19 November 2016 - The Australian Age of Dinosaurs

Today we had the pleasure and privilege of visiting the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Centre. The Centre is about 30km south of Winton.  It is on the top of a mesa reached via a gravel road up a jumpup.  

191116 About to ascend the jumpup

191116 The sky above the jumpup. Not only was it
windy at ground level

191116 From the top of the jumpup.  Starting the descent

191116 View coming down from the jumpup, showing
the road back to the highway

191116 Another view coming down from the jumpup

The whole dinosaur process was started by a grazier David Elliot, who found some unusual rocks on his sheep property.  These were ultimately proven to be a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period. 

191116 David Elliot

Over time, the secrets to discovery, preservation and restoration of the bones have been unlocked and today, the area around Muttaburra, Winton etc has become one of the most exciting sites for dinosaur exploration in Australia.

David Elliot sought a 200 hectare site for what he saw as a place for preserving, displaying and educating people about Australian dinosaurs.  There was no place large enough in Winton.  A local grazier offered him, not 200 hectares but 4200 hectares on top of a mesa on his property.  Not only is the site and its access magical, but so is the view across the plains, from which the mesa rises.

191116 Another view from the laboratory, looking north east

191116 The view from the Reception Centre looking north
with Winton barely visible just left of centre

The Centre relies on land owners to identify potential bones.  If verified as prehistoric bones, a crew of diggers on a pre-planned program, go for a "dig" on the field.  Many diggers are volunteers.  The bones are carefully extracted and wrapped in aluminium, paper and plaster and returned to the laboratory.  The laboratory removes the rock and soil and restores the bones to a state suitable for study or display.

191116 Dinosaur bones in the field 

191116 From the field to the laboratory

191116 The laboratory building

191116 Preserved bones - 10 years work here for restoration

191116  The laboratory

191116 Painstaking removal of soil and rock to expose the bone
using small pneumatic "jack hammers"

191116 At least one months work to restore
this collection of three bones

In the reception area there is a display of recovered bones from three dinosaurs, Banjo, Matilda and Wade.  Wade is thought to be a new species. The dinosaurs are named after the people who first find the bones. 

191116  Australian Age of Dinosaurs Reception Centre

191116 A bronze statue of "Banjo", an Australovenator wintonsis

191116 Restored bones of "Matilda

191116 Matilda - 15-16m long, 2.5m high at the hip and
weighing approximately 15-20 tonnes

191116 Restored bones of "Wade"

191116 An artist's impression of a Titanosaurus aka "Wade",
a species brand new to scientists

191116 Restored bones of "Banjo" - refer picture above

What is even more amazing than the experience today is the realisation that dinosaur bones are found in the black soil plains.  When one sees the immensity of those plains, it is easy to see that the surface has been barely scratched.  What more is there to be discovered?

The Centre is being expanded to include a new display, taking visitor along a pathway alongside which will be life sized brass models of dinosaurs.  It is hoped the first section will be opened at Easter 2017.  

The Centre won the best display in the Tourism Queensland Awards 2016.

What would a day be without some humour.

Here are a few other photographs around Winton township.

191116 The promised photograph of a Winton rubbish bin

191116 The swagman - camped by the swimming pool

191116 Banjo Patterson, writer of "Waltzing Matilda"

191116 Winton's main street from the southern end

191116 In Winton.  Note the earth mounded below the trees