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The ‘ Lost City of the Bradshaw’s’ Rock art site. Although the name indicates poetic licence it also aptly describes a rather ‘unique’ geological’ phenomena that ‘suggests’ that the choice by the painters behind this technologically and culturally advanced ‘Pleistocene’ period of rock painting may have been influenced by a number of factors. These would have included the geological structure of the rock formations and the easy accessibility to fresh water. Fresh drinking water over the larger landscape of the Faraway Bay area would always have been fairly selective, as it would be today if Aboriginal people were living a traditional lifestyle.
The rock art in this area, while primarily representing the anthropomorphic style of the Bradshaw rock art also has a reasonable range of other ancient styles of rock art painting and other archaeological features that depict later and more recent Aboriginal activity in the general area. The geological features of the ‘ Lost City of the Bradshaw’ is unique and 'puzzling. 'Mother Nature' has created what appear to be 'streets' dividing the parallel dome like structures containing the rock art. The whole area gives the impression one is walking through an ancient ‘man-made’ settlement. Is this what first impressed the painters behind the rock art images of the ‘Bradshaw’ art that now dominates the overhangs in this area? These are some of the questions being tackled by present researchers into Aboriginal rock art.
The archaeological report on the ‘ Lost City of the Bradshaws’ is pending. Ju Ju Wilson, Aboriginal spokes person for Faraway Bay through her father’s connection to ‘country’ (and recognition by Dolly Chienamera. Spelling?) was involved in the research projects at Faraway Bay from the beginning. Ju Ju and Lee Scott-Virtue (archaeologist and historian) are also currently preparing a general publication that focuses on the Bradshaw rock art for the Faraway Bay area.