Erth Dinosaur Encounters

Raawwwrrrr into prehistoric encounters with our Erth Dinosaur performers these school holidays!

Don't miss Lightning Claw roving through our galleries. Watch as this life-size dinosaur stomps and chomps its way through the Museum, brought to life by the talented Erth Dinosaurs performers.

But that's not all! Adventure into a world of prehistoric fun with our free activity zone and storytime area, perfect for dino enthusiasts of all ages.

Lightning Claw is the largest known carnivorous theropod in Australia. It is known from the discovery of fossilised bones by opal miners in the NSW outback town of Lightning Ridge in 2005 The find included a 25 centimetre claw, partial forearm, metatarsal, a rib and parts of a hip and lower leg. Named in honour of its terrifyingly large front claws, Lightning Claw would have used its arms like grappling hooks, as its main weapon.

The discovery of Lighting Claw changed the popular theory that Australian dinosaurs came from ancestors in Africa and South America. Instead, it is believed that Lightning Claw was likely to be the ancestor of all megaraptorids, first appearing in Australia.