World class and exquisitely beautiful, the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst, Australia is home to the internationally renowned Somerville Collection, the lifetime work of Professor Warren Somerville.

The Museum houses close to 2000 mineral and fossil specimens. Apart from Australia's only complete T. rex skeleton that measures 13m long and 3.4m high, there are two other dinosaur skeletons, dinosaur eggs, bones, teeth and claws.

But there is more to prehistoric life than dinosaurs, with a very impressive assortment of animal and plant fossils from all major periods of life on Earth displayed. The collection also includes a lizard captured in amber 30-24 million years ago - believed to be one of only two such specimens in the world.

Highlights from the mineral collection included crystals from over 100 Australian mine sites, 2,000 million year old garnets, rainbow-coloured fluorites from China, as well as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and other gems from around the world.

www.somervillecollection.com.au

Location: 224 Howick St, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia

Open: 10am - 4pm Monday to Saturday, 10am - 2pm Sunday

Founding Partners: Warren Somerville, Bathurst City Council, Charles Sturt University, the Australian Museum, the NSW Ministry for the Arts and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Founding Patron: Reid Family Charitable Trusts. Founding Major Sponsor: MasterFoods Australia New Zealand.