Quinkan Rock Art (Split Rock)
Split Rock is a sandstone outcrop about 14 km south of Laura on Cape York Peninsula, with overhangs painted with tall ancestral spirit figures, Quinkan spirits, animals and native beehives. It lies in Quinkan Country, the traditional lands of several Aboriginal peoples including the Kuku-Thaypan and Gugu-Yalanji. The Ang-Gnarra Aboriginal Corporation manages the galleries, and some areas are closed to visitors at the request of the Traditional Owners.
Dated events and their evidence
- 32,050 BCE disputed
Aboriginal occupation of Quinkan Country dated to c. 34,000 BP (radiocarbon, regional rather than at Split Rock) source - 23,050 BCE disputed
Oldest of the Laura-region rock-art ages, c. 25,000 BP, from AMS dating of oxalate crusts over paint; the Split Rock panels have no published age of their own source - 1873 CE mainstream
Palmer River gold rush brings thousands of miners through Quinkan Country, with violent clashes with Aboriginal people source - 1960 CE mainstream
Road crews building the Peninsula Developmental Road come across the Split Rock and Giant Horse galleries source - 1972 CE mainstream
The Laura rock-art sites are declared a protected area source - 2018 CE mainstream
Quinkan Country, which includes Split Rock, is added to the National Heritage List on 10 November 2018 source
Where
15.6498° S, 144.5088° E
Sources
- https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=106262
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00114590
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinkan_rock_art
- https://www.qld.gov.au/firstnations/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/community-histories/community-histories-k-l/community-histories-laura
Each event carries Aion's own evidence grade (mainstream, disputed or speculative). This page repeats what the globe shows for this place.