The dinosaurs of Winton
19 Feb 2019
Following in footsteps that are millions of years old, visitors to this outback town can get a glimpse of what life was like for the dinosaurs that once roamed northern Queensland.
I’m running late when I reach the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument,
south-west of the outback Queensland town of Winton. About 95 million years late, in fact. But I’m glad I made it here, to see the aftermath of a prehistoric event preserved forever in the rock of Lark Quarry.
All those millions of years ago, when this was much wetter terrain, herds of two-legged dinosaurs came one night to drink here. Suddenly, a huge carnivorous theropod, looking something like a Tyrannosaurus, charged the gathered prey. Their fleeing footprints were later covered in sediment, and now they’re visible forever.
Though it’s a trek to reach along a partly unsealed road, the monument is worth the effort.
From the walkway beneath the shelter erected to protect the site, I can see the footprints of the big predator, then over 3,000 prints of the fleeing smaller animals.
It’s the only preserved dinosaur stampede in the world, and that’s just the start of the dinosaur magic in the stark environment surrounding Winton, dotted with rocky mesas known in the local lingo as “jump-ups”.
Since 2009, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs has operated its Museum of Natural History atop a jump-up outside Winton. Co-founded by David and Judy Elliott after a fossil discovery on their sheep property in 1999, the museum contains the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils under one roof.
One of the museum’s biggest finds consists of two dinosaur skeletons preserved together, a theropod predator and its sauropod prey. They were named Banjo and Matilda, in honour of “Banjo” Paterson’s “Waltzing Matilda”, first performed at Winton’s North Gregory Hotel in 1895. The theory is that Banjo attacked Matilda as she was trapped in the mud of a waterhole, and Matilda turned around and dispatched him as well.
Dinosaur battles aside, there’s a fascinating series of exhibitions within the museum, dealing with that distant era when the region lay on the edge of a great inland sea. There are huge vertebrae on display, chunks of meteorites within cases, and fossils of early flowering plants. The fossilised skeletons of Matilda and Banjo are on view, as are bones of Elliot, an enormous sauropod.
Beyond its exhibitions, this is a working facility. Regular digs take place in the surrounding landscape, and the resulting finds are processed in the museum’s laboratory. An excellent guided tour takes visitors through the lab, explaining the science in play, but if you want to get your hands dirty, it’s possible to join the hunt for fossils.
The popular Dig-a-Dino program enables volunteers to pay for a place on a dig between May and June, living on-site for six nights with meals included. For something less outdoorsy, the related Prep-a-Dino experience allows a volunteer to work alongside a technician for two days, preparing dinosaur fossils for display.
Whether you get involved in the fossil handling or not, the museum impresses with its insights into Australia’s prehistoric past. Its elevated position also shows off the dramatic outback landscape, with sweeping views from the on-site Cretaceous Cafe.
When you’re done dino spotting, Winton is a great place to spend the night. With its old-fashioned pubs and statue of Banjo Paterson in the main street, it’s about as outback as a town can get.
Trip details
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum is 24km by road from Winton, Queensland, reached by Dinosaur Drive off Landsborough Highway.
Entry is $55 for adults, $50 for seniors. Visit the website at australianageofdinosaurs.com
Dinosaur Stampede National Monument is 110 kilometres from Winton, reached via the
Winton-Jundah Road. Entry is $25 for adults, $22.50 for seniors. See dinosaurtrackways.com.au
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