Leigh Oates

This painting represents an area on the west coast of Tasmania where seals were hunted. The white shapes represent the rocks found in this area. The old fellas would hunt the seal by removing the rocks and making a pit or hide. 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 seven sections with the smaller white circles represent the hides themselves, the club can been seen in the bottom of the hide. The red earth line through the centre represents the mark made when the seals where dragged away from the waters edge. The seal hides and drag marks can still be seen today. The yellow oxide shapes are petroglyphs (rock engravings) these are stories or messages from the past and they are also found close to this area. The hand stencils represent the connection Aboriginal people today have with the past.