The Kimberley
Expedition in 1992 by the Bradshaw Foundation

In 1992 the Trustees of the Bradshaw Foundation toured the North West Australian Kimberley with Grahame Walsh looking for Bradshaw paintings. The only way of covering this vast area, the size of Switzerland, is by helicopter due to the roughness of the terrain. We always travelled with two aircraft, as if "downed", being found was improbable and walking-out, impossible.

Above the helicopter used by the Bradshaw Foundation and the Drysdale River

Many of the Bradshaw paintings, and younger Wandjina paintings, are found at the same locations, usually near permanent water holes, some of which are extremely large, like the one above on the Drysdale River. The Bradshaw paintings are dated at a minimum of 17,000 BP [before present]. The paint has been absorbed right into the rock surface, where as the Wandjina's still retain the original paint used by the artists thousands of years later. Most of the Wandjina painting are only hundreds of years old.

Paradise Pool on the Roe River

Paradise Pool on the Roe River. The wall of the pool above carry many Bradshaw paintings as yet unrecorded, and in the Monsoon tons of water pour over this cliff. Below near Wren Gorge, is a beautiful area of tropical vegetation on the Calder River is the only known home of the Black Wren.

Tropical vegetation on the Calder River and pictured right Wren Gorge