Reconstruction of the Rhoetosaurus brownei dinosaur
In 1971, David Joffe (CEO of Natureworks) began his career in museum techniques at the Queensland Museum. While at the museum, he got the job of moulding and casting the femur of Rhoetosaurus brownei. The bone was about 1.5 metres long and was based on the fossils found near Roma in southern Queensland.
This inspired David’s interest in paleo-biological reconstruction, which would evolve into a passion for reconstructing life-sized models of ancient Australian prehistoric animals. He did not imagine that 51 years later he would be reconstructing the first full-sized fibreglass fleshed-out model of the same animal. Read about the bizarre career of Naturework’s David Joffe!
Natureworks accurately researched Rhoetosaurus sculpture immortalises one of Australia’s most important dinosaurs 100 years after its fossils were first found.
About the Rhoetosaurus brownei dinosaur
- Rhoetosaurus brownei dinosaur was a sauropod with a long neck that allowed it to browse high vegetation
- One of Australia’s earliest dinosaur discoveries. Its partial skeleton was found in 1924 near Roma in Qld, where the traditional owners are the Mandandanji people
- Lived 163 million years ago, during the Upper Jurassic period
- Evidence shows it may have grownn up to 15 metres in length and weighed around 9 tonnes
- Rhoetosaurus was considered ‘average’ in size and liked the lush, tropical climates of south-east Queensland
- Its name Rhoetosaurus brownei, refers to Rhoetus, a lesser-known giant in Greek mythology, and Arthur Browne, who sent the first fossil bones to the Queensland Museum (read more here).
Rhoetosaurus dinosaur sculpture features
- Adult sauropod sculpture, in standing pose
- Constructed of heavy-duty fibreglass with a highly detailed realistic paint finish
- Internal galvanised reinforced armature
- Long 13m x Wide 2m x High 520cm – approx
- The sculpture is designed for easy transport so it can be shipped in a 20ft container. 7 separate components are accessed via a belly hatch and bolted together internally. Components include head & neck, body section, tail section, and four legs.
Rhoetosaurus brownei is an imposing sculpture for…
- Theme parks
- Shop and business promotions
- Zoos & Museums
- Nature and wildlife reserves
- Tourist attractions
- Mini-golf courses
- Dinosaur walks & parks
- Bold entry statements (e.g. with two dinosaurs interlocking necks – see images)
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