By HARRY CLARKE
SIXTY years after grazier Doug Langdon unearthed an enormous prehistoric skeleton from the rich blacksoil within his vast outback Queensland property, the dinosaur from which it came has been named the state’s tenth official emblem.
The Muttaburrasaurus, a 100-million-year-old, seven-metre-long, plant eating ornithopod found in 1963 topped a public poll earlier this year to be recognised as Queensland’s favourite fossil.
With the passing of the Emblems of Queensland and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023, the Muttaburrasaurus now joins the likes of the Cooktown Orchid, the Great Barrier Reef Anemone Fish and the colour Maroon as an official Queensland emblem.
Below is a slideshow highlighting all 10 Queensland emblems.
“I’m thrilled to witness the recognition of Muttaburrasauras as a Queensland State Emblem,” said Queensland Museum Senior Scientist and Curator Palaeontology Dr Scott Hocknull.
“This remarkable dinosaur symbolises Queensland’s rich palaeontological heritage and the importance of preserving our unique prehistoric legacy for generations to come.”
The Muttaburrasaurus was found in 1963 on Roseberry Downs Station near Muttaburra by station owner Doug Langdon. It’s scientific name became Muttaburrasaurus langdoni as a homage to the place that it was found and the person who found it.
At the time it was the most complete fossil to be unearthed in Australia and became the nation’s first dinosaur to be cast, mounted and replicated.
The replica skeleton takes pride of place in the Queensland Museum in Brisbane and has been admired by an immeasurable number of proud Queenslanders, school groups, visitors to Brisbane and international tourists over the years.
The Caller‘s interview with Queensland Museum palaeontologist Dr Jonathan Cramb about the Muttaburrasaurus display can be heard via the YouTube clip below:
LISTEN: Country Caller editor Harry Clarke speaks with Queensland Museum palaeontologist Dr Jonathan Cramb
Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said dinosaur destinations like Muttaburra accounted for about 11 percent of regional Queensland tourism, and that the state’s new fossil emblem was already encouraging families to discover dinosaur trails in Outback Queensland.
“The passing of this bill recognising the seven-metre-long Muttaburrasaurus as the tenth official symbol of Queensland is a mammoth statement for tourism,” he said.
“Queensland is home to many of Australia’s best dinosaur fossil finds and I can’t think of a better home-grown ambassador for Outback destinations than the Muttaburrasaurus.
“Outback Queensland’s fossil attractions generate millions of dollars for the visitor economy with extraordinary potential to grow as the southern hemisphere’s paleo capital.”
SLIDESHOW: Queensland State Emblems
Source: documents.parliament.qld.gov.au
STATE BADGE: Adopted as part of the state flag on 29 November 1876, the state badge is officially described as “On a Roundel Argent a Maltese Cross Azure surmounted with a Royal Crown”. In 1893, the state badge was added to the Queensland Coat of Arms. 
COAT OF ARMS: The Coat of Arms represents the Monarchs constitutional authority in Queensland. It was granted by Queen Victoria in 1893, making it the oldest Coat of Arms in Australia. The Coat of Arms showcases the major industrial strengths of Queensland in the 1890s – wheat, cattle, sheep and sugar cane. The red deer and the brolga “supporters” were added in 1977 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee Year. The brolga is iconic to Queensland and the red deer were gifted to the state from the royal herds in the late 1800s. The State motto is Audax at Fidelis, which means “bold but faithful”. 
STATE FLAG: In 1875, the Governor of Queensland received drawings of a proposed badge that was to represent Queensland on its vessels if they ever went to war. It was comprised of a representation of Queen Victoria’s head, facing right, on a blue background, encircled by a white band, with the word Queensland at the top. The Queensland Government decided it would be too difficult to reproduce the head of the Queen on a flag. An alternative design, a Royal Crown superimposed on a Maltese Cross, was then submitted to London and approved. It was placed on the Blue Ensign to become Queensland’s State Flag. The Queensland Government encourages the flying of our flag. Requests from schools and youth groups for free flags should be made through State Members of Parliament. 
MAROON: It is not surprising that maroon – the colour many people associate with Queensland sporting teams – is also the official state colour. The Pantone Colour Matching System colour 202 is the designated shade of maroon used in official state communications. It was approved by the Governor in Council on 13 November 2003. 
SAPPHIRE: The State gem for Queensland is the sapphire. This was formalised in August 1985. The sapphire gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, was discovered in central Queensland in the early 1870s, near the present-day town of Sapphire. As found in nature, typical corundum is very dark coloured. With tinges of blue, green or brown, it is very nearly opaque. However, the transparent gem shows a wide range of colours. 
BARRIER REEF ANEMONE FISH: The Barrier Reef Anemone Fish (Amphiprion akindynos) is well known for its habit of living with large, tropical sea anemones. It became Queensland’s official aquatic emblem in 2005 after strong public support in a newspaper poll. For a state with such a close connection with the coastline and the water, it is only fitting that an emblem symbolises this connection. 
BROLGA: The brolga features on the Queensland Coat of Arms and was proclaimed Queensland’s bird emblem in 1986. Brolgas (Grus rubincunda) belong to the family of cranes, and are native to the parts of Queensland north of Rockhampton. They are famous for their intricate mating dances, spreading their wings in an elegant, graceful manner and occasionally jumping in unison. 
KOALA: The koala was officially announced as the faunal emblem of Queensland in 1971 after a newspaper poll found strong public support for this iconic marsupial. The scientific name of the koala is phascolarctos cinerus. They are found south of Townsville along the east coast, although they have been found as far north as Cooktown and as far west as Cunnamulla. 
COOKTOWN ORCHID: The Cooktown Orchid became Queensland’s floral emblem in 1959 to mark the state’s 100th anniversary. Its official name is Dendrobium bigibbum and is native to Queensland’s north tropics – hence the name Cooktown Orchid. The flowers are usually all-purple, although white and white-spotted flowers have been found.
Thanks for a year of excellent journalism Harry and team. On a par with any of the big news outlets and way better than most!
Merry Christmas. Barb Sullivan