Vansittart Bay, Western Australia

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Oceania 2025
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Today’s expeditions were in one geographic area (Vansittart Bay) but spanned millennia. Our first stop for the day was at Jar Island, the site of some more rock art. This time the style is Gwion Gwion (or Bradshaw) art. To me, this was the most controversial of the art styles we have seen here in Australia or anywhere else for that matter — and it’s some of the oldest, dating back 12,000 years. Most rock art (petroglyphs or pictographs) we have seen over the years has been much more symbolic and primitive in style. The Gwion Gwion style is much more realistic, depicting slender, elegant human figures, often adorned with elaborate clothing and accessories like tassels, sashes, and headdresses. To me, the figures, and how they are dressed look African. This is probably not a huge leap of faith in the sense that there is evidence of migration from Africa to the Kimberley tens of thousands of years ago. By the way, that also answers the question of how the Boab trees got here (they originated in Madagascar). Anyway, the style uses fine brushwork and detail, done primarily in red hues. Once again, we were asked not to share photos on social media, but you can see examples of this art at thee Bradshaw Foundation (https://www.bradshawfoundation.com/australia/gallery/index.php).

We were one of the first to visit the landing site. It was just past sunrise and the colors were gorgeous.
The Wunambal Gaambera people have organized into a corporation to maintain control over lands that have been recently returned to them. That has not come without controversy with the non-Aboriginal people.
The pictographs are fairly close to the waterfront, but are protected by these big red rock overhangs.
Okay, I’ll show you one, especially since it isn’t a human form. This is an echidna — not bad for being around 12,000 years old.
These are spinifex grasses. For thousands of years they have been considered sacred by the Aborigines. You see them frequently depicted in their art. The grasses themselves have been used for ornamental, medicinal, structural and ceremonial functions.

This afternoon, we visited another part of the bay to see an aircraft wreck from World War II. was a US Army Air Force Air Transport Command C-53 Skytrooper transport (basically a militarized DC-3). They were on a flight from Perth to Broome two days after the Japanese bombed Darwin. For those that don’t know, the bombing of Darwin was essentially Australia’ Pearl Harbor. Anyway, Morse Code operators were needed in both Broome and Darwin and this transport was bringing two. Unfortunately, someone transposed a number on their flight plan and they ended up 20 degrees off course. By the time they figured out their mistake there wasn’t enough fuel to make it to Broome or Darwin and the sun was setting, so they had to make an emergency landing at the edge of a salt flat. Sadly, their wing caught a tree and it spun them around tearing off the other wing. They survived for five days on their own. Luckily some indigenous people found them and reported to a local mission who informed authorities. They ended up being rescued by a Qantas flying boat. Ironically, a secret RAAF base was built two years later to support the allied bombing campaign. The plane could have easily made that airport if it had been existence at that time.

Visiting the crash site. At the time, this was on the edge of a salt flat; now it’s been overgrown.
Of course, some of the trees, like this baobab had been here a lot longer.
Some parts of the aircraft have been disassembled, including this wing.
This is on the other wing at the point where the plane clipped a tree. Luckily, nobody was seriously injured in the crash.
This misdirected flight was bringing some Morse Code operators to Broome after the sneak attack on Darwin by the Japanese. The irony is that had it happened a few years later, an airbase was built very close to the crash site.

 

This entry was posted in Australia, Cruising, Travel, West Australia
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

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