Painting History: Indigenous Observations and Depictions of the ‘Other’ in Northwestern Arnhem Land, Australia

TLDR

Contact rock art in northwestern Arnhem Land has been understudied, prompting a large‑scale project to investigate this gap. This study focuses on contact rock paintings from three sites in northwestern Arnhem Land to document and analyze Indigenous accounts of cross‑cultural encounters. Fieldwork involved surveying and recording rock art at three sites across northwestern Arnhem Land, Australia. The paintings reveal some of the only contemporary Indigenous records of cross‑cultural encounters over the past 500 years, show that traditional protocols persisted after first contact, highlight dominant contact‑period subject matter, and provide the oldest dated contact art in Australia.

Abstract

In this paper we focus on contact rock paintings from three sites in northwestern Arnhem Land, Australia. In doing so we highlight that such sites provide some of the only contemporary Indigenous accounts of cross-cultural encounters that took place across northern Australia through the last 500 years. Importantly, they have the potential to inform us about the ongoing relationships that existed between different parties. The lack of research on contact rock art is emphasised and the development of a large-scale project (of which this fieldwork is part) aimed at addressing this problem is outlined. Important new findings for contact rock art are presented, including evidence for 'traditional' protocols relating to rock art continuing long after first contact, evidence for particular contact period subject matter dominating in art of this region, and the oldest date yet recorded for contact art in Australia.