Visitors to Canowindra’s Age of Fishes Museum received a surprise this week when they were joined by one of the most famous and recognisable people on the planet – Sir David Attenborough.
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The world’s best known natural history film-maker called into the museum on a private visit with palaeontologist Dr Alex Ritchie.
The pair marked the 20th anniversary since Dr Ritchie helped excavate the ancient fish fossils on display at the museum, which provides a glimpse of life during the Devonian Period 360 million years ago - long before dinosaurs walked the earth.
A chance discovery near Canowindra in 1955 revealed an extensive fossil bed containing the remains of thousands of bizarre freshwater fish. Some had armour, others had lungs and some were huge predators with jaws like crocodiles.
Many were new to science.
Sir David, who is on a speaking tour in Australia, described the Age of Fishes collection as world class.
He spent four hours at the museum before lunching with committee members.
Regarded as a national treasure in Britain, the 87-year-old has been the face and voice of natural history programs for 60 years and is producing another series for the BBC.
