' Australia Rocks ' Ochre Pits

by Lexa Harpell

Title

' Australia Rocks ' Ochre Pits

Artist

Lexa Harpell

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

'Australia Rocks' Series by Lexa Harpell.

The Ochre Pits sit in the West McDonald Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia.
They are registered and protected as a Sacred Site. The Indigenous People of Australia - namely the local Arrarnta people used this natural ochre for thousands of years and still use it today as part of their culture.

There are severe penalties to anyone who takes any ochre from the site. Yes....I was partially tempted to 'souvenir' a beautiful small rock - then thought - if we all took something, there would be nothing left of this incredible natural ochre site to admire for the future.

Traditionally, ochre was used for ceremonies, trading and painting.
The various colours have different values.
Red ochre mixed with fat and eucalyptus leaves for medicinal purposes.
White ochre was a sort of 'magical' charm.
Wooden weapons used for hunting were painted to increase the hunt's success.

Rocks have a history - they have a story.

The fascination for rocks comes from how they were formed over millions of years. When you take the time to look and admire their forms, textures and colours, you begin to feel small within the universe and time.

Some of the incredible rocks from the Ochre Pits in the West McDonal Ranges - Northern Territory, Australia.

IMAGE FEATURED IN THE FOLLOWING:

Australian Landscapes - 23 May, 2017
Fine Arts Professionals - 23 May, 2017

Uploaded

May 12th, 2017

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