The Wellington Caves visitor centre is now home to an interactive education centre, with the $700,000 project officially opened on Monday.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders joined Dubbo Regional Council mayor Stephen Lawrence and other councillors and staff for the occasion, which celebrated a $700,000 collaboration between the NSW and Federal governments, and the council itself.
The Ancient Landscapes Gallery tells the 400-million-year-old history of the changing landscape of the region. In years past, the Wellington Caves area was covered by ocean, and receding waters eventually uncovered the fascinating caves and some jaw-dropping megafauna fossils.
The NSW Government contributed $400,000 to the project from the Stronger Country Communities Fund.
“The objective of the fund is to help advance projects that will improve the lives of people who live in regional areas. This Ancient Landscapes Gallery will engage young people with interactive, science-based activities that align with school curriculums, and provide a space with opportunities that use different strategies to cater for a range of learning abilities,” said Mr Saunders.
The activity-based exhibition zone will awaken these ancient Megafauna while innovatively showcasing fossils found in the Wellington Caves.
The permanent exhibition will provide an additional experience to the guided tours of the three Caves, with a large interactive collection display room, digital immersive theatre experiences that use augmented reality, projections, lighting and sounds to bring Megafuana and ancient landscapes to life.
The Ancient Landscapes Gallery and Megafuna Exhibition is now open to the public, seven days a week, located at the Wellington Caves Visitor Experience Centre near Wellington.