Baiame Cave

Baiame Cave is a heritage-listed cave and cultural site of the Wonnarua people at Milbrodale, in the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Baiame’s Cave, Creator Cave, Dhurramulan, Goign, Wabooee, Baiamai, Biami, Baimae, Biamie, Biaime, Byarmie and Byarme. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 31 July 2015.

Baiame Cave is an exposed escarpment of Hawkesbury sandstone, approximately 24 metres above the adjacent valley, on the western side of Bulga Creek, facing in a north-easterly direction, overlooking the Hunter Valley towards Singleton. The location of the site and the open nature of the cave indicate that the site was specifically chosen for the purpose of showcasing the art interpretation of Baiame the 'Creator', and providing a panoramic view of the Hunter Valley. The site is significantly positioned above the valley floor, near a permanent water source, and acts as a gallery, enabling the Wonnarua people and visitors from neighbouring Aboriginal nations to view their 'Creator'. The artwork is visible on the rear wall of the cave and depicts a larger-than-life male figure, outlined with white pigment and filled with a red pigment, with two large white circles for eyes and both arms outstretched. There is little to no detail visible, although the figure is the main focal point of the artwork and is positioned just off the centre of the cave. There are several key art stencils scattered around the figure's body below the arms, with only two art stencils located above the arms in the top corner of the cave. The stencils include boomerangs, left and right hands and forearms, a hafted axe and possibly a spear. The lower artwork has visible signs of deterioration due to the pigments fading, although the higher artwork is slightly more protected and appears less deteriorated. The cave and rock art are exposed to the elements throughout the year, but a sloped floor provides good drainage, keeping it dry and free from moisture. The cave shows evidence of infestation by swallows, which have built nests in the roof. Cracks in the sandstone walls and ceiling have appeared on either side of the artwork, with one crack

Cave data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).