Tuesday 24th July - Lark Quarry

Dinosaur Stampede

Winton is dinosaur country and we made the arduous drive, mostly on well maintained unsealed roads to Lark Quarry which is the site of the only known dinosaur stampede preserved in the fossil record.  This is a very special place and a privilege to see.

Dinosaur footprints.  Lark Quarry QLD

The dinosaurs lived here 95 million years ago when the [nowadays very dry] area was a lake surrounded by lush rainforest.  The footprints of 2 species of small dinosaurs were imprinted in the muddy shore where they would have been drinking.  The herds comprised about 120 individuals.  Into this scene came a large predator, similar to a tyrannosaurus and about 3.5 metres in height.  The small dinosaurs ran for their lives with the predator chasing after them.  The record doesn't show if it caught one.  The footprints are as clear as if they were made yesterday.  Over time the baked mud had flooded and further layers of silt built up eventually hardening into sandstone.

Lark Quarry protective building QLD

Lark Quarry area Jump Ups QLD

The site was first excavated in the 1970's and unfortunately was not well protected until 2002 when a purpose designed building was erected over it. The site is located in what is known as jump up [or mesa] country.  The jump ups are small hills in an otherwise very flat landscape.  Dry but very picturesque.






Huge wool bale wagon, Winton QLD

Back in Winton we had a look at the open air cinema, which doubles as a roller skating rink.  Nothing like as impressive as the one in Darwin though.  Seems outback people in the 1930's to 60's were very fond of movies.  We also learnt a little about the town, it has 4 pubs even today and is quite a proud and thriving community which has produced some real characters.  The town serviced the Cobb ad Co coaches and the drovers who would come through with huge wagons of wool bales on the way to the coast before the railway reached the town.  The old wagon on display was pulled by 19 horses.


Open air theatre and roller skating rink, Winton QLD

We finished the day back at the North Gregory Hotel to listen to their resident singer.  She gave us one version of the Waltzing Matilda story, but there seem to be many.  She also played 2 versions of the song, the original 1895 and the Cloncurry 1907 [the words and the tune differ] and she has recorded a further two versions.  One of these versions, 1903, is the most well known one today and was altered to advertise Billy Tea, so it is an advertising jingle.