Future emblem? The Siderops kehli, which lived during the Jurassic period, approximately 176 million years ago, is one of the shortlisted fossils. A near complete skeleton was found near Wandoan in south-east Queensland. PIC: Queensland Government
A number of tiny Outback communities are all hoping the dinosaur most associated with their locality will be named as one of Queensland’s state emblems … and that they will then enjoy an associated tourism boom.
Earlier this year, the State Government shortlisted 12 fossils and asked the pubic to vote which one they thought should get the nod.
Voting closes on Sunday, July 10, and several small communities have reportedly pulling out all stops to get people to vote for ‘their dinosaur’.
Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said each of the dozen fossils on the shortlist symbolised Queensland’s natural history, unique landscape and biodiversity.
“Thousands of visitors flock to Queensland’s Outback every year to discover the State’s prehistoric dinosaur remains, generating millions of dollars for our tourism economy,” he said. “From land-based dinosaurs and sea predators to crocodiles and ancient fauna and flora, we’re now asking Queenslanders to have their say on the fossil that best represents the State’s prehistoric age.”
The ABC reports that the fossils offer a window into prehistoric Australia’s dinosaur age and provide evidence that the country was once covered by an inland sea, home to larger-than-life plants and animals. The Australian Dinosaur Trail is expanding and drawing more visitors each year to the Outback.
Geoff Fitzsimmons, who runs the Exchange Hotel in Muttaburra, told the ABC that travellers come from all over seeking out the famous muttaburrasaurus langdoni.
Possible winner: Kronosaurus queenslandicus
was a super-predator of the Cretaceous seas. PIC: Queensland Government
“Every time we get a visitor to town, that’s a few dollars comes in it helps the local community,” Mr Fitzsimmons said. “We get a lot of people coming through here to have a look at it, have a look at the new museum.”
Isisford, which has a population of just 200, is another tiny town hoping ‘its dinosaur’ will get the nod. The town’s main attraction is the isisfordia duncani, a creature that roamed the earth 100 million years ago.
“We resort to tourism to bring economy into our towns, like a lot of towns in small communities,” said local councillor, Sally Edwards. “Isisford’s in the middle of everywhere, you have to come through those bigger towns to get to us.”
The fossils shortlisted to become Queensland’s tenth official emblem are:
Grey nomads who are residents of Queensland can vote here until Sunday:
