is a painting of the first European to cross the Arnhem Land plateau.

The artwork is believed to depict Prussian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt as he travelled through Arnhem Land in 1845.

The Aboriginal rock art site was rediscovered more than a decade ago, but traditional owners have only now decided to make the find public.

Australian Rock Art Research Association member and tourism coordinator Andy Ralph says the markings suggest it could be the first time the artist encountered a European.

He says most rock art images in the area show gun toting buffalo hunters dating to the turn of the 20th century, but this image is much older.

"We are certain this is Leichhardt himself, or one of his party who passed by the area in November 1845," he said.

"The horse depicted has chest guards and knee pads, as did Leichhardt's horses for bush bashing through the Arnhem Land plateau.

Mr Ralph says if managed properly the site will not be adversely affected by tourism.

"Access is extremely limited - you can't just walk there from Jabiru or Oenpelli for that matter," he said.

"It's very rugged country on the East Alligator River."

"It's on the rock area of the Arnhem Land plateau."

"We of course have strict policies in place in regards to examining the occupational debris."

Mr Ralph says there are plans to fence off some areas to protect them from damage by animals.

"There's issues with feral animals and weeds and also there is a lot of buffalo running around on the Arnhem Land plateau," he said.

"So that is a concern if they rub their hides up against the rock art."

Regards
Alan

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In whatever comes our way.

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Reply By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:07

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:07

Alan,

Thanks for the info. I have read Leichhardt's diaries of the trip and I am interested in ab. cave painting, so I will Google the subject.

"We of course have strict policies in place in regards to examining the occupational debris." - tosser.

Thanks a lot,

Willie.

AnswerID: 353014

Reply By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:35

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:35

Hi Alan,

I did the google search and turned up a couple of ABC articles without photos. A pity it would be fascinating to see an image of the art.

Cheers Mick

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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AnswerID: 353020

Reply By: Willem - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:39

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 08:39

Hmmmm......I wonder if it is near the road between Jabiru and the Border Store. Some interesting stuff in there. I was privy to some fantastic art in the Arnhemland Escarpment in the early days(1970's) which was then closed to the public at a later date. There are more than 5000 art sites in Arnhemland.

Buffalo? The NT Government eradicated all of the Buffalo. Or we all presumed they did in the Brucellosis Eradication Campaign of the 1980's and 90's. There are still some domesticated herds and so I wonder too if this Art Site is on such a property within Arnhemland?

We were walking long the overhanging cliff face at Deaf Adder Gorge under guidance of a parks ranger when I commented on the eerie paintings as being aliens from outer space. The ranger 'lost' it momentarily and we nearly ended up having a physical blue out there in the wilderness. This was in 1978 before the advent of Kakadu.

I have a great pictorial book 'Journey in Time' by George Chaloupka depicting lots of Arnhemland Art. ISBN 1 8766 22 091

Cheers

AnswerID: 353021

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 10:50

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 10:50

Hi Wiilem,

I have "Journey In Time" also- a great book.

Done any fossicking lately young fella ?

Willie.

FollowupID: 621222

Follow Up By: OzTroopy - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 11:13

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 11:13

G'day Willem,

Yes they are a bit "touchy" about various examples of rock art in australia.

Met quite a few Elders in the west, who used to disregard those "bradshaw" figures as it was "rubbish" and not aboriginal ..... until it was able to be dated ... and found to be handy for land rights claims.

Numerous, interesting paintings about in the north .... came across some depicting old sailing vessels, in an area well south of the VRD many years ago ... were two or three masted vessels, so would indicate someone had been walkabout to the coast ... a long time ago ( in our history ).

FollowupID: 621226

Follow Up By: Willem - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 11:31

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 11:31

Hi Willie

No, have not been out fosssicking lately. Have found a quartz reef closeby though which needs some attention soon.

OzTroopy

Yes, there is a vast array of paintings, petroglyphs and stone implements scattered about the whole of Australia. Unfortunately these days, a lot of politics is played with the art. I have read some anthropological books and publications but no one seems to be able to come out with a bold statement. They all tend to 'go with the flow' type of scientific research agreeing with each other . The decendants of original inhabitants take advantage of this. With no written history and inconclusive oral history much of the ancient times remains a mystery and is rife for conjecture.
Rock art of the Calvert Ranges and Burrup Peninsula look to me to be far superior to many other forms of rock art....but that's just my opinion...lol

Cheers

FollowupID: 621227

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 13:03

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 13:03

Oz Troopy,

In my visits to Bradshaw sites in the Kimberley, I have seen countless examples where aboriginals ( probably over the last 20,000 years ) have gone to a lot of trouble to deface Bradshaws by pecking at them with a rock or painting over them.

