Leigh Oates

This painting represents different areas on the west coast of Tasmania from Preminghana down as far as Temma. The white circles are a representation of an area where the old fellas would hunt seal. They would move the stones to make hides (an area where the stones have been moved to make a pit so the hunters could hide out of sight) and they would wait in these hides until the seals came up onto the rocks to bathe in the sun. When the seals fell asleep they would sneak up out of their hides and club them for food. The four sections with smaller white circles amongst the white rock represent the hides. The Red Earth line of rocks through the centre represent the mark made when the seals where dragged away from the waters edge The fifteen circle shapes are just some of the rock engravings (petroglyphs) that are found in this area. The hand stencils show that the Aboriginal people still have a connection with these places today. The seal hides drag marks and petroglyphs can still be seen today.