Ancient Engravings On Rocks by American Whalers Is Australia's Oldest Sign of White Colonization

The Dampier Archipelago in Western Australia is a region diverse in history, home to some of the world’s most exquisite and ancient rock art. These petroglyphs, carved into the rocky landscape of the Burrup Peninsula, date back over 50,000 years and provide a visual narrative of Aboriginal culture, survival, and connection to the land. This area, now being considered for World Heritage status, stands as an embodiment of Indigenous resilience and artistic expression spanning millennia, stated UWA.

However, discoveries have revealed a sudden addition to this landscape—engravings left by American whalers in the 1840s. Archaeologists from the University of Western Australia, in collaboration with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and mining company Rio Tinto, discovered inscriptions by crew members from the whale ships Connecticut (1842) and Delta (1849). These symbols showcase the oldest record of North American whalers leaving their imprint on Australian soil. Professor Alistair Paterson (lead author) shared, "Throughout the 19th century, American, British, French, and colonial Australian whaling ships plied these waters. American vessels were successful at a time when the British colony at Swan River was young (founded in 1829)," stated UWA.

Intriguingly, the presence of these whalers in the region has largely been ignored in Australian contact history, making these inscriptions a one-of-a-kind insight into this era. Whaleships followed migrating humpback and sperm whales, often anchoring in protected bays for months at a time. Professor Jo McDonald noted, "It shines a light on a brief period when Indigenous people and visiting whalers shared the same territory without obvious major conflict…The whaling inscriptions are both a rare example of maritime inscriptions on rock and represent the only tangible evidence of this earliest phase of white colonization of the Australian North West so far discovered," stated UWA.

An interesting point to note is that the placement of these inscriptions highlights a holistic indulgence in the existence of Aboriginal art. This poses questions: were the whalers paying tribute to the land’s ancient inhabitants, or were they asserting their presence over an already occupied landscape? Professor Paterson shared, "There is no other historical or archaeological evidence for contact between the whalers and the Yaburara, making these inscriptions especially valuable." On top of this, archaeologist Ken Mulvaney exclaimed, "People have lived and traveled here in civilizations past, deep into time up to 50,000 years ago, both before and after the last ice age…It is a unique continuous living culture surviving from antiquity, long past the pyramids or Stonehenge," according to ABC.

Premier Mark McGowan and the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation have initiated the nomination process, a move applauded by traditional custodians and archaeologists alike. McGowan shared, "I think it shows that the local Aboriginal people, the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, and the WA Government is walking hand-in-hand to provide that recognition and support for this area." Moreover, Peter Jeffries, CEO of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, also shared his perspective and exclaimed, "[The rock art] is recognized internationally as an outstanding example of human expression, innovation and survival," stated ABC.