Ancient rock art at the Gumbooya Reserve in Allambie Heights have been saved from destruction, thanks to a resident living nearby who noticed something amiss and informed the authorities.
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The rock art, which portrays a kangaroo or a wallaby, was at the brink of destruction because of poor drainage at the site. A local noticed the erosion and told staff from the Allambie Heights’ Sunnyfield intellectual disability support charity about it.
The staff informed the Aboriginal Heritage Office (AHO) at Freshwater about the damage. Following a visit by their inspectors, AHO sought the help of Heritage Council of NSW who also sent specialists to examine the site.
The staff from AHO cleaned the engraving platform and took away the excess material from the engraving. They also installed an improved drainage to ensure they will not be damaged by water when it rains.
There are around 68 carvings at the Gumbooya Reserve. Some of the figures include a fish, a dolphin, and a large human figure – all believed to be located in a sacred site. History has it that the Aboriginal Australians used the reserve as an ancient track to get to nearby Manly beach. At present, the reserve is surrounded by houses and a main road running alongside.
To help protect the Aboriginal site, Council also has revealed its plans to improve landscaping around the engraving with native ground covering plants.
