Rock Art Research

A key reason for the need for a national management plan for Australian cave art is that the fifty-four known sites occur on the traditional lands of several different language groups; and they are found on private land, public land and land dedicated to the production of pine trees, but under different management systems and in different states. This complex mosaic of management structures is not conducive to the uniform preservation of cave art. A few sites are already subject to existing management practices, but most are not. Since all face the same preservation issues, they need to be subjected to uniform effective protection and conservation regimes. The key variables for this to be achieved are listed and elucidated, and it is noted that not one of the sites is suitable for tourism. Human visitation of the caves is considered the greatest threat to the conservation of rock art found in them. However, it is recommended to consider the establishment of cave art facsimiles, which have proved extraordinarily successful in France and Spain. The management plan proposed here recommends the creation of an entity responsible for the perpetual preservation of all Australian cave art sites.