Where to find Dinosaurs in Victoria

Want to get out, have some fun and see some dinosaurs?

Although dinosaur remains have been found on every continent and they dominated the landscape for over 140 million years there haven't been a lot of discoveries in Australia. The search in Victoria has resulted in about 1,500 dinosaur bones and teeth. 37 bones of theropods have been found, these are mainly from predatory dinosaurs as big as T Rex down to as small as a cat and a relatives to birds. As Victoria would have had a cool-warm, wet climate it is likely many of the dinosaurs were warm blooded and had feathers or down.

Melbourne Museum (Museums Victoria) in Carlton on the edge of the CBD

You can see ten dinosaurs, three pterosaurs, one mammal-like reptile and Australian megafauna in the Museums Dinosaur Walk. 5 year olds and under can dig for fossils and dinosaur bones outdoors in the children's play area.

Mamenchisaurus is a genus of sauropod, they have small heads on very long necks, long bug with a huge gut, very long tapering tail and four very solid legs to support their body. They are enormous and lived between 160 and 140 million years ago.  Other well known sauropods include Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplododucus, Apatosaurus and Titanosaurid. The  Brachiosaurus was one of the largest known dinosaurs reaching 30 metres in length and up to 80 metric tons.

Amargasaurus is also in the genus sauropod and lived in the Early Cretaceous epoch (129 to 124 million years ago). These were small for a sauropod reaching about 10 metres in length. It had two parallel rows of spines along its back. 

Quetzalcoatlus is a pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous and was one of the biggest ever flying animals. They are part of a family of toothless pterosaurs with very long, stiffened necks. 

Diprotodon an Australian marsupial from the Pleistocene epoch and the largest known marsupial that became extinct about 25,000 years ago.

Megalania a giant goanna or monitor lizard that lived in southern Australia during the the Pleistocene.

You can take a virtual tour of the Museums Dinosaur walk on this link

Dinosaur World in Somerville

A small dinosaur (4 hectare) themed fun park open on weekends and school holidays, closed in winter. It includes 18 life-size dinosaur models.

Zoos Victoria

- Dino Lab at Melbourne Zoo in Parkville

There is a Dino Dig, animatronic dinosaurs and baby dinosaurs.

- Zoorassic Werribee Zoo

Follow the Werribee River Trail to find the Dino Fossil Dig and 10 animatronic dinosaurs.

- Lost Sanctuary Healseville Sanctuary

Animatronic dinosaurs and megafauna, walk in the footprints of T-Rex

Jurassic Unearthed at Silvers Circus

 Includes some dinosaurs amongst their amazing feats.

Dinosaur dig sites / excursions

Strzeleki Ranges / Inverloch Dinosaur Dig Site

Is where the first dinosaur fossil was found in Victoria. There are seven main sites where fossils have been dug up in the Strzeleki Group - San Remo, The Punchbowl, The Arch, Blackhead, Powell River, Eagles Nest and Flat Rocks. Flat Rocks is still being dug but is only accessible for a few hours during low tide. 

The Inverlock site continues to be excavated. A good article can be found here.

Bunurong Coast Education run visits/tours of the site

Dinosaur Cove in the Otways

An important site that was dug for more than 20 years. It is dangerous and hard to access this site.

Koonwarra in South Gippsland

A mudstone fossil bed

Dinosaur Playgrounds

McNish 'Dinosaur Park" Reserve playground in Yarraville

Megasaurus Playground in Cranbourne East

Portosaurus Playground in Port Melbourne

Bulla Miniature Rail in Bulla

Do you have any suggestions of places to find Dinosaurs in Victoria that we haven't mentioned?