Travel north west from Brisbane and after 1200km you will find yourself in Muttaburra, the geographic centre of Queensland. It’s a small town of less than 100 people, but one filled with big stories.
Last Month Bree Industries put the finishing touches on the installation of an interpretive display—designed in collaboration with Goldi—that celebrates one of Muttaburra’s biggest local icons.
The Muttaburrasaurus
The Muttaburrasaurus was a plant eating, land living dinosaur that roamed the Earth around 100 million years ago.
In 1963 local grazier, the late Doug Langdon, discovered the fossilized skeleton of one near the Thomson River at Muttaburra.
The discovery of the skeleton was the first of its kind in Australia and is celebrated in the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre—an impressive oval gabion wall structure designed by Brian Hooper.
Housing a replica statue of the dinosaur, the centre has now been brought to life with a comprehensive interpretive display that tells the story in an engaging and authentic yarn.
Image: The dinosaur statue now sits amongst a grove of ancient trees screens, laser cut from 10mm core ten steel.
Image: A Mad Max style steel globe displays the land masses that covered the earth at the time that the dinosaurs roamed.
Presenting the history of the dinosaur, its anatomy, discovery, science and technology, the centre also gives visitors a unique insight into the ancient world in which this dinosaur lived and died, and how its skeleton turned up in what was once an inland sea.
The story is told through the words of those involved as a ‘true-blue’ account of the Muttaburrasaurus discovery, across four displays that span a timeline from 102 million years ago to present day.
With robust materials and forms, such as cast concrete, rusted steel and sandblasted glass, the rugged display complements the unique backdrop of the architecture and reflects the local outback aesthetic.
It was such a pleasure to learn about this great dinosaur, town and people. We are proud to have been part of bringing the Muttaburrasaurus story out of the ground, into a display that will be enjoyed by locals, visitors and generations to come.
Image: The display features real fossils of prehistoric animal life, a replica skull and life size leg of the dinosaur.
Client: Barcaldine Shire Council
Project Lead: Bree Industries
Scientist and Content: Matt Herne
Copywriting: See Think Grow
Illustrations: Heads Up Film Services, Matt Herne, Goldi
Graphic Design: Goldi
Production: Photoline, Inglass Design, CP Metal Fabrication, Heads Up Film Services, Bree Industries
Installation: Bree Industries
Photos: Marcus Bree
