About Split Rock
Split Rock is an Aboriginal rock art site located about 12 km south of Laura in Cook Shire, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Set within a sandstone escarpment in Quinkan Country, it features extensive galleries of Quinkan rock paintings in natural shelters. The site is one of the most accessible public rock art galleries near Laura and is notable for its well-preserved ancient paintings and cultural significance to Aboriginal people.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a sandstone escarpment with overhangs and rock shelters containing Aboriginal rock paintings, including distinctive Quinkan figures. A marked walking track leads from a car park and information shelter to the galleries. The setting is open eucalypt woodland and bushland. Visitors can view the art from designated viewing areas, read interpretive signage explaining the motifs and cultural context, and explore the natural landscape surrounding the shelters.
Key highlights
- 01
Extensive Quinkan Aboriginal rock art galleries in sandstone shelters
- 02
Well-preserved ancient paintings including spirit figures
- 03
Self-guided walking track with interpretive signage
- 04
Sandstone escarpment and natural bushland setting of Quinkan Country
- 05
One of the most accessible public rock art sites near Laura
History of Split Rock
Split Rock contains Aboriginal rock art created over thousands of years, representing the Quinkan cultural tradition of Cape York Peninsula. The paintings document spiritual beliefs, stories and daily life and are part of the broader Quinkan rock art province, which is recognised as one of Australia's most significant bodies of rock art.
Culture & Context
The site is culturally significant to Aboriginal people of Quinkan Country, particularly for its depictions of Quinkan spirit figures and ancestral stories. It remains a place of cultural learning and connection, with interpretive information provided in consultation with Traditional Owners.
Route
| By air |
|---|