Richmond Marine Fossil Museum

RICHMOND MARINE FOSSIL MUSEUM

BACKGROUND, HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS

THEN:

The museum was designed to display local fossils from the
Cretaceous Inland Sea that covered a large section of Queens-
land 120 million years ago. The inland sea fluctuated in relation
to global changes of sea levels and local earth movements for
nearly 25 million years and reached its maximum extent 112
million years ago. Non-marine conditions took over 97.5 million
years ago and continue to the present day.

Today Richmond is the geographical centre of where the Cretaceous Inland Sea once was, and the fossils that are found prolifically around Richmond are the remains of animals that lived and died in the sea.

The catalyst for the building of the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum was the discovery of the Richmond pliosaur on a property, Marathon Station, near Richmond in 1989. The 100 million-year old pliosaur was recognised by palaeontologists as the prime example of its type of vertebrae fossil in the world.

Three months later a rare minmi paravertebrae was found nearby.

Interest in marine fossils, their preservation and exhibition was paramount in Richmond and after a very successful meeting attended by 150 people, it was decided to develop a Marine Fossil Museum in the town.

The Richmond Shire Council granted permission for the old Strand Theatre to be made available to house the many unique fossil exhibits that poured in, and the museum, which

commenced operation in 1995, was then run by volunteers, dedicated locals and the volunteer organisation called Friends of the Museum.

Richmond Shire Council expanded the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum by the addition of Stage 1 of the complex which was named Kronosaurus Korner Information Centre at a cost of $500,000, with $200,000 contributed by the State Government and the rest, $300,000 by the Richmond Shire Council.

Richmond Shire Council took over control and management of the entire complex on May 1, 1999, and renamed it Kronosaurus Korner. It is now run by an Incorporated Body of which the Mayor and six councillors are the Board of Directors, with the Council's chief executive officer the secretary/treasurer.

NOW:

Kronosaurus Korner consists of the Richmond Marine Fossil Museum (with laboratory), a souvenir shop, café, rest rooms, a Regional Information Centre and an officially-accredited Tourism Qld Information Centre. The whole complex is fully air-conditioned and has wheel-chair access. A qualified palaeontologist-curator and two centre assistants are employed full-time.

A Memo of Understanding exists between Kronosaurus Korner Board Inc, Richmond Shire Council and the Queensland Museum. This has resulted in a valuable two-way academic and museum partnership.

The Richmond Marine Fossil Museum has also allowed long-term residency of students carrying out PhD studies in palaeontology. Currently a student from

James Cook University in Townsville is carrying out studies at the museum.

The Richmond Marine Fossil Museum houses over 200 exhibits, including Australia's best vertebrae fossil ever found, the Richmond Pliosaur, and Minmi, the 100 million-year old armoured dinosaur with its fossilised skin in tact - one of the two most complete of their type in the world.

Richmond Marine Fossil Museum Received $1 million funding under the Queensland Heritage Trail Network for the construction of a Laboratory & Preparation Room, a child-minding facility (Kiddies Korner), themed theatrette and expansion to the museum's display area.

These additions were officially opened in June 2001.

The Richmond Marine Fossil Museum is recognised as the best marine fossil museum in Australia.

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