Fossil and Mineral Museum, Bathurst

In the tourist information centre, one of the leaflets we found was for the Fossil and Mineral Museum. It was established within the 1876 Public School building in Horwick Street that was renovated for this. There are about 2000 fossil and mineral specimens (fact sheet). It also has the Somerville Collection which is one man, Warren Somerville’s collection of fossils and minerals from not only Australia but also from around the world. The website has various fact sheets and education material that are of interest to everyone.

 

The entrance has one of those painted hippos (like that from the Japanese Gardens of Cowra). Also at the entrance is a large fossilised and opalised piece of tree trunk. The entrance has a small shop and various items and souvenirs. There is a strong element of education that is central to the running of this museum. There was even a small group of school children inside having a fun class.

Opalised tree trunk

There is a small but beautiful amber collection which cannot be photographed but everything else can be snapped.

 

These were some beautiful painting at the begining of the gallery.

Large piece with a few fossils in it

Close up of the largest fossil on the above photograph.

Ammonites 

 

Opalised Shell

Beautiful and complete T Rex skeleton and another smaller one.

 

Mineral specimens’ collection is also very good with rare and spectacular minerals. There are mineral crystals from over 100 Australian mine sites, 2,000 million year old garnets, rainbow-coloured fluorites, as well as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and other valuable gems.

I hope you enjoyed browsing this blog and its links.

A stroll around Bathurst

Bathurst is one of the oldest inland settlements and is also a gold rush town with colonial buildings and grand old homes built for the wealthy. The population is around 40,000. The roads form a grid pattern and easy to walk around the town. It is situated on the Macquarie River and Kelso (which was the initial settlement of Bathurst) is on the other side of the bridge. 

Since there are so many old buildings, conserving them is a must. The museums and war memorials and parks are really beautiful. My main pleasure is seeing the varied architecture. There is also a race track called Mount Panorama that overlooks the town. There are leaflets that take you on different tours of the town and I shall just take you along with the pictures as I walked from the starting point of the Railway Station.

 Railway Station at the top of Keppel Street

Victorian era hotel

Victoria era shops and decorative facades

 

 Brooke Moore Centre 1852. Eddwardian upper storey added in 1900

 Methodist Uniting Church in Gothic revival style

 Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP Building)

 Court House

 Historial Society Museum

 Memorial Museum

 Bathurst War Memorial Carillon

 Surveyor Evans - surveyed route from Penrith to Bathurst 1813

 Boer War Soilder

 Trocadero dance hall 1937 - George Street

 Opposite Machattie Park - George Street

 Fountain in Machattie Park

Victorian Filigree House

 1876 Public School

Williams Street

 Ambulance Station

 Water fountains in front of Ambulance Station

 Logan Brae

 William Street

William Street

St. Stanislav College

 Mount Panorama Racing Circuit 

You can drive around the race track but only at 60kmph. Thats fast enough when you see the hairpin bends at farily steep slopes. This is an open road and there is a vineyard and some houses. Indeed at dusk we saw a whole gang of Roos hanging about.

Part of the race track

 At the sign you see in the above photograph

Panoramic view from Mount Panorama