Canoelands

Reference: p 20.

Canoelands Ridge, north of Forest Glen, and south of Beckett’s Forest, off Old Northern Road, there are fairly inaccessible caves and some of the best preserved Aboriginal rock-carvings in the shire. Stanbury and Clegg in “Aboriginal Rock Engravings” refer to a site on Old North Road, a large sandstone engraving of Baime, a culture hero. This site is believed to be related to the nearby Devil’s Rock and Canoelands. Of Devil’s Rock it is said this site best fits what is known of initiation rituals. Here there are two culture heroes, Baime and Daramulan. Canoelands site is a fragile drawing site. The tallest painting is a four-colour culture hero. Some rock engravings show a similar figure, Baime the god who was responsible for the way things are. The origin of the name “Canoelands” is difficult to establish, though John P. Powell says it is an area in which Aboriginal people obtained bark suitable for building canoes.