Australia Age of Dinosaurs, Qld

In 1999 David Elliott whilst mustering sheep on his property, Belmont approximately 80kms out of Winton, literally stumbled upon the femur bone of an Australian dinosaur. Knowing it was too good of an opportunity to pass up in 2003 The Australian Age of the Dinosaurs was born. ​Since then the museum has evolved, into the world’s largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils, relocating to its current site only a stone’s through out of Winton called ‘The Jump-Up’ due to the nature of its geographical location.

As part of a guided tour you get the opportunity to visit the Laboratory where eager volunteers unwrap entombed specimen and scrape dirt from bones millions of years old. One bone in particular had been worked on for two years already when we saw it and was certainly no where near being completed. Great work if you have the patience. Fascinating all the same.

Visitors are also treated to a tour of a temperature controlled dinosaur fossil display exhibiting bones that are said to be over 90 million years old and are bloody huge!!! During this era the land was lush with thick green forests and running springs, since then the earth has slowly dried and eroded, exposing what are now referred to as ‘Jump-Ups’ The dinosaurs on display are the “Australovenator wintonensis, nicknamed “Banjo”, as well as Australia’s most complete sauropod Diamantinasaurus matildae, nicknamed “Matilda” and Savannasaurus elliottorum “Wade”.“ Researchers believe many sauropods met an untimely demise getting stuck in mud and due to their size where unable to free themselves leading to starvation. 

The tour continues with a 2km buggy journey over the top of the ‘Jump-Up’ to marvel at spectacular views of the area and admire impressionist sculptures of dinosaurs in scenes depicting how it might have been all those millions of years ago.