Much of Australia's most important rock art is under threat and risks being destroyed through vandalism, development and tourism.

Paul Taçon, the Griffith University chair in rock art research, says unless steps are taken to protect the collections, they will be lost forever.

Professor Taçon, who is heading up the Place, Evolution and Rock Art Heritage Unit (PERAHU), is calling for assistance to establish a national register of Australian rock art.

He says despite being home to some of the most significant examples of cave art in the world, Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world in protection and understanding of their importance.

Professor Taçon says Australia is in the unique position of having a living cultural link to the works.

He says the inclusion of the Djulirri rock art complex in Arnhem Land in the Google Art Project, which aims to collate the most important artworks in the world for online viewing, is an example of the the international standing of Australian Indigenous rock art.

News Online spoke to Professor Taçon about these national treasures and the dangers they are facing:

Emu track engraving from the Emu Cave site, Blue Mountains, NSW, that dates back at least 2,000 years. ( Paul Tacon )

A fire and graffiti-damaged rock art site in the Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, in 2012. ( Paul Tacon )

A ship and painted hand stencil near the East Alligator River, Arnhem Land, that dates back to the early 1900s. ( Paul Tacon )

A bird stencil at Djulirri, north-west Arnhem Land, that dates back around 9,000 years. ( Paul Tacon )

A drawing of a Rainbow Serpent from north-west Queensland, important to the Waanyi people. ( Paul Tacon )

A rock engraving of a goanna on the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia, age unknown. ( Paul Tacon )