Why an iconic Winton dinosaur could be our next state emblem
Queensland could be the first state in Australia to boast a dinosaur as one of its emblems.
A collection of fossils will be put forward in the coming months with Winton’s famous Diamantinasaurus among the options.
It comes after the Palaszczuk government last year suggested the state’s clutch of emblems could be widened to include a fossil.
Age of Dinosaurs education coordinator Grace Elliot told Sofie Formica the museum is behind the idea of adding a fossil emblem.
“It’s nice to be able to have something that we can put forward and say ‘This is what represents Queensland on a fossil level’.
“I think that’s pretty cool!”
Ms Elliot said the Diamantinasaurus is likely going to be a frontrunner for the decision.
“Diamantinasaurus was first discovered here in Winton back in 2006,” she said. “In 2009, it was published as a brand new species. We’ve nicknamed the original skeleton ‘Matilda’.
So quite often when you come out to Age of Dinosaurs and start asking us about ‘Who’s your favourite dinosaur’, a lot of people will say Matilda is.
“Diamantinasaurus would’ve been about 16 to 18 metres long from nose to tail, and you’re looking at around three and a half metres tall.”
Press PLAY below to hear how you could see the emblem frontrunner, Matilda, for yourself!
Image: Getty