THE CHILLAGOE CREEK HOMESTEAD

"The Fossil House"

Tours Of Distinction

Tours of Distinction

Chillagoe's History

Contact

Home Page

The Homestead is home to a small, but select, collection of fossils. The specimens are representative of the three significant geological ages, which shaped the Chillagoe landscape.

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 Experiences include:

Heritage Walk of the Smelter Reserve

Originally to be located at the Barron River Falls, the Chillagoe smelters became one of the largest metallurgical projects in North Queensland pre WW1. Men from countries around the world toiled in an incredibly hot, hostile, environment.
Afghans and Chinese, Cornish and Welsh, Italians and Scandinavians were all part of a multi-cultured workforce building a nation. Surround yourself with the spirit of yesteryear. this is atrue-blue australiana at its very best!
$38.00 per adult
Includes light refreshments.

Early morning Bird Watching - Wildlife Walk

Bush Walk! Bird Watching! Wildlife Spotting! enhances this tour of the smelters. We also have the opportunity of seeing various species of flora, which have adapted to living in the dry tropics. This walk will appeal to the nature lover, with a real feel for history.
$45.00 per adult
Includes cooked breakfast.

Introduction to Fossils & Rocks

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 diprotodon and the palorchestids, feeding on the tall grasses, with a backdrop of limestone bluffs and startling vistas. This is a hands' on experience, thoroughly researched.
$38.00 per adult
includes light refreshments

A Walk Down Memory Lane Town Walk

Chillagoe today, is a sleep little town with a backdrop of stark, yet beautiful limestone bluffs. But do not be deceived! Chillagoe is a town with a rich and vibrant history, part of which is still debated to this day. Take a walk down memory lane and re-live a light-hearted approach to a little of the nostalgia of yerteryear.
$16.00 per adult

Budget Smelter Tour

This tour is designed to give the visitor an insight into the operation of the smelter and of the working and health conditions of the day. Visitors can then browse and explore the site, at their leisure.
$18.00 per adult

Cemetery Walk

School Groups:

Growing Crystals

Facilities at The Homestead include a reading room with a small reference library on local Palaeontology. Aboriginal Culture and Art, Mining History, the Operation of the Smelters and Bird-lists.

Mud Maps are available to guests to fossick in designated areas.