‘Resilience and love’: Stalwart mums honoured for 20 years of service to Eromanga Natural History Museum

The Eromanga Natural History Museum is calling on support following the devastating floods and urged people to come see their newly discovered dinosaur ‘JoJo’, named after two local palaeontologist mums.

Robyn Mackenzie and Jo Pegler in a replica small scale sauropod nest. Photo: Steve Young.

Two Eromanga women will have their contributions to the field of palaeontology recognised this Mother’s Day with a newly unearthed dinosaur fossil to be named in their honour.

Named after founding supporter and educator Joanne Wilkinson, and laboratory manager and a founding staff member at The Eromanga Natural History Museum Jo Pegler, ‘JoJo’ the sauropod dinosaur was unearthed during a dig last year.

The town of Eromanga is known globally for its palaeontological discoveries with The Eromanga Natural History Museum housing Australia’s largest collection of dinosaur and megafauna fossils as well as Australotitan cooperensis (“Cooper”), the largest dinosaur in Australia and the second largest globally by mass and length.

The newly discovered fossil is more than just a glimpse into the past at the mighty dinosaurs which once roamed outback Queensland but a recognition of two women who for 20 years have played a crucial role in the success of the museum.

Jo Pegler with JoJo’s bones. Photo: Steve Young.

“Sauropods typically abandoned their young,” museum co-founder and director Robyn Mackenzie OAM said in a press release.

“So while our JoJo may have been a neglectful mother millions of years ago, we’re using her to celebrate two women who are not only fabulous mums, but are also key to the work we do at the museum.”

Every Mother’s Day for decades since Ms Mackenzie’s son first discovered a dinosaur bone on their property leading to the creation of the Eromanga Natural History Museum, she and her team have been out looking for fossils. However that changed this year following the catastrophic floods.

Ms Mackenzie said the floods had wiped out 85 per cent of visitor bookings, dealing a significant blow to their not-for-profit institution that relies on tourism and community support.

“We’ve weathered a lot out here and it’s the community – especially the women, the mothers – who help us hold everything together,” she said.

“JoJo the dinosaur is our way of honouring that resilience and love.”

The dig site for JoJo the sauropod dinosaur. Photo: Steve Young.

Ms Mackenzie said the museum had remained just out of the reach of floodwaters and urged people to visit or donate to help preserve the historic centre.

“The landscape is looking beautiful, we’re dry and all roads to Quilpie Shire and Eromanga are now open. There’s so much to see and do out here that I hope tourists will support us by planning trips out to us,” she said in a press release.

“We have a strong collection of prehistoric marine fossils from our south west Queensland region, due to our history as an inland sea. I’m hopeful the recent rains and floods may have helped unearth a treasure trove of fossils awaiting discovery when we can get back out and dig later this month.”

Originally published as ‘Resilience and love’: Stalwart mums honoured for 20 years of service to Eromanga Natural History Museum