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Melbournes Messengers of Deep Time

March 03, 2015 Rachel Fetherston

Imagining the intricacies of a mysterious, lost world within the confines of modern Melbourne
living is a difficult feat for many, save for the scientists and passionate locals attempting to
protect and discover more about Melbournes ancient, natural history.
In the scorching sun of Sunday 22nd February, it wasnt unusual to see a myriad of families,
friends and individuals descending upon Ricketts Point Beach for a day in the water. It quickly
became apparent though that most of, if not the entire crowd milling about the Beaumaris
Lifesaving Club were there for another purpose altogether: to see, touch and learn about the very
real fossils to be found at the historic Beaumaris Bay fossil site.
With a range of both amateur and professional fossickers prepared to speak later in the afternoon,
the event began with fossil collector Richard Casley encouraging children and adults alike to
search for some previously-prepared fossils in a large container under the marquee. For both
participants and spectators, it was an entertaining and rewarding experience to watch, as kids of
all ages attempted to find and then identify the different fossils. Richard was kind enough to help
most of them with their identifications, expertly listing what seemed to be some of the more
common fossils to be found in these parts: mako shark teeth, whale bones and the beautiful
Levinia heart-shaped urchin, to name a few.

Following the enthusiasm shown during this first activity, it wasnt much of a surprise to see kids
with display boxes full of fossils making their way to the microphone to discuss their own
findings from Beaumaris and other parts of the world. One boy even stumped the visiting
palaeontologists with a discovery from the Beaumaris site that was potentially the fossil of an
ancient crocodile jaw a significant find for the area if proven to be true. It was amazing to hear
that over 5000 fossils from this site alone have been donated to Museum Victoria, including
those found by many eager, amateur collectors. The age of Beaumaris fossils generally extends
from four million years to as far back as 10 million years ago a mind-boggling figure to grasp
when one thinks of the broad scope of human development along the Bayside area over only the
past century or so.

To the average person, however, the activities of the first part of the day may have seemed like a
bit of harmless, child-like fun; fossicking, for the most part, appeared to be all about getting
sandy at the beach and digging around for a few rocks. It was therefore the latter portion of the
event that perhaps demonstrated the true value of this local fossil site and the specimens found

there, beginning with Professor Tim Flannery stepping up to tell of his own experiences
fossicking in the area.
Tim himself grew up not far from Beaumaris in Sandringham, and therefore shares a very
personal connection with the area beyond his own professional interests. A trained
palaeontologist, Tim seemed keen to communicate the importance of defending the Beaumaris
fossil site from pollution and development pressures; he also sadly admits that his own
generation has not done as much as they could have in attempting to protect the site. Passing on
this fact to the many intent children gathered in front of him, Tim encourages each of them to
dive into the water of [their] own imagination and to remember that the lost world
palaeontologists have discovered via the Beaumaris site is a world that really did exist. His
short but memorable speech brought to mind images of the many fossils discussed that day as
actual living things, inhabiting the sea floor of our very own Port Philip Bay once upon a time.
Professor John Buckeridge was next up to speak, enthusiastically launching into a description of
the various fossil types to be found in the Beaumaris area, of which he is a local resident.
Explaining the significance of the high number of invertebrate fossils found at Beaumaris, John
specifically mentioned two types that are of particular paleontological importance: echinoids (sea
urchins) and brachiopods (shellfish-like creatures similar to clams and mussels, although
unrelated). He also reiterated the importance of protecting the area from inappropriate
development that could possibly compromise the site and any yet-to-be-discovered fossils; there
is a chance that many specimens could indeed be lost forever if further measures are not taken
to preserve the location. For him, development is not really an option here, but a world heritage
site is, the latter of which is a classification yet to be implemented.
However, perhaps the most striking speech was that given by Erich Fitzgerald, doctorand curator
of palaeontology at Museum Victoria, who painted an unforgettable picture of life in Port Phillip
Bay and the Melbourne area before human habitation. Like Tim, Erich explained how his
passion for fossils began at an early age: a common theme demonstrated throughout the event
itself, as the crowd seemed to be largely made up of families and children. Erichs professional
interests lean more towards vertebrate fossils than those of invertebrates. With this in mind, he
was able to portray a slightly more relatable picture of a lost marine world filled with ancient
whales, dugongs, seals, penguins larger than the Emperor species, as well as huge sharks,
including the largest to ever swim the Earths oceans: the magnificent Megalodon. These
creatures existed in a time before the wheel and certainly before Facebook, peak hour and the
towering skyscrapers of our modern city. Perhaps most significantly, this ancient time involved
a world without us, and is a period that can perhaps only be re-discovered through the fossils
found at Beaumaris. With a warmer climate and sea shores at least five kilometres further inland
than they are today, Erich paints this world as one that is both awe-inspiring and mysterious.

Despite the potential for the Beaumaris site to continue to reveal more about Melbournes
amazing past, Erich is the third speaker of the day to emphasise the dire need to protect this area
for the sake of future generations, research and indeed the planet. He lovingly describes the fossil
site as the jewel in the crown of Bayside andMelbourne, the heritage of which belongs not
just to Melbournians, but to the entire world. It is indeed true that the great days of
discovering are not yet done when it comes to the many fossils still buried deep in the sands of
Beaumaris Bay. Erich also explains that this important site could be providing us with fossils that
demonstrate the potential effects of climate change, and is therefore a haven of information that
could benefit us in the here and now.
Finally, it was time for both Vicki Karalis, President of the Sandringham Foreshore Association,
and Felicity Frederico, Mayor of Bayside, to close the formal part of the day. Despite the heat, it
wasnt difficult to see that it had been an engaging event for both children and adults. As Erich
Fitzgerald meaningfully described, we are lucky to have a world-class fossil site so close to our
city, yet we must continue to put more and more effort into protecting it from surrounding
development or else, sadly, countless messengers of deep time will either be damaged or lost
forever in the process.
If you would like to visit the Beaumaris Bay fossil site, it is located off of Beach Road in the
suburb of Beaumaris, not far from Ricketts Point. Refer to here for a more exact location of the
fossil site along the beach.