Winton, located in Western Queensland, has a rich history with links to the Great Shearers' Strike, Waltzing Matilda and Qantas, but today Winton is almost as well known for something far more ancient - dinosaurs! The largest dinosaur skeleton found in Australia, a 20-30 tonne Sauropod nicknamed 'Elliot', was discovered by David Elliot, a local station owner, on his property outside Winton in 1999.
The Queensland Museum in conjunction with Australian Age of Dinosaurs Inc has two dinosaur digs each year, usually in June/July and early September. Running for two weeks, these digs are supervised by qualified palaeontologists but anyone can participate.
The Corfield and Fitzmaurice Building was once Winton's general store - but now houses a mini museum! On display are fossils collected from western Queensland. The latest addition to Corfield and Fitzmaurice is 'Elliot'. He is Australia's largest dinosaur, at 16m high and 22m long.
On the south-west side of Winton is Lark Quarry which contains the world's only record of a dinosaur stampede. Dinosaur footprints can be seen at Lark Quarry Environmental Park. The $2.5 million rammed earth building is unashamedly modern in the ancient landscape, but what it covers is millions and millions of years old. Frozen in time, the dinosaur tracks offer a fascinating glimpse of a few action packed moments 95 million years ago when a large Theropod - four tonnes of sharp-clawed, meat-eating dinosaur - surprised hundreds of small dinosaurs on a muddy shoreline. The herd panicked sending them into a frenzied stampede across muddy flats in their bid to escape. A record of those few terrifying minutes is cast in more than 3300 fossilised footprints. Interestingly, the stampede scene in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park was based on the evidence of these trackways!
Hughenden's (on the Flinders Highway) recently constructed Flinders Discovery Centre. Come and put yourself in the picture of what life was like in the district millions of years ago! Thousands of fossils have been found in the Flinders Shire, and nearly 3000 have been registered with the Queensland Museum. The Flinders Discovery Centre and Dinosaur Display Centre are home to a skeletal replica of a Muttaburrasaurus. The first bird-footed dinosaur ever discovered was found in 1963 at Roseberry Downs near Muttaburra and the second was discovered on Dunluce Station near Hughenden. Nicknamed Hughie, the 7m x 3.5m replica is an example of this unique herbivore.
Richmond is the home of Australia's most comprehensive marine fossil museum. Hosting the display of many of Australia's most significant marine fossil discoveries, Kronosaurus Korner is an outstanding attraction displaying magnificent fossils from the great inland sea of over 100 million years ago. Inside Kronosaurus Korner you will find the only museum in Australia primarily dedicated to displaying marine reptiles, as well as a very special dinosaur - Minmi! With impressions of its fossilised skin, Minmi is considered to be Australia's best-preserved dinosaur skeleton. The Kronosaurus Korner landscaping also features a life-size 12.2 metre replica of 'Kronosaurus Queenslandicus', discovered by American scientists near Richmond in the 1930s.
Further information
Macair Airlines flies to Winton from Townsville for $133.
Telephone: 07 4729 9444
Website: www.macair.com.au
The next dinosaur dig is on in September 2006. Prices start from $1430 a person, twin share. Entry to Lark Quarry starts from $9 for adults and $5 for children. Entry to the The Flinders Discovery Centre starts from $3.50 for adults and $1 for children. Kronosaurus Korner costs from $10 for adults and $5 for children. The Cornfield & Fitzmaurice museum display is open to the public from 9am - 5pm Weekdays, 9am - 1pm on Saturday and 11am - 3pm on Sunday. The museum is closed from Christmas to the end of February.
Lark Quarry (Winton)
Telephone: 07 4657 1486
Website: www.experiencewinton.com.au
Kronosaurus Korner (Richmond)
Telephone: 07 4741 3429
Website: www.kronosauruskorner.com.au
Flinders Discovery Centre (Hughenden)
Telephone: 07 4741 1021
Website: www.flinders.qld.gov.au
Prices correct at 17/10/05
