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Richmond - Queensland
Richmond is a small outback town on the Flinders Highway, halfway between Townsville and Mount Isa. It is 1,662 km northwest of Brisbane.
Richmond was once part of the ancient Eromanga Sea and is now known as the Fossil Capital due to the many marine fossils discovered in the area.
During our recent visit, we wandered around the town, Fred Tritton Lake, and Kronosaurus Splash Park. We also visited Kronosaurus Korner and explored the Cambridge Downs Heritage Display Centre.
As you wander around town, you will see quite a few heritage buildings with informative signs about their early origins.
Lake Fred Tritton is located on the edge of town. It has a 1.2-kilometre circumference and a maximum depth of eight metres. You can wander around the walking track, swim, kayak, or fish in the lake. Kronosaurus Splash Park is on the edge of the lake, a great place to cool down on a hot day.
Kronosaurus Korner is part of Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, and it houses Australia’s best-preserved dinosaur and a fantastic collection of marine reptile fossils.
The self-guided audio tour is informative and lets you wander around and learn about the many different fossils at your own pace. 'Penny the Plesiosaur’ is the most complete plesiosaur discovered in Australia.
Kronosaurus Korner has a cafe and a gift shop, and there are several dinosaurs you can take a photo with outside the building.
Richmond also has two dedicated fossicking sites twelve kilometres out of town where you can try and find a fossil of your own! Ask for directions and your permit at the visitor centre, and if you find something, it can be identified by the local paleontologist at Kronosaurus Korner.
The Cambridge Downs Heritage Display Centre is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and replicates the original Cambridge Downs Homestead, built in the late 1860s. It has historical displays about farming and gold mining in the local area.
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