THE Australian Age of Dinosaurs (AAOD) Museum of Natural History’s three-week dinosaur dig season kicked off at Winton yesterday.
At the museum's Jump-Up site 23km south-east of Winton, dignitaries, staff and museum supporters gathered for the official opening of the new Staff and Volunteers' Amenities Building - the last phase of Stage 2 of the museum's development.
After a tour of the unique Australian dinosaur fossils in the museum's Holotype Collection Room, the official party also viewed the latest preparatory work being carried out in the laboratory on dinosaur fossils, dug up near Winton on previous dig seasons.
The new building became the centre of everyone's attention, with a welcome on behalf of the local Koa people, greetings from Winton's Mayor Butch Lenton, followed by an acknowledgement by AAOD Executive Chairman David Elliott of the Australian Government grant, under its RDAF (Rural Development Australia Fund) program, Winton Shire Council support and Queensland Airports' contribution, all of which enabled the building to proceed. The building was officially opened by Senator Canavan and Rob Katter MP.
The day of celebration concluded with the official launch of the AAOD Legacy Fund by the Hon Dame Quentin Bryce, in her role as Museum Patron, and a tribute to donors by David Elliott.
AAOD Executive Chairman David Elliott said the AAOD Legacy Fund was another important step in the Museum's growth; just as important as finishing buildings and opening new displays. The fund has already attracted contributions from around Australia with more than $60,000 received in the few weeks since event invitations were sent out. As donations continue, an investment portfolio will build to provide ongoing and permanent income for the general operations of the museum and to support new capital projects and replacement of capital assets.
“The huge interest that people have in helping the Museum as volunteers and with donations, never ceases to amaze me,” Mr Elliott said.
“It's humbling, exciting, and encouraging to know that the museum is moving towards a sustainable, long-term future."
The new facilities include a staff and volunteers' room with additional kitchen and fridge capacity to support catering at the Reception Centre, meeting room, shelter for staff vehicles, a generator to mitigate the risk from power cuts, and vital storage for the museum's range of unique dinosaur merchandise.
Locals were invited to the proposed site of the third and final stage of the museum's development at Jump-Up where the first phase of work on the Outdoor Galleries Project has commenced.
The extensive galleries, when finished, will display life-sized bronze dinosaurs and be adjacent to the site of the main museum building. This will be a world-class natural history museum telling the 4.5-billion-year, deep-time story of the Australian continent with the Australian Age of Dinosaurs - around 100 million years ago - as its centrepiece.
