Little Box Head engravings
10 Oct 2021
These strange engravings on the rock platforms between Lobster Beach and Little Box Head consist of repeated patterns of four small squares (in a 2 by 2 arrangement), two sloped parallel lines, and one straight vertical line. In each set, the parallel lines of all repeated patterns seem to point in roughly the same direction, as do the vertical lines. The vertical lines are also parallel to one side of the 2 by 2 square patterns. But other than that, the placement of the three elements relative to each other in each repeated pattern seems reasonably random.
It is apparent that they are quite old, but they do not seem to be in the style of Aboriginal rock engravings, so they were probably made sometime in the 1800's or 1900's. Before this area was incorporated into Bouddi National Park in 1967, there appear to have been a couple of shacks in the area, probably dating back to the Great Depression in the 1930s. Stone foundations, glass and dinner plate fragments can be found in the bush at a couple of places between
Lobster Beach and Little Box Head, including one site which is situated in the centre of the known occurrences of these engraved patterns. There is also evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the area, including Aboriginal rock engravings on the ridge top near the Lobster Beach to Box Head walking track and sandstone overhangs with middens and art traces in the bushland between the ridge and shore line.
If anyone can offer an explanation of who created them and what they mean, please contact me.
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
A map of the area
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