I have managed to find out a bit more about , thanks to my own enquiries and the assistance of some Dubbo locals. It seems the Dubbo Military Museum had some science-based attractions, and among them was a “Jurassic-themed maze“, relocated from Darling Harbour. The Museum’s collection of vehicles and memorabilia – all belonging to private funder, Barry Ryan – was offered for auction in 2006, and the museum then reportedly closed. The web site is very out of date and my inquiring emails bounced back from dead email addresses.
Presumably the Pterodactyl was part of the “Jurassic” maze, but mysteries still remain. Why is it still there, all alone, in the field? Why isn’t it signposted? And what happened to the rest of the dinosaurs – and the maze itself?
If you want to find the Big Pterodactyl for yourself, modern technology makes it easy. The recently launched Google Street View includes pictures of the Newell highway, so you can see the Pterodactyl and find it on the map.
If you’ve found any odd science-related bits and pieces on your travels around Australia, let me know!