Winton — dinosaur capital and birthplace of a national song.
For a town of its size, Winton punches astonishingly hard. It gave Australia the words to Waltzing Matilda, it sits at the centre of the country's richest dinosaur country, and it guards one of the most remarkable fossil sites on Earth. Here's why.
The black soil that keeps secrets
The plains around Winton were once the floodplains of a great inland system, and their black cracking soils have preserved an extraordinary record of the dinosaurs that lived here around 95 million years ago. New fossils still surface from this country with remarkable regularity.
The Age of Dinosaurs and Lark Quarry
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs, on a dramatic jump-up outside town, holds the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the country and runs a working preparation laboratory. South-west of Winton, Lark Quarry preserves the world's only recorded dinosaur stampede.
Together they tell a connected story — of the animals, the landscape they lived in, and the science still uncovering them.
More than dinosaurs
Winton is two great stories in one town: deep-time giants, and the song that became a nation's anthem.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre celebrates the ballad Banjo Paterson wrote in the district in 1895, and the town's opal heritage and dark skies round out a place that rewards far more than a quick stop. It is the natural centrepiece of any dinosaur-focused journey through the outback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Winton called Australia's dinosaur capital?
Winton sits at the centre of Australia's richest dinosaur country, home to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs — the largest Australian dinosaur fossil collection — and the Lark Quarry trackways.
What else is Winton famous for?
Winton is the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda, first performed there in 1895, and is also known for its boulder opal heritage and brilliant dark night skies.
How far is Winton from Brisbane?
Winton is around 1,350 km north-west of Brisbane, in central-western Queensland.
About the author
Frank Adam Burns
Frank Adam Burns is a writer for Cooee Tours with a long love of the Australian inland. He has spent years travelling the roads, pubs and back tracks of Outback Queensland, and writes to share the region's stories — and the practical know-how to experience them well.
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