Hallett Cove Conservation Park - Aboriginal Occupation

Aboriginal Occupation

Evidence of local Aboriginal occupation dates back to the end of the most recent ice age, perhaps 12,000 years ago, with one camp site covering several acres which is the largest and possibly the oldest in the Adelaide area. More recently, the Kaurna Aborigines lived on two camp sites dating back 2,000 years and their middens contain shellfish remains and the otoliths (earstones) of Mulloway. Smaller camps have been found on the cliff edge which are believed to have been used by watchers waiting for migrating shoals of Mulloway.

Stone implements were first discovered in Hallett Cove in 1934 with more than 1,700 artefacts being collected over a period of 30 years. The majority are heavily weathered Kartan stone tools weighing up to 5.5 kilograms (12 lb) with over 400 found around the large camp, indicating late Pleistocene occupation with various smaller tools gradually replacing them over time.

Although Kartan tools are traditionally made of Quartzite, often sourced from great distances, all of the finds at Hallett Cove were made of Siltstone despite large amounts of suitable Quartzite being available on the beach. During the late Pleistocene, the sea level was around 90 metres (300 ft) lower than today. From 85,000 to around 15,000 years ago, the present Gulf St Vincent was a deep river valley to the west while the nearest site of exposed Quartzite was likely near the coast, which during that time lay some 350 kilometres (220 mi) to the south. It has been suggested that a debri slope may have stretched far into the gulf, covering the local Quartzite which had likely eroded out only after the present coastline was established around 6,000 years ago. The finds include a number of very well made Quartzite tools of the type in use when Adelaide was settled.