What was most likely a senseless prank has led to the destruction of a life-time collection of fossils and rock samples.
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Mollymook geologist Phil Smart’s personal collection was all but destroyed when the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk premises went up in flames on the long weekend.
Initially, Mr Smart was hoping to save at least half of his collection, but when he was finally permitted to inspect the crime scene last week, he discovered the devastation was far worse than he could have imagined.
“Out of more than 1000 fossil and rock samples, I will be lucky to salvage 50,” he said.
“It’s far, far worse than I thought.
“The intense heat, combined with water, has caused the majority of the rocks to shatter.”
Mr Smart is angry that what may seemed like a “bit of fun” to those who lit a garbage bin between the fossil complex and the Ulladulla Marine Rescue Association building early on Sunday October 6, has destroyed his collection gathered from all around the country over more than 40 years.
As well as shattering or damaging the rocks, many of which are millions of years old, Mr Smart’s collection of maps and posters, as well as all the computer and display equipment in the building, were destroyed in the blaze.
While he said the fossil and rock samples had survived the test of time, they could not have survived a fire that burned so hot.
“The store room at the back of the building was the worst hit and that’s where I had more than 600 rocks stored,” he said.
“Many of these are irreplaceable.”
Mr Smart said the only saving grace is that two very rare jellyfish fossils, from a World Heritage area in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges, survived the fire.
“They are the two most valuable items and it’s amazing that they have remained intact,” he said.
“They have been damaged, but you can still see the fossil.”
The Dickinsonia fossil is 10 centimetres in diameter and is from the Edicaran period, which dates back more than 540 million years.
Mr Smart is passionate about geology and started the Ulladulla Fossil Walks in 2009 before finding a premises on the harbour two years ago from which he and 20 volunteer guides operated tours around the harbour rock platform.
He said the destruction of so many historic remnants was “devastating”, however he plans to continue running the harbour tours without the addition of a fossil display.
In a positive move, Mr Smart last week started work on the Gondwana Coast Times Walk on the northern side of Ulladulla Harbour.