Women in Australian rock art research: the legacies of Andrée Rosenfeld and Patricia Vinnicombe

Australian rock art research, management and advocacy have enjoyed significant shaping by female practitioners. The strong and enduring female participation and shaping of rock art work is a noteworthy feature in an otherwise historically androcentric Archaeology, which is currently experiencing increased levels of participation from female, Indigenous and other previously marginalised practitioners, leading to a marked feminisation of knowledge production. We examine the lives and contributions of two remarkable rock art researchers – Andrée Rosenfeld and Patricia Vinnicombe. These scholars share remarkable similarities in being outsiders who were both extremely good at what they did – though their expertise and opportunities differed. Their work offers insights into both how today’s rock art research developed, and where rock art research may go in the future.