Paleontology in Australia

Fossil sites and museums show the paleontological history of the plenty of unique species, only found in Australia. While there aren't as many as most think, the ones that are there have a lot more to offer than one would think. Some so unique, to be UNESCO world heritage sites.

Understand

The Australian landmass, having separated from the world a long long time ago, meant that most types of fossils found in Australia cannot be found in most other places in the world. These fossils can range from the dinosaur age, all the way to recent megafauna that went extinct only around 80,000.

The two sites of Naracoorte and Riversleigh were so special, even to the point where they're now UNESCO World Heritage Site. A third one; Nilpena Ediacara National Park, is on UNESCO's tentative list along with two other national parks in the Flinders Ranges.

Museums

New South Wales

• 1 Australian Museum, 1 William St, Darlinghurst, ☏ +61 2 9320 6000. A museum full of fossils from all over Australia, with even some exhibits from all around the world. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, 224 Howick St, Bathurst, ☏ +61 2 6331 5511. 9AM-4:30PM daily. Includes eyeball rare fossils, and even a fossil of a t-rex. Along with this, it has some fossils of dinosaur eggs, something very rare on top of all the fossils of other organisms. (updated Aug 2021)
• 3 Age of Fishes Museum, 129 Gaskill St, ☏ +61 2 6344 1008, aof@colourcity.com. Daily 10AM-4PM (except Christmas and ANZAC Day morning). One of only two fish fossil museums in the world. A large number of prehistoric fish from the Devonian period are on display. Educational programs and tours are also held. Adults $10, Concession $8, Junior Students $5. (updated Oct 2018)

Northern Territory

• 4 Megafauna Central, 21 Todd Street Mall, Alice Springs, ☏ +61 8 8951 1121. M, W-F 9AM-4PM, Sa Su 9AM-2PM. Closed Tuesdays. Museum rich with fossils of the great Megafauna from the nearby Alcoota fossil site. Free. (updated Aug 2021)

Queensland

• 5 Australian Age of Dinosaurs, Lot 1 Dinosaur Dr, Winton, ☏ +61 7 4657 0712. 8:30AM-5PM. Has some fossils not found anywhere else, and includes some recreated models of dinosaurs, along with the traditional fossil gallery. (updated Aug 2021)
• 6 Riversleigh Fossils Centre, ☏ +61 7 4749 1555, 1300 659 660 (local rate call), fax: +61 7 4743 6296, riversleigh@mountisa.qld.gov.au. Conveniently displaying the results of excavation at the World Heritage site. This is not to be confused with Riversleigh, where the original fossils were. 

Sites

Thylacoleo, the "marsupial lion"

New South Wales

• 1 Australian Opal Centre, 3/11 Morilla St, Lightning Ridge, ☏ +61 2 6829 1667. Has tours to some opalised fossils, often only a privilege only to opal miners. (updated Aug 2021)
• 2 Talbragar fossil site. Part of the Purlawaugh Formation, they are thought to be the remnants of sediments from a small freshwater lake, surrounded by forest, which existed about 175 million years ago when Australia was part of Gondwana. The site is the only Jurassic fish site known in New South Wales. (updated Jan 2022)

Northern Territory

• 3 Alcoota, Anmatjere. One of only three known vertebrate fossil sites in the Territory, with fossils dating back to 8 million years ago, including some megafauna. Getting here is often difficult, but not to worry, some fossils found here can be seen in Alice. (updated Aug 2021)

Queensland

• 4 Riversleigh. A rural area where fossils can literally be seen almost everywhere. Oh, and not to forget, it's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Being one of the best-known fossil sites in Australia, fossils of different kinds of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish have been found at the site - most notably 35 bat species. Unlike most fossils in the world, the ones found here have retained their original structure, as they are embedded in soft uncompressed limestone. (updated Aug 2021)
• 5 Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways, Opalton, ☏ +61 7 4657 0078. 8:30AM-5PM. The site is believed to be the site of the world's only known record of a dinosaur stampede, with fossilised footprints are interpreted as a predator stalking and causing a stampede of around 150 two-legged dinosaurs. (updated Aug 2021)
• 6 Murgon fossil site. The only one site in AUS that has mammal fossils from the early part of the Tertiary Period and dated around 54.6 mi. yo. (updated Aug 2021)

South Australia

Diprotodon, a hippo-sized marsupial

• 7 Nilpena Ediacara National Park (formerly Ediacara Conservation Park). This was the first time the fossilised remains of an entire range of soft-bodied creatures had been found anywhere in the world. Ever since 2021, it has been on UNESCO's tentative list. (updated Aug 2021)
• 8 Lake Callabonna. A dry salt lake with little to no vegetation and the location of a site where the “articulated skeletons of Diprotodon,” an extinct genus of marsupial, were found in the late 19th century. While most of the area is protected and is inaccessible to the public, some of the fossils can be found in the South Australia museum. (updated Aug 2021)
• 9 Naracoorte Caves National Park, Naracoorte, South Australia. UNESCO world heritage site. A range of 28 caves (although only 4 are open to the public) with numerous fossils found, with plenty of unique species only found here including some of the many Australian megafauna. It is also South Australia's only UNESCO world heritage site. (updated Jul 2021)

Tasmania

• 10 Maria Island National Park, Maria Island, Tasmania. A set of cliffs which include many different types of fossils washed up from the sea which were deposited in the sea around 300 million years ago. (updated Jan 2022)

Victoria

• 11 Dinosaur Dreaming, Inverloch. The remains of early mammals, dinosaurs, and fossil bones of Cretaceous Age reptiles, birds, and fishes can be found at the Inverloch dig site. Australia's first dinosaur bone, the Cape Paterson Claw, was discovered near Inverloch near here, and date to the mid Cretaceous period. (updated Aug 2021)
• 12 Yea Flora Fossil Site. Contains some of the world's earliest vascular plants dating back to the late Silurian period, 420 million years ago. (updated Feb 2022)

Western Australia

• 13 Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. While not a huge paleontology site as a whole, this Western Australian national park is home to Mammoth Cave, which contains the largest megafauna deposit in Australia. (updated Apr 2022)

See also

• Paleontology
• Archaeological sites
• Historical travel