David Anthon Elliott (born June 6, 1957) is an Australian

palaeontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...

and sheep and cattle grazier who co-founded the Australian Age of Dinosaurs in Winton, Queensland, with his wife Judy and currently serves as

Executive Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

. His significant contributions to the local, national and global communities have been far-reaching, with a profound impact on the field of palaeontology. Through the establishment and development of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, he has pioneered a new form of tourism known as palaeotourism, attracting new visitors to regional Australia.

Biography

Elliott grew up in Winton,

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

as the second child of Robert and Noreen Elliott. He was a student at All Souls St Gabriels School in

Charters Towers Charters Towers is a rural town in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is by road south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town boomed as the rich gold deposits und ...

before graduating from Longreach Pastoral College in 1974. Elliott married his wife Judy in 1986, and the two went on to raise their four children on their large property, Belmont Station, making a living as sheep and cattle graziers. In 1999, at the age of 42, Elliott discovered the fossilized bone of Australia's largest dinosaur while mustering sheep at Belmont. This significant find, along with subsequent discoveries made with the

Queensland Museum The Queensland Museum Kurilpa is the state museum of Queensland, funded by the government, and dedicated to natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement. The museum currently operates from its headquarters and general museu ...

, led Elliott and his wife to hold a public meeting on 17 August 2002, to discuss building a dinosaur museum in Winton. In October 2002, Australian Age of Dinosaurs Incorporated was established as a not-for-profit organization. For the first seven years, the Museum operated on the Elliotts' property, where they conducted annual dinosaur digs and amassed an incredible collection of Australian dinosaur bones. This operation was eventually relocated in 2009 to donated land on The Jump-Up, a vast mesa near Winton. The Museum's growth has been impressive, with various stages of construction leading to the completion of crucial infrastructure.

Contributions to palaeontology

Over the last two decades, Elliott has been involved in the discovery of several new species of Australian prehistoric animals and has collected the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world housed at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. Given his role in their discovery and preparation Elliott is listed on the scientific papers of several new species including

Australovenator ''Australovenator'' (meaning "southern hunter") is a genus of megaraptoran theropod dinosaur from Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous)-age Winton Formation (dated to 95 million years ago) of Australia. Some specimens from the Albian-aged Eumeralla Forma ...

, Diamantinasaurus, Savannasaurus,

Wintonotitan ''Wintonotitan'' (meaning " Winton titan") is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur from Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous)-age Winton Formation of Australia. It is known from partial postcranial remains. Description and history Fossils that are no ...

Ferrodraco ''Ferrodraco'' ("Iron Dragon" after the ironstone the fossil was found in) is an extinct genus of anhanguerid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, containing the single species ''F. lentoni''. The sp ...

and

Confractosuchus ''Confractosuchus'' is a genus of extinct eusuchian crocodyliform from the Cretaceous Winton Formation of Australia. Described as a macro-generalist, ''Confractosuchus'' was found with the bones of a juvenile ornithopod dinosaur in its abdomen ...

as well as the 54 meter long Snake Creek tracksite. His contributions to

palaeontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geo ...

include developing a thriving palaeotourism industry in regional Australia, which now accounts for a quarter of Queensland's leisure tourism.

Australian Age of Dinosaurs

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History was founded by David and Judy Elliott, who continue to expand its operations to attract more visitors to regional Australia. The Museum is located 24 kilometers southeast of Winton, and about southwest of

Townsville The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, on Australia's first International Dark-Sky Sanctuary. It has been built in stages and has won several awards. The Museum features Australia's most productive Fossil Preparation Laboratory, the Reception Centre and Collection Room, Dinosaur Canyon (featuring life-sized bronze dinosaur dioramas), the ''March of the Titanosaurs'' exhibition and the Gondwana Stars Observatory.

Awards and recognition

* 2006: Queensland Museum Medal from the Queensland Museum * 2011: The James Love Churchill Fellowship from the

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

Trust * 2014: Winton Citizen of the Year from the Winton Shire Council * 2015:

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

Medal (OAM) from The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia * 2019: Marie Watson-Blake Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual from the Queensland Tourism Industry Council * 2023: Queensland's Local Hero from the

Australia Day Council The National Australia Day Council (NADC) is a non-profit social enterprise owned by the Australian Government and is the national coordinating body for the Australian of the Year awards and Australia Day. It was established in 1979 and inco ...

* 2024: Australia's Local Hero from the

* 2025: Queensland Great at the

Queensland Greats Awards The Queensland Greats Awards recognise outstanding Queenslanders for their years of dedication and contribution to the development of the state and their role in strengthening and shaping the community in Queensland Queensland ( , common ...

from the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

References

1957 births Living people Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Australian paleontologists {{Improve categories, date=June 2024