The Australian Rock Art Archive

Bradshaw Paintings / Gwion Gwion Gallery

The remote coastline of north western Australia was probably the first landing site on this continent, as groups of our early ancestors crossed by boat from Timor up to 60,000 years ago. The Journey of Mankind Genetic Map can prove when this event occurred, but it can only point to what these early settlers did on reaching the Kimberley region; at some point, they began to decorate the red sandstone rocks with exquisite and detailed rock art, now referred to as the Bradshaw paintings, or Gwion Gwion. Wandjina paintings, a rock art of a very different style, are also endemic to this area of Australia. The number of rock art sites in the Kimberley region, both for the Bradshaw paintings and the wandjina paintings have been estimated to be over 100,000 in number, but only a fraction of these have been recorded. For this reason, the controlled management of this region of Australia is vital in order to control the preservation of Australia's oldest artistic and irreplaceable legacy.

Tassel		Tassel		Tassel		Tassel		Tassel

Tassel		Tassel		Tassel		Tassel		Tassel

Tassel		Stylised		Tassel		Tassel		Tassel

Sash		Sash		Sash		Sash		Sash

Clothes Peg		Clothes Peg		Clothes Peg		Clothes Peg		Action

Action		Imposition		Imposition		Spearmen		Claw Hand