There has been a fairly wide spread and systematic effort to get rid of them.

As you say, it is just landrights that has suddenly seen our "modern" aboriginals embrace the Bradshaws as their own.

Willie.

FollowupID: 621243

Follow Up By: OzTroopy - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 16:25

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 16:25

Careful Willie ... or we will both be under surveillance for making such rascist comments ....... lolol

Lucky you to have got up close .... When I was looking around the locations and directions werent worthy of mention by those in the know .....

Photos of examples show a very "delicate" style of painting with what could be presumed to be intricate detail regards adornements etc .....

My personal opinion of a lot rockart art I have personally seen ... is that the older it is purported to be ... the better quality it is .... in reference to skill / detail / etc ... sort of reminds me of getting a freshly arrived immigrant to touch up or copy the paint job on an old house .....

All that aside ... Its equinox's post and the horse figure will no doubt provide lots of conjecture ... and interest ... for some time ... I'll certainly be happy to read more about it.

FollowupID: 621269

Follow Up By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 17:47

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 17:47

***The ranger 'lost' it momentarily and we nearly ended up having a physical blue out there in the wilderness. This was in 1978 before the advent of Kakadu. ***

Why did he lose it Will ????? Did he not believe you ???

Cheers

FollowupID: 621286

Follow Up By: Top End Explorer Tours - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 21:34

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 21:34

Hi Guys.

I spoke with Freddy Hunter briefly this afternoon, he is the Traditional Owner of the area the paintings were found, Freddy and his sister own and run the Kakadu Culture Camp. Andy Ralph is Jenny's husband, he is a balanda (white fella).

Andy would have made a good journalist for ACA or Today Tonight LOL. They also do private charters to Freddy's country were it is fly in fly out with choppers, so I think it is hardly in need of protection.

These paintings were found in 1983 by Mick Alderson (Murrumburr man) now deceased, and Pat Carrick, Pat is the Aboriginal liaison with ERA.

These painting are not in George Chaloupka's book, I have just checked, but according to Freddy Chakoupka's interpretation is they are likely to be Leichhardt as opposed to buffalo hunters, as this painting depicts a man on a horse and no rifle, where most of the paintings of buffalo hunters show a rifle.

Freddy's country is at the head waters of the East Alligator River, between 30 to 50 kms upstream of Cahills Xing.

I only spoke to Freddy briefly, so I will endevour to find out more soon.

Cheers Steve.

FollowupID: 621337

Follow Up By: equinox - Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 21:51

Monday, Mar 09, 2009 at 21:51

Thanks Steve,

Looking at the area you describe on my map I can see what you mean about Choppers needed to access.

Cheers
Alan

Looking for adventure.
In whatever comes our way.

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FollowupID: 621338

Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 08:07

Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 08:07

Thanks for that Steve

Wow, times have changed. Choppers and all. Must only be for the super rich...loll

I recall meeting Mick Alderson somewhere. Didn't know he had passed away. There are some spectcular water falls east along the East Alligator. Whitefella name I think is Miriam Falls?

A description of the modern day rock art depicting horses, boats and rifles is to be found in George Chaloupka's book pages 191 to 205(I know you know that... lol).

The rock paintings of Arnhemland are still some of the best preserved painting there are to see.

Cheers

FollowupID: 621363

Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 08:17

Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 08:17

G'day Warfer

Aboriginal Rock Art is very complex and even scientists who study this art cannot tell the full stories. A lot of mystery surrounds the totemic beliefs of the ancient cultures.

In my first encounters with the rock art of Arnhemland I espoused some views that some of the art depicted what we white fellas(balanda) may think as alien. In other words, something not from this world.

The Ranger on the day at Deaf Adder Gorge(no longer accessible by the public), was showing us under escort, some of the fantastic friezes along the overhangs. I made the comment about aliens within earshot of this person and he became upset at my perceived ignorance and raised his voice in protest. I retaliated as I normally do and from there things went pear-shaped. But we all recovered to carry on with what we were doing after a short interlude.

BTW Balanda is the aboriginal interpretation for the word Hollander as the Dutch made contact with the people of Arnhemland from the 16th Century on their sea-journeys around the globe.

Cheers

Cheers

FollowupID: 621364

Follow Up By: Top End Explorer Tours - Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 11:07

Tuesday, Mar 10, 2009 at 11:07

G/day Willem

Mick passed away in 2002 of a massive Heart attack ( to many goanna's and turtle's ) he loved his fatty food, he was 54 and didn't smoke or drink he actually died just before Big Bill Neidjie and 2 weeks latter Minni Kapindi died she lived at Deaf Adder Gorge with Nipper, you may have met them.

As for alien art well I will let the you decide.