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Richmond State School digs up the past

Richmond State School Groundsman Ben Smith and Year 10 student Raymond Hodgson have just discovered an 100 million year old marine reptile while digging a new garden in the Richmond State school grounds.

 While digging the corner posts for a new school vegetable garden they exclaimed as to the annoyance of rocks in the ground.   Ben, a local experienced with fossils immediately recognised the rock to be that of fossilized bone.
After a quick visit to the local dinosaur museum, Kronosaurus Korner, it was established by the Curator that they had discovered a number of vertebrae from an Ichthyosaur. A giant marine reptile which roamed the Ancient Inland Sea 100 million years old. The specimen is currently being prepared by the curator to be put on display at the School.
 Richmond is famous for the discovery of the best dinosaur fossils in Australia. The Museum is built around the discovery of such dinosaurs as Kronosaurus, Minmi an armoured dinosaur and the Richmond Pliosaur the most complete fossil vertebrate in Australia. Dinosaurs are continually being discovered by local land holders with a leg bone of a large sauropod dinosaur under examination at Kronosaurus Korner.
In 2009 another dinosaur was found by a tourist while having a toilet break on the side of the road 18 km outside of Richmond. This specimen is currently undergoing preparation and research at Kronosaurus Korner.

Kids Korner
Kronosaurus Korner Kronosaurus Korner

Book Entry OnlineKronosaurus Korner is situated in Richmond, a town of 750 people in a shire of 1200 in Outback Queensland. We are half way between Townsville and Mount Isa on the Flinders Highway (also known as the Overlanders Way).  Kronosaurus Korner is part of the Australia's Dinosaur Trail.

Kronosaurus Korner was established in 1995 and was then known as The Richmond Marine Fossil Museum.  It was situated in the old Strand Picture Theatre and was run by a dedicated team of volunteers for many years.  In 1999 a grant was received from the State Government and Stage 1 of what we now know as Kronosaurus Korner was opened.  A further grant from the Heritage Trails Network in 2001 saw the opening of Stage 2.

Kronosaurus Korner is now an award-winning centre and is the major tourist attraction in Richmond.

From this website you can explore  Kronosaurus Korner and learn about the creatures that lived in the Cretaceous Inland Sea, 100 million years ago.

Below is a picture of Rob Ievers who discovered the Richmond Pliosaur with his brother Ian on their property, Marathon Station. Rob Ievers is the founder of Kronosaurus Korner, Rob has spent the past twenty years developing this world class attraction. All of Rob’s work is carried out in a voluntary capacity.