Kronosaurus Korner

Kronosaurus Korner is a museum, tourist and educational complex in the heart of Richmond, half way between Townsville and Mt Isa. Currently it comprises the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum, one of the premier marine fossil museums in the world, with its large number of displays and exhibits, its laboratory, educational facilities, theatrette and children's activities centre.

The $2 million centre and museum was built, and is continually being expanded and improved upon, because of the visionary outlooks of far-sighted Richmond locals and the Richmond Shire Council.

It is a classic example of a small country town and shire striving to establish an attraction in their town that is also economically viable.

It is doubtful if there is any town in Australia the size of Richmond that has a facility with such highly established credentials as Kronosaurus Korner and the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum.

Important dates in the history of
Kronosaurus Korner:

* prominent marine fossil discoveries occurred in 1989

* the Marine Fossil Display was
opened in 1995

* Stage 1 of the centre was officially
opened in May 1999

* Stage 2 was opened in June 2001

BACKGROUND

In 1989, whilst mustering cattle on their property, Marathon Station, graziers Rob and Ian Ievers found fossils that were identified by the Queensland Museum as being those of a 100 million year old marine reptile, later named the Richmond pliosaur. This fossil was found to be the best example of its type not only in Australia, but the world.

It did not take Richmond locals and graziers long to realise that there was economic value for the town and region in the fossils that most of them had kicked around for many years and which they had seen many examples of when working around their properties.

After all, the Richmond shire is right in the centre of what once was the Cretaceous Inland Sea which, about 100 million years ago, split Australia in two in a line approximately through central and west Queensland and down towards the Great Australian Bight.

This sea entered Australia about 120 million years ago and fluctuated in depth and size according to global changes. Non-marine conditions took over 97.5 million years ago and, with the exception of the present Gulf of Carpentaria, continue to the present day, but the subterranean section of this area now stores the Great Artesian Basin.

However, over millions of years, marine animals continued to live, die and sink to the bottom of the inland sea - and be deposited in huge numbers in the tracts of land stretching north and south of Richmond, resulting in Richmond becoming the fossil capital of Australia.

In 1990, following a very successful Richmond community meeting to discuss the building of a fossil museum, and attended by 150 people, the shire council gave permission for the old Strand Theatre to be made available for such a purpose.

Richmond Shire Council took over control and management of the complete complex on May 1, 1999.

THE DISPLAY

The fossils on display in the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum are recognised as some of the best in Australia and the world.

They include:

* the largest marine reptile, kronosaurus queenlandicus, first discovered on Army Downs station in the 1930's. This skeleton is now on display in Harvard University, but another skeleton is on display in Richmond (pictured above);

* the Richmond pliosaur, resembling a fresh-water crocodile;

* the woolungasaurus, a long-necked plesiosaur measuring 10m in length;

* ichthyosaurs, reaching up to 7m and who bore their young at sea;

* notochelones, turtles that lived 100 million years ago;

* the largest fossil squid in the world, the boreopeltis soniae;

* ammonites; and

* one of the oldest akylosaurs, the minmi, the best fossil of its type in the world.

Kronosaurus Korner (pictured above) now is a complex comprising the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum, museum laboratory, children's educational section (Kiddies Korner), rest rooms and wheelchair facilities, Moonrock Café, tourist shop, Information Centre and outside lawns and fossil models.

Milestones in the Kronosaurus Korner project:

15/11/00....................completion of planning reports and architect designs

20/12/00................................building foundations complete; floors poured

30/01/01....................................................................steel work erected

28/02/01...........roof completed, kitchen fitted out, workshop and theatrette
finished, air-conditioning completed

30/03/01........................................to lock-up stage; all fit-outs completed

30/05/01...........................................................................open to public

10/06/01................new section opened by Minister for Mines and Energy,
Tony McGrady

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