Where are the closest dinosaur sites from The Newcastle area?

[FrostbyteFossils]

So I live in the Newcastle area. I got this map that states that Coonabarabran contains jurassic rock. I can't figure out how accurate this is. So I suppose my question is: does anyone know if this is true and if not, where is the closest place to Newcastle, NSW that contains possible dinosaur or bone material to find?

[Dan 1000]

G’day!

 

Dinosaur material is very rare in Australia and I don’t believe any has ever been collected from the Jurassic rocks around or near Newcastle. The only Dino locality in NSW is at Lightning Ridge I believe. This is where many of the opalised dinosaur material in Australia has been found. To dig there I believe you need a lease on some land. If you ever manage to find any dinosaur material in Australia donate it as it is very scarce and scientifically important.

 

 

Hope this helps,

Dan

[Paleoworld-101]

Adding to what Dan said, the only dinosaur material so far known from NSW is from the Lightning Ridge area as well as White Cliffs, both of which are opal mining towns that produce opalised fossils. The map you have pictured is correct, there is a lot of sedimentary Jurassic rock around the Coonabarabran area and also over in the Clarence-Moreton basin in the north-east of the state. These areas have so far not produced any dinosaurs, but i suspect there must be some here too, so perhaps it is simply a matter of conducting proper exploration for fossils. If you can access good outcrops in these areas it's possible something may turn up, and the neat thing is that it would almost certainly be something new. As for Newcastle itself, you are only going to find Permian plant material and perhaps the odd insect or two from exposures of the Belmont Insect Beds. For bones you would need to travel much further afield. 

[FrostbyteFossils]

Thanks guys! May i ask why material is rare in austrlia? Are they just all buried? Cheers

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

1 hour ago, Paleoworld-101 said:

Lightning Ridge area as well as White Cliffs

I think the opalised dinosaur material from South Australia was from Coober Pedy, not White Cliffs  

-Christian

[Paleoworld-101]

1 hour ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said:

I think the opalised dinosaur material from South Australia was from Coober Pedy, not White Cliffs  

-Christian

I never mentioned South Australia? White Cliffs is in NSW, and has also produced rare opalised dinosaur material in addition to Lightning Ridge.  

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

6 hours ago, Paleoworld-101 said:

I never mentioned South Australia? White Cliffs is in NSW, and has also produced rare opalised dinosaur material in addition to Lightning Ridge.  

Sorry... Got a bit confused. 

I didn't know opalised dinosaur material had been found in White Cliffs - would you happen to have additional info about that material? I'm rather curious

-Christian

[Dan 1000]

@The Amateur Paleontologist Hello!

 

Lightning ridge is Mid Cretaceous  In age and was from a shallow inland sea. Many opalised vertebrate fossils have been collected there such as an opalised therapod leg bone and Australia’s most complete opalised dinosaur fossil.

 

https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/austropalaeo/2016/10/all-that-glitters/

 

Hope this helps,

Dan

[Paleoworld-101]

5 hours ago, The Amateur Paleontologist said:

Sorry... Got a bit confused. 

I didn't know opalised dinosaur material had been found in White Cliffs - would you happen to have additional info about that material? I'm rather curious

-Christian

No problem! The only one found so far at White Cliffs is a theropod phalanx, from the Aptian-aged Wallumbilla Formation, which is a marine formation so the fact that anything has turned up at all is still pretty neat. But yeah, it's not very well known as it's only a single bone, certainly less publicised than Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge in that regard. Really nice opalised plesiosaur remains have also turned up at White Cliffs though.