Public Lecture: Dating Australia's oldest rock art

The annual Howitt lecture is presented by the Royal Society of Victoria & the Geological Society of Australia, Victoria Division

Australia hosts the world’s oldest continuing culture, and Aboriginal rock art represents one of its most significant records of knowledge. These paintings and engravings remain of deep importance to Aboriginal people today and provide valuable evidence for researchers seeking to understand long-term human-environment interactions. Yet one of the greatest challenges in rock art research is determining age. Without knowing how old the paintings and engravings are, it is difficult to understand how the artworks relate to past changes in climate, environment, or culture. In this talk, Dr. Helen Green will outline the latest scientific techniques used to establish the age of Australia’s oldest rock art, and the innovative, multi-disciplinary projects that bring together traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western science to deepen our understanding of these remarkable cultural records and how we might protect them into the future.

Light refreshments will be available.

Please note, the venue is a historical building and has stair-only access, and a flight of stairs up to the theatre room and amenities. If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility, please reach out to the RSV team at rsv@rsv.org.au