News Penny Hoffmann
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In the late 1800s, excavations via pick and shovel began on the Mount Morgan fireclay caverns to provide for the town’s brickworks.
But what workers didn’t know at the time was that they were excavating what was once a Jurassic lake.
The clay mining ceased in 1927 and over a number of years, clay fell from the cavern’s ceilings, uncovering hundreds of unexpected dinosaur footprints that palaeontologists have estimated to be over 200 million years old.
The footprints were first discovered by a survey team in 1952 and were later analysed by geologist.
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Dinosaur based tourism is expected to grow in outback Queensland as the State Government commits close to $500,000 over three years.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government would use the funding to develop a road map to growing dinosaur tourism, which would help to boost the region’s tourism industry in years to come.
“Outback Queensland is one of the best places in the world to have a dinosaur experience,” she said.
“Some of Australia’s most significant dinosaur discoveries have been made in Queensland in recent years.
“We want to capitalise on demand for unique tourism experiences in the future – that’s what our road map will help us achieve.