Abstract: The digital speckle correlation method (DSCM) and the software package PhotoInfor have been adopted to conduct an experimental investigation on the deformation and crack behaviours through a uniaxial compressive test on a rock specimen of 100mm×100mm×100mm with a hole. DSCM was used to measure the deformation fields of displacement and strain, and to observe the general average deformation on the whole specimen surface during the test. The results show that: 1) the deformation process of rock specimen during the test can be captured and better understood by DSCM; 2) the local deformation occurs when the axial compressive displacement reachs to 80% of the total displacement at peak load point, and the characteristics of deformation localization is the strongest near the peak load, and 3) the curves of average maximum shear strains and axial compressive displacement on the specimen have an obvious relationship with the evolution of deformation and crack on rock specimen, and these can provide some significant reference for studying the local deformation characters of rock undergoing compressive loads.