See our new State Fossil at the extraordinary Age of Fishes Museum


Visitors to the Age of Fishes Museum at Canowindra can immerse themselves in one of the world’s most unique and extraordinary events in the development of life as we know it.

A chance discovery by a road worker 60 years ago has led to the display of the one of the world’s most important fossil collections, depicting a moment in time from 370 million years ago. And that collection rose to a new status when one of the fossils, Mandageria Fairfaxi, was named as the NSW State Fossil Emblem last month.

Mandageria Fairfaxi was a large, air-breathing fish that grew up to 1.7 metres long and had powerful jaws line with many large fangs. It was the largest and top predator of the eight species of fish in a Canowindra billabong during the Devonian era 360-410 million years ago.

The site of that ancient billabong is now one of the most unique and important in the world, according to internationally acclaimed scientists. Prof Per Ahlberg and Dr Zerina Johanson, the two researchers who named Mandageria Fairfaxi, told an unveiling of the new state fossil at the Age of Fishes Museum nothing in the world compares to the Canowindra fossil collection and the dig site.

“This find here captures a moment in time when thousands of fish died within a very short period of time, possibly a month, and the quality of the fossils found in this old billabong is like nothing else in the world,” said Prof Ahlberg, who was formerly based at the national History Museum in London and now works at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Although the first fossil was accidently uncovered by a road worker in 1955, world interest was not sparked until 1993 when Dr Alex Ritchie, a palaeontologist with the Australian Museum, undertook an exploratory dig in 1993. About 70 tonnes of fossil “gold” was discovered.

Mandageria Fairfaxi, named after a local creek and commemorating the contribution of publisher James Fairfax in supporting research into the fossil fish, is unique to NSW. It featured a movable neck that marked a critical stage in vertebrate evolution.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant said the fossil builds on Canowindra’s reputation as one of the best destinations for paleontology enthusiasts in the world. “Canowindra is now home to the Age of Fishes Museum, which has become a tourism beacon for the region,” Mr Grant said. “Visitors to this museum can follow in the footsteps of Sir David Attenborough and actually touch the real fossils of this fish.”

When you explore the Age of Fishes Museum you can now immerse yourself in a world from long before dinosaurs ruled the earth. The museum offers visitors an exciting range of permanent exhibitions and activities, as well as picnic and barbecue facilities, a timeline walk, a “fishes and rods” games board and fossil dig pits for young visitors. Audio guide tours are available for adults and children and the museum is fully accessible.

The Age of Fishes Museum is open seven days per week (except Christmas Day and on the morning of Anzac Day) from 10am to 4pm.
Contact the museum on (02) 6344 1008 or go to the website www.ageoffishes.org.au

For more information visit Cabonne Council