Grants to produce memoir on Broome’s dinosaur tracks

Grants will help scientists educate the public about dinosaur tracks found on the Broome coast.

Broome’s Dinosaur Coast Management Group, a not-for-profit community organisation formed in 2014 has been given the grants by the Shire of Broome and Lotterywest to design and produce promotional panels and information leaflets highlighting dinosaur “track ways” for their promotion as a tourist attraction and protection as important cultural and scientific finds.

A team of scientists led by palaeontologist Dr Steve Salisbury will be publishing a scientific memoir about their investigations conducted at the site, long known traditional owners of the area, since 2011.

DCMG committee member and spokeswoman Jan Lewis said the team’s findings would be very insightful and DCMG would put the grants to good use.

“Dr Salisbury and his team have distinguished tracks made over a short period of time by at least 20 different types of dinosaur living around 130 million years ago,” she said.

“The sheer number and types of tracks make this the most significant site for dinosaur tracks in Australia, if not the world — the site includes the only known Sauropod tracks in Australia.

“We anticipate a surge of interest from the media and dinosaur enthusiasts when the memoir is published. DCMG is grateful to Lotterywest and the Broome Shire for the grants.”