Ngamura Giba (Rock Engravings)

ARTIST STATEMENT - Ngamura Giba - Rock Engravings

Translation: “To See the way in the rocks or stones”

Arguably the oldest form of public arts practise connected to our Culture is the time honoured tradition of rock engraving. This practise spans the entire country of Australia and has been dated as far back as +40,000. There are places in the Northern Territory and northern WA that depict Maccasian trading boats that pre date 1200AD and the white sails of ship before 1400AD long before any British “discovery” of our lands. These works are largely scattered throughout the desert interior of our land and have been in many cases pristinely preserved by a unique combination of climate and custodial care. It is very rarely mentioned however that the most glorious harbour city in the world, Sydney Harbour, too also hosts some of these ancient, potent and telling narratives of our First People.

In late 1893 a survey was begun of Sydney’s plentiful rock engravings was carried out by the Department of Mines and Minerals. This survey took years and has many listed examples of such significant work, much of which has today been destroyed. These engravings, detailing celestial maps, sustainable fishing practices and spiritual ideologies form some of the earliest examples of Aboriginal art in my Ngura, Gadigal Ngura.