THE CHILLAGOE CREEK HOMESTEAD

"The Fossil House"

Tours of Distinction

Chillagoe's History

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Chillagoe Creek Homestead and Fossil House invites you to travel back in time. Take an extraordinary journey through an ever-changing landscape. Learn of the ancient coral reef, the remnants of which can still be seen today.

Move down through the time line to an age, when the great dinosaurs walked the Earth but where, off Chillagoe, the giant marine reptiles swam in the deep waters of the Aptian Sea.

As we journey through the aeons we arrive to see the megafauna, the giant wombats, the diprotodaon and the palorchestids, feeding on the tall grasses, with a backdrop of limestone bluffs and startling vistas.

The geological processes over the ages had brought rich minerals to the surface. The discovery of gold on the Palmer River heralded the arrival of pastoralists in the 1870's. The prospectors followed. Ore bodies were discovered. A central Smelting Plant opened in 1901.

Chillagoe today, is a sleepy little outback town with a backdrop of stark, yet beautiful limestone bluffs. But do not be deceived! Chillagoe is a town with a past, rich and vibrant history, part of which is still debated to this day.

Local guide and hostess 'Mary Bolam' offers a personalized one hour 'Walk through the Aeons of Time', which explores Chillagoe's timeless past, down to the present day. A fascinating hands-on experience. Other tours are also on offer.