The sites included shelters with Aboriginal art, occupation shelters with artefacts and axe-grinding groove sites.

Natural areas manager Brendon Graham said the study found many sites that were previously unknown.

"The study showed that there is a broad range of sites across the shire and the more you look the more you find,'' he said.

Mr Graham said there were many sites close to populated areas.

"One of the most amazing finds was a site located right in the heart of a busy shire suburb just metres from the road.

"It had gone undiscovered for years and despite some minor graffiti is still in great condition.''

Work is underway to transfer all the data on the Aboriginal sites into the council's mapping system to create a database of sites for use in future planning.

The study was jointly funded by Sutherland Shire Council and the Department of Planning and more funding is being sought to extend the search area.