A centre associated m l lie minds 



or Ahopgitek wtih dopamd 



would bold lew .iiiiaeiions. For this 

 reason the absence, in Ihe past, of 

 signs of Aboriginal visitation has 

 aroused httlc comment. 



•iff. facts 



In l;niii:ii V . l l ",S, Mi l.cvor I'cs- 

 eoti of (ieelong forwarded several 

 pieces ol' Mini to PlC Nation. il Museum 

 of Victoria. He reported having 

 lound them on Julia Percy Maiut 

 and added thai thev looked rather 

 hkv Aboriginal artefacts. One ol the 

 authors (A I W I examined the 

 Hakes and agreed that they appealed 

 to be the waste products of an 

 Aboriginal craftsman. The view was 

 expressed that the flakes could mote 

 assuredly he associated with Mnm 

 L'ines it an undoubted aUclael were 

 found On the island. I his discovers 

 has now taken place. 



When an Australian Broadcasting 

 Commission parlv visited the island 

 in July I370, Mr Robin Hill picked 

 up a wclMonned Aboriginal flint 

 scraper on Ihe southern part of 

 the island I figure I). At ihe same 

 tinic. Mr Roheil Warnckc lound ai 

 Dinghy Cove on the Nl- shore. B 

 small Iltnl core and u flake. The 

 iHttW fmoil hack perfectly On K) lh< 

 core. Il is possible that the llake could 

 have been struck by a geologist, hoi 

 the scraper is an induhnahle Ahon- 

 gmal implement. 



|i was made on a disc-shaped llake 

 rovghlv M enr- in diameter, and is 

 secondarily Irininied all around ihe 

 circumference. As the drawing shows, 

 there is B clear colour demarcation 

 through the material, indicating a 

 difference in composition I h,: stippled 

 are., in the dtuwli.g represents that 

 part of the .scraper which is a light 

 giov-fuwn in colour and which Ifl 

 comparison With the oihei area 



86 



appeals ti) be of coarser lestine It 

 remaining i wo thirds consists „i 

 Dire-grained siu-iuiy mottled 



i anyiug in colour from dark grey i„ 

 light prey with a yellowish tint, \A 

 bulb of percussion is clearly vistbU I 

 on ihe inner surlace and [has stlffe 

 is also typical in having two different ! 

 curves at riithl angles to one another 

 In Ihe drawing the vertical CBJfe 

 scciion shows ihe convex curve while 

 ihe concave surface is apparent in fa 

 hoii/ontnl cross section. It is ovl 

 suggested lhat Ihis opposed euivatut; 

 is oihei than lorliiitous. but il is £ 

 unusual feature. 



Abnrixinal Visits? 



The core and Hakes, probably tj«dc 

 by Aborigines, found in recent ytBD 

 on the island, and in particular, ft 

 Aboriginal sciaper. present a chal- 

 lenge to the generally held view ih.,i 

 Aborigines ilid not visit Julia Perci 

 Island. 



I lie re are at least two reasons for 

 Aborigines wanting to visit .tub 

 Percy and one. the island's place in 

 mythology. 10 explain their possihk 

 reluctance to do so. We have 110 

 knowledge of the antiquity of the 

 legend which explains the island as 

 a spun cenlie. It could be that 'lie 

 stone malcnal was left by Aborigines 

 when (he] MMted the island before 

 Ihe creaiion of the legend. On the 

 other hanj even al the lime of firs'. 

 European contact the GunditjniaTi 

 mav occasionally have gone to the 

 island even though they regarded 1 

 as I spirit cent re. 



Hie Aborigines curiositv ami the 

 promise ol loud in the form el 

 seals, eggs and xeabirds would have 

 piovnled a strong incennvc for them 

 10 brave the Touuh waters On the 

 island ate small ptbbk bmcftB 

 where laudingv can he nude Whft 

 the sea is not ton rouph The pebble 

 are moMly of bi^U lav one *OtflJ 



V,c« N*r Vol BS 



