SEPTEMBER 2017 | Emma Hodgkinson

PALAEONTOLOGY enthusiasts Louise Middleton and her partner Nigel devoted years of their lives in Western Australia, fighting to protect ancient tread marks that were imprinted amongst the coastal sandstone more than 130 million years ago.

Now residing in Chudleigh, the couple’s effort has been recognised throughout the palaeontology community. Both Louise and Nigel have dinosaurs named after them, having played a vital role in discovering, documenting, and protecting the pre-historic tracks.

The Aboriginals residing in WA’s Kimberley region knew that there were three toed tracks throughout the coast of James Price Point. Traditionally, they believe the tracks were made by their ancestor as part of a song cycle. To scientists they are known as theropod tracks, Louise however, saw more than one type of print as she noticed giant pancake-shaped hollows along the beach and knew that there were other tracks fossilised in the sandstone. Working in close consultation with the Goolarabooloo people, she contacted the WA Museum, later receiving verification that she had found the only sauropod tracks recorded in Australia.

Years after Louise’s discovery, Woodside Petroleum announced their proposition to build one of the world’s largest LNG plants at James Price Point, causing a community uproar and the beginning of the James Price Point Campaign. Louise and Nigel played a vital role within the campaign by documenting the footprints for over two years as an effort to gain National Heritage listing. They had the proof they needed but feared that it wasn’t enough, until they met Dr Steve Salisbury.

Having taught University of Queensland’s Biological Science, Dr Salisbury also believed that the tracks should be researched before anything happened.

Louise and Nigel invited Dr Salisbury to see the footprints for himself, managing to convince the Heritage Council to grant the site as National Heritage. Woodside was forced to withdraw their proposal, leaving the beach untouched. “With the collaboration of science and indigenous community, we were able to continue research.”

After the campaign’s victory, Dr Salisbury invited his biology students from UQ to further study the fossils.

“That was my dream”, said Louise, “the land gets protected and the science continues. Having a name was just a fringe benefit.”

To date, 26 different types of prints have been discovered along James Price Point.

Two of these dinosaurs have been named after Louise and Nigel; Wintonopus middletonae and Yangtzepus clarkei. The other dinosaurs have been named through native culture and language.

Photo | Mike Moores