The following information is derived from the Aboriginal Quarries mini-poster; one of a set of 15 Aboriginal heritage mini-posters produced by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
The mini-poster can be downloaded by clicking
the poster thumbnail 
Aboriginal quarries are the sites where Aboriginal people either took stone from rocky outcrops to make chipped or ground stone tools for many different purposes, or dug for ochre. Not all types of stone were suitable for making tools, so an outcrop of good stone that could be easily quarried was a valuable resource. A source of ochre with desirable texture and colour would have been similarly valued.
Aboriginal people quarried different types of stone, each with its own special value and use. Stone tools were made from greenstone, silcrete, quartz, quartzite, basalt and chert. Pigments were made from quarried ochre, and grinding tools were made from sandstone.
Some stone quarries are small, consisting of just a single protruding boulder. Other quarries incorporate many outcrops and areas of broken stone that cover thousands of square metres.
Stone quarries
Ochre quarries
Where are quarries found?
Aboriginal quarries are generally found on slopes where erosion has exposed the stone, for example,the slopes above creeks and rivers,on the sides of old volcanoes and on ridges.
Fifteen quarry sites are known in the Corangamite region. The following map shows the approximate location of these sites.
Greenstone quarry and associated debris from quarrying and tool making. Greenstone is a very hard stone related to Jade that was favours for making ground stone axe heads.
Do not disturb the site or remove any material. Check whether the site has the typical characteristics of an Aboriginal quarry. If it does, record its location and write a brief description of its condition. Note whether it is under threat of disturbance.
Please help to preserve Aboriginal cultural sites by reporting their presence to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.
Aboriginal people used at least two methods of stone quarrying. One method was to strike the surface of the outcrop at an angle with a hammer stone. Manageable pieces of stone broke off with minimum effort. This method scarred the rock face and left scattered broken fragments around the outcrop. The hammer stone was sometimes left at the quarry site. The other method involved digging around and under outcrops to find buried stone. The purpose was to find manageable chunks of stone that were unweathered. Such digging created pits and trenches. The early stages of stone tool making often occurred at the quarry. Tool manufacture added to the debris produced by quarrying. Aboriginal people used hammer stones, anvils and grinding stones, which were often left at the quarry because they were heavy. Sometimes, unfinished tools such as ‘axe blanks’ (see the Aboriginal ground-edge stone axes page) were also left behind.
Natural weathering can create outcrops that appear similar to Aboriginal quarries. Uneven fractures and splintering on the outcrop face can resemble flaking scars. Weathering also produces large quantities of angular pieces of stone that look like stone tools. Aboriginal Affairs Victoria can provide an expert assessment of your discovery.
Aboriginal quarries tell us a lot about Aboriginal stone tools, such as the types of stone used, how stone was obtained, and how the tools were made. Aboriginal quarries also provide a rare glimpse into the fabric of past Aboriginal society. Quarried stone was often traded. Stone axes from one of the most important quarries in Victoria, at Mount William near Lancefield, have been found right across south east Australia. Knowing where stone was quarried, we can learn more about the networks that existed between different groups of Aboriginal people. Most importantly, quarries are an important link for Aboriginal people today with their culture and their past.
Human activities such as mining, road building, damming, clearing and construction can disturb or destroy Aboriginal quarries. Natural processes such as weathering and erosion can also cause the gradual breakdown of stone outcrops. Aboriginal Affairs Victoria records the location, dimensions and condition of Aboriginal quarries. The aim is to have a permanent record of this important part of the heritage of all Australians. Management works around Aboriginal quarries, such as stock and erosion control, help preserve the sites for future generations.
All Aboriginal cultural places in Victoria are protected by law. Aboriginal artifacts are also protected. It is illegal to disturb or destroy an Aboriginal place. Artifacts should not be removed from sites.
The presence of an Aboriginal quarry on private land will not affect ownership, and in general will not stop existing land uses from continuing.
Please preserve Aboriginal quarries by conducting environmental, agricultural and other activities in a manner that does not impact on them. Such areas are likely to cover a very small area relative to the size of most properties and avoiding disturbance should therefore have little effect on productivity. The presence of such a place will greatly enhance the value of an appropriately implemented environmental project and is likely to be assist applicants seeking funds for environmental projects.
