The Beaumaris fossil site in Australia is a magical place filled with treasures, according to scientist and former Australian of the year Professor Tim Flannery. Flannery, who grew up nearby, recalls visiting the site as a child and discovering a tiger shark tooth, which is quite rare. He describes the excitement of biking to the beach in the summer and swimming around, finding fossils and traveling through time. Flannery made significant discoveries at Beaumaris, including a megalodon tooth and part of the backbone of one of the southern hemisphere’s earliest seals.
Dr. Erich Fitzgerald, the senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Museums Victoria Research Institute, was struck by the scale and significance of the Beaumaris site when he first began unboxing fossils following the museum’s relocation. He was particularly impressed by the hundreds of shark teeth and other fossils found at the site, which now occupy multiple cabinets in the museum’s archive. Despite the importance of the site, it faces threats from ongoing development, prompting scientists and the local community to nominate it for listing on the National Heritage Register in 2016, although this has not yet been accomplished.
Murray Orr, president of the local group Bayside Earth Sciences, became “hooked” on the Beaumaris site as a teenager and emphasizes the importance of following guidelines for fossil hunting. Orr advises against using spades or shovels at the site due to significant fines for digging and suggests carefully examining the rocks for any notable finds. Museums Victoria is seeking donations to implement a formal training program for the local community to educate them on museum and scientific best practices for handling fossils.
Research on Beaumaris fossils continues, with new discoveries revealing marine species previously unknown to science. Fitzgerald encourages those who may discover something significant at the site to take a photo, drop a GPS pin on their phone, and contact the museum. For those who find loose fossils like lovenia (heart urchins) or common types of shark teeth, Fitzgerald suggests taking a photo and leaving the fossils for others to see. The Beaumaris fossil site is an important and precious resource that requires protection and responsible management to ensure its preservation for future generations to enjoy.
