Punda Rock Art Site is on the way to Hickman Crater, north of Newman in Pilbara region in Western Australia. It is a restricted area that has cultural significance for Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal art
Aboriginal art has always been a subject of fascination for me. Partly, because it is so unique, partly because it looks very mysterious. The ancient culture of Aboriginals dates back some 60,000 to 80,000 years. To me, something as ancient as that has a lot of meaning and value. Although it is not something that you can understand easily (unless you have some knowledge). Aboriginal people do not have a written language, so their culture and knowledge of the land, beliefs and tribal laws are passed on from generation to generation through art which dates back more than 20,000 years. The stories, history and teachings are recorded in the art.
I take every opportunity to visit Aboriginal rock art sites or galleries whenever I come across them. Visiting Tjukurba Aboriginal Art Gallery in Wiluna, Walga Rock near Cue, as well as staying at Morapoi Aboriginal Station were some of my most significant Aboriginal experiences.
Punda Rock Art Site
Punda Rock Art site was on the way to Hickman Crater, where we camped for a night, so I was excited to spend a couple of hours exploring the rock art since it was already on the way.
Rock art can take two main forms: engravings (petroglyphs) and paintings or drawings (pictographs). (Source: National Museum Australia). Petroglyphs are created by removing rock through pecking or hammering, while pictographs are made by applying pigments, such as charcoal, clay, chalk and ochre to the rock. Punda Rock art is classified as petroglyphs.
I must confess that I know so little about the Aboriginal culture and art, then I am in no way claim to be an expert, rather someone who is observing and learning by taking pictures and researching the places we visit.
On directions how to get to Punda Rock Art, check our previous post about Hickman Crater. Please note that a permit is required to travel along BHP Billiton Access Road to get to Punda Rock Art, which can be obtained from Newman Visitor Centre.
This was on the way back to Newman, along BHP Billiton Access Road. Trains carrying iron ore in Pilbara are very long. On average they have 268 carriages and are 2.8km long but the record-breaking ore train from BHP Billiton company was 7,300 m long, according to Wikipedia.