Megafauna fossil focus at Lancefield Show

An artist's impression of the diprotodontid, described as a giant wombat, which weighed about a tonne.

Lancefield agricultural show will have a focus this year on the town’s place as a significant site of megafauna fossils.

The show is at Lancefield Park from 9am-4pm this Sunday and includes the opening of the town’s first megafauna festival.

Bones excavated from the park site will be on display.

‘‘Lancefield Park is one of Australia’s significant sites for finding the bones of giant kangaroos and wombats, which lived from 26,000-80,000 years ago,’’ a show spokeswoman said.

‘‘Museum Victoria will have some of the excavated bones on display,” she said. “Landcare and the council’s environmental team will also have megafauna and extinction information.’’

Would-be archaeologists will be able to unearth bones in a sandpit ‘jigsaw dig’ and there will be sideshows, art and craft displays, terrier races, a tractor pull, wood chop, cattle, sheep and rides.

Tickets: $10 adults; $5 children. Details at www.lancefieldshow.org.au

The megafauna festival, including a fossil roadshow, film screenings, art exhibitions and performances, continues until October 24.

On October 20, a panel, including noted palaeontologists Joe Dortch, Sanja van Huet, Richard Gillespie and Lancefield resident and megafauna enthusiast Syd Green will discuss ‘‘what really happened at Lancefield swamp’’ at the Mechanics Institute, 7pm. Cost: $10.

More festival details: goo.gl/on7Nx3