For two decades, students and teachers at Biloela State High School in Queensland, Australia, unknowingly passed by a remarkable piece of history.
A beige boulder sat quietly in the school’s foyer, overlooked and unexamined—until a recent discovery revealed that it contained 66 fossilized dinosaur footprints dating back to the early Jurassic period, nearly 200 million years ago.
This extraordinary find, the highest number of dinosaur footprints discovered on a single rock slab in Australia, has rewritten the school’s legacy and provided paleontologists with an invaluable glimpse into prehistoric life.
The Unexpected Discovery of a Prehistoric Relic
The story of the Biloela State High School dinosaur footprints began in 2021 when media reports highlighted fossil discoveries in the region. This prompted someone to take a closer look at the school’s boulder, which had been present for approximately 20 years but was never analyzed in depth.
The rock, covered in what appeared to be chicken footprints with only three toes, had intrigued observers but never raised suspicions about its true significance. Enter Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist and research associate at the University of Queensland’s Dinosaur Lab.
Read : Bizarre! Man Tries To Rob Bank With Dinosaur-Shaped Water Gun In South Korea
Upon arriving at the school, Romilio initially underestimated the rock’s weight and importance. He soon realized that the unusual markings were, in fact, fossilized dinosaur footprints, an incredible find that had gone unnoticed in a place of daily student activity.
Dinosaur prints from around 200 million years ago have been found at a school in Biloela. The 66 prints of the three toed dino from Jurassic times were on a large rock – hiding in plain sight. https://t.co/WbYeQT6rRW @NadiaLord_ #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/BisnMzuGEs
— 7NEWS Central Queensland (@7NewsCQ) March 12, 2025
“They did not know that this was an actual fossil itself,” Romilio explained in an interview. His discovery turned out to be one of the most significant in Australian paleontology, with 66 distinct footprints left behind by 47 different dinosaurs.
The Significance of the Footprints and Their Origins
The footprints imprinted on the boulder date back to the early Jurassic period, a time when dinosaurs roamed vast landscapes, shaping the ecosystems that would later evolve into the world we know today.
Fossilized footprints, rather than bones, are the most common remnants of dinosaurs in Australia. These traces serve as crucial evidence for understanding the behavior, movement, and environment of dinosaurs that once inhabited the region.
Researchers believe that the footprints belonged to various species of dinosaurs, with one theory suggesting that a herd of Pisanosaurus may have created them. The discovery of 66 tracks on a single slab is unprecedented in Australia, marking a crucial moment in the study of the continent’s prehistoric life.
Romilio’s research extended beyond the school’s boulder. Following the trail of fossilized tracks, he traveled to a nearby coal mine in Callide, where yet another surprise awaited him.
In the car park of the mine, he encountered a massive boulder featuring an enormous dinosaur footprint—an unmistakable remnant of a bygone era. This additional find reinforced the belief that the region was once a thriving habitat for dinosaurs.
How the Fossilized Rock Ended Up in the School
The origins of the fossilized boulder date back to its discovery by a geologist who was married to one of Biloela State High School’s teachers. The geologist encountered the rock in a nearby mine, recognizing its potential importance.
The area where it was found was on the verge of being blasted due to mining activities, and had the geologist not intervened, the fossilized footprints might have been lost forever.
Instead, the rock was salvaged and donated to the school, where it found a resting place in the student foyer. For 20 years, it remained a silent witness to the daily comings and goings of students, who were unaware that they were walking past a prehistoric treasure.
Upon learning about the discovery, the school’s deputy principal, David Hall, described the revelation as both shocking and exciting. “It sits in a very public area in our student foyer, and our kids walk past it every day, and so do we,” Hall noted, emphasizing the incredible nature of the discovery.
As discussions continue regarding the rock’s future, there are plans to relocate it to a more prominent public venue, allowing more people to appreciate its historical and scientific significance.
For the students and faculty of Biloela State High School, this fossilized relic has transformed their school into an unlikely gateway to the past, reminding them of the wonders of natural history and the endless mysteries waiting to be uncovered.