Drones help to locate Aboriginal rock shelters

Drones are helping people to find and protect Aboriginal heritage in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney in Australia. Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum did this work together with the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. Using drones, the team identified three rock shelters that were not on the official register of Aboriginal sites. The results were announced on October 14, 2026, and the study was published in the journal Remote Sensing.

The work is part of the Gulamada Project, which is built on the idea of walking side by side. The project brings scientific knowledge and First Nations cultural knowledge together so that people can better understand and care for Country. Wayne Brennan, an Indigenous rock art expert, is one of the leaders of the project. He said that the work shows how important it is to listen, learn and work together.