What’s happening?
Queensland Dinosaur Week has begun, with Winton helping open the state’s first dinosaur celebration.
Multi-award-winning British scientist, author and science communicator Dr Dean Lomax was in Winton.
It is his first ever trip to Australia. The internationally acclaimed palaeontologist will headline Queensland Dinosaur Week across Winton, Richmond and Brisbane.
Dr Lomax is recognised as a world authority on ichthyosaurs.
These dolphin-shaped marine reptiles lived in the world’s oceans during the age of dinosaurs.
He met fossil fans, Australian palaeontologists and the wider public during the week
“This is my first time visiting Australia, and I couldn’t be more excited,” Dr Lomax said.
“Queensland preserves an extraordinary record of prehistoric life, particularly its ancient marine reptiles and dinosaurs. I’m very much looking forward to meeting Australian palaeontologists, collaborating with colleagues, and connecting with the fossil-loving public during Queensland Dinosaur Week.”
Dr Lomax has also released his latest book, The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs.
The book looks at new findings that are changing knowledge of dinosaur behaviour and biology.
It also recognises Queensland’s ichthyosaur and crocodile finds.
That further highlights the state’s role in the global marine reptile story.
Why it matters?
Queensland Dinosaur Week is being introduced as an annual, statewide palaeo-tourism event.
The program brings together dinosaur, marine fossil and megafauna experiences across Queensland.
The state holds the majority of Australia’s dinosaur fossil finds.
It is also home to some of the world’s most important dinosaur and megafauna sites.
Visitors can stand beside Australia’s largest dinosaur in Eromanga.
They can walk through the world’s only known dinosaur stampede trackway in Winton.
They can also see giant marine predators from the ancient Eromanga Sea in Richmond.
Queensland also offers World Heritage-listed fossil fields and Ice Age megafauna sites.
Karen Hanna Miller, Executive Officer of Dinosaur Experiences Australia, said Queensland’s fossil record is part of regional identity.
“In Winton, you can walk beside the world’s only known dinosaur stampede trackway. In Richmond, you can come face-to-face with Kronosaurus queenslandicus – one of the largest and most complete marine reptile fossils ever discovered – from a time when an inland sea covered Outback Queensland. In Eromanga, you can stand beneath the skeleton of Australia’s largest known dinosaur, “Cooper”. This is palaeontology not as a distant academic pursuit, but as lived regional identity. And importantly, the discoveries are ongoing,” she said.
“Queensland’s fossil story is not complete. Every season, new finds reshape our understanding of ancient ecosystems and evolutionary changes. Visitors are not just observing history, they are stepping into a landscape where science is still unfolding. This is why Queensland Dinosaur Week is an extraordinary addition to the state’s tourism and education sectors,” she said.
Local Impact
Chinchilla gives the program a closer regional link for Toowoomba and Darling Downs.
Chinchilla Fossil Finders is part of the Queensland Dinosaur Week program.
The free citizen-science fossil-hunting event will take place along the Condamine River.
It gives local families, students and fossil fans a nearby way to take part.
Brisbane also gives Toowoomba readers a closer event option during the statewide program.
Dr Lomax will join industry leaders at Queensland Museum for a National Dinosaur Day breakfast.
Queensland Museum Kurilpa will also host A Night at the Museum – Dinosaurs After Dark.
The new GREAT Queensland Dinosaur Trail Pocket Guide & Map also supports self-drive travel.
It links dinosaur, marine fossil and megafauna sites across the state.
For schools, the week also connects fossil learning with science, tourism and STEM pathways.
By the numbers
- Dr Dean Lomax will travel almost 40,000 kilometres during Queensland Dinosaur Week, including his trip from the United Kingdom to Brisbane and onward to Outback Queensland.
- The new GREAT Queensland Dinosaur Trail highlights seven major fossil legends, linking dinosaurs, marine reptiles and Ice Age megafauna across the state.
- Queensland’s fossil story reaches back more than 100 million years, when much of Outback Queensland sat beneath the ancient Eromanga Sea.
Zoom In
Dr Lomax’s first Australian tour is one of the major features of Queensland Dinosaur Week.
He will appear in Winton, Brisbane and Richmond.
In Brisbane, he will join a National Dinosaur Day breakfast at Queensland Museum.
In Richmond, the public can dig for real marine fossils alongside him in the field.
Kronosaurus Korner in Richmond will host hands-on fossil digs.
It will also run “Digging at Dawn” experiences.
Queensland Museum Kurilpa will host A Night at the Museum – Dinosaurs After Dark.
Chinchilla Fossil Finders will offer a free citizen science fossil hunting event.
The event will run along the Condamine River.
The wider program also includes public talks and palaeo illustration workshops.
Astronomy experiences and community activations are also part of the week.
The first GREAT Queensland Dinosaur Trail Pocket Guide & Map has also been released.
It brings Queensland’s palaeo sites into one connected visitor guide.
The guide includes curated multi-day drive itineraries. It also lists top experiences in each destination.
It includes the BIG 7 fossil legends, where to see them and how to visit.
Accommodation suggestions, travel tips and links between fossil stories are also included.
Zoom Out
Queensland’s fossil story spans ancient seas, dinosaur floodplains and Ice Age landscapes.
More than 100 million years ago, much of Outback Queensland sat beneath the Eromanga Sea.
That inland sea was home to ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and large marine predators.
As the sea retreated, vast floodplains replaced it. Titanosaurs moved across those wetlands.
Agile carnivores such as Australovenator also lived across those ancient landscapes.
Today, fossils from that time are preserved in places such as Winton and Eromanga.
Later, Queensland’s river systems supported giant marsupials, including Diprotodon.
The state was also home to huge flightless birds known as “Demon Ducks”.
At Riversleigh, fossil deposits show millions of years of mammal evolution.
The World Heritage-listed site remains a key part of Queensland’s deep-time record.
Queensland Dinosaur Week brings these experiences together under one statewide banner.
It also brings tourism, education and regional destinations into the same story.
The event is supported by the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation through Tourism and Events Queensland.
It is delivered with participating destinations across the GREAT Queensland Dinosaur Trail.
CQUniversity is the official Education Partner, linking fossil experiences with STEM learning, research and future study pathways.
The Queensland Government also supports the event through Engaging Science Grants.
The BIG 7 Fossil Legends
Dr Hocknull said the BIG 7 show only part of Queensland’s prehistoric record.
“The BIG 7 represent just a snapshot of the extraordinary animals that once lived here – from the largest dinosaur ever found in Australia to giant marine predators and megafauna that coexisted with the first Australians,” Dr Hocknull said.
What To Look For Next?
Queensland Dinosaur Week continues across the state until Sunday, May 10.
National Dinosaur Day will be marked on Thursday, May 7.
Dr Lomax’s Brisbane appearance will bring the program to Queensland Museum this Thursday.
His Richmond field experience will also give the public a chance to dig for real marine fossils.
The GREAT Queensland Dinosaur Trail Pocket Guide is now available at participating destinations.
It is also available online at www.dinosaurexperiences.com.