Canowindra
is a small town by the Belubula River. It is another place that has got a main
street lined with heritage listed buildings. It also is known as the ‘hot-air-ballooning
capital of Australia'. However, we had not actually planned a trip to
Canowindra, but just taken an alternative route back from Cowra. This took us
through Canowindra to Orange
and then back to Bathurst. When we were near Canowindra there were tourist signs
for the 'Age of Fishes Museum' and wondered what it could be.
We had not seen any leaflets at
the information centre in Bathurst about this one. As we got into town, we saw
the sign but rejected the idea of going to it. But as we followed the road out
of town, it took us right in front of the museum. We took this as a sign to
stop and visit.
Oh Boy! What a wonderful surprise
and pleasure it was to visit this Age
of Fishes Museum. The only one of its kind in the world! Some 360 million years ago in the Devonian period the earliest
fishes appeared - fish with armour shells, fish with lungs, and huge predators
with jaws like crocodiles. Thousands of strange-looking armoured fish perished
in a freshwater billabong as it dried up during a severe drought. They were
concentrated in a small area and quickly covered with sediment which hardened
to rock. Making a wonderful fossil that is preserved for posterity.
The history of
the first discovery is interesting. The museum has an outdoor display
explaining the ages of Earth’s evolution. You can have a hand-held audio device
that provides information as you move along the exhibits. An entirely informative
and pleasant visit and more should be done to educate and publicise this
museum.
No comments:
Post a Comment