It’s hard to describe the feelings you get when you visit a culturally important and significant site overlooking the Shoalhaven River in West Nowra.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The traditional owners, dating back to between 17,000 to 19,500 years-ago treated this special place with reverence and the artwork on the rock, in simple terms, tells the story of how we should treat women.
I was given the chance to learn about the Thompsons Point site thanks to a group of indigenous people and I had a lot to learn.
I won’t embarrass myself or offend anybody by trying to word for word go into details about the story because it’s not my place.
However, you get a sense of being on special ground and the drawings’ messages echo White Ribbon Day which aims to prevent violence towards women.
The drawings are of rules that applies to everyone - man, woman and child – which are carried by men out of respect and responsibility.
Thanks to their traditional beliefs, domestic violence was not a problem for the traditional owners of this land and can you imagine what they would think if they knew about the way women are treated today and about our shameful domestic violence rates?
Thompsons Point is renowned for its rock climbing but its charcoal drawings tell a story we, no matter our colour or culture, should all learn about.
To use a white person’s words, this site not only has educational significance but also has great spiritual and religious significance.
In simple terms it's like going into a church and getting guidance on how to become a better person.
By being at this site the traditional owners hope everyone will become a better person.
The traditional owners want the site to be protected and want to work with rock climbers and groups like Shoalhaven City Council on a solution.
The question that was asked of me several times was would rock climbers be allowed to climb a church, mosque, a synagogue or even a war memorial?
The answer would be no and so in the name of equality this special place should be afforded the same respect as other spiritual and religious places.
Before going to this site I was asked to clear my mind of all my thoughts so I could be open to what I was going to see and experience.
History shows much has been taken away from the traditional owners and surely the right thing to do would be for an entire community effort to save this site to start now.
More stories to come
