ARTISTIC SENSE IN ABORIGINES. 435 



large number of rock-carvings of various subjects, some of con- 

 siderable size, principally on the Hawkesbury sandstones and 

 vicinity, and Mr. W. D. Campbell has given an instructive mono- 

 graph on the rock pictures of Sydney Harbour. 



It has been contended that in Western Australia some of the 

 rock drawings have been done by Malaysian or other occasional 

 visitors to the north-west coast ; but the wide distribution of these 

 representations and their similarity in so many respects to those 

 of the other parts of Australia negative the assumption. Through- 

 out Australia this prevalence of rock-paintings and carvings, 

 exhibiting animal and human forms, reveals the presence of the 

 primitive imitative instinct, as disassociated from the conventional 

 treatment in ornamenting weapons and in ceremonial emblems. 



Where Australian aborigines have been placed under suitable 

 educative influences it has been found that they display great 

 aptitude for drawing and carving. At Yarrabah the Rev. Mr. 

 Morrison writes : "An aboriginal man and a half-caste boy have 

 done some really beautiful carving on cedar wood for one of our 

 churches ; they only used a pocket knife." " I think I can claim 

 that they do develop in artistic skill under education. I have 

 always found a much keener appreciation of beautiful things 

 amongst the aborigines than amongst the ordinary working classes 

 of the British race." 



In other places testimonyis given byschool inspectors and others 

 as to the skill of aboriginal children in drawing and in representing form. 

 We may conclude that the Australian aborigines in their natural 

 state possess considerable artistic ability, much greater than they 

 are usually credited with, and skiU in the essentials of effective 

 decoration. In these respects they are at least equal to their 

 prototypes of the Palaeohthic Age. Contact with civilisation has 

 a blighting effect upon their industries as upon their health, habits 

 and morals. As Mr. Welsh, of Normanton, states : " The taking 

 up of all the Gulf country for stations, and the consequent disper- 

 sion and decimation of the various tribes, has caused the cessation 

 of all native industries or art work." This is applicable to every 

 part of the continent. 



Despite the erroneous estimate formerly held in regard to the 

 mental capacity of the Australian aborigines, their artistic and 

 constructive faculties are capable of cultivation, direction and 

 improvement to good purpose. 



In order to preserve the remnant of this interesting race, and 

 to do even tardy justice, an honest and systematic attempt should 

 be made by the Federal Government to fully protect the interests 

 of the surviving tribes throughout the States. The Austrahan 

 aborigines are fast passing away, and every available opportunity 

 of noting their habits of hfe, their customs, traditions, language, 

 industries and art should now be taken, before, like the vanished 

 Tasmanian race, concerning whom our knowledge is very meagre, 

 our native race, a surviving tj'pe and almost a living replica of pre- 

 historic races, becomes utterlv extinct. 



