New South Wales Bills New South Wales Bills[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]
This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
New South Wales
State Arms, Symbols and Emblems
Amendment (Fossil Emblem) Bill 2015
Explanatory note
This explanatory note relates to this Bill as introduced into Parliament.
Overview of Bill
Currently, the State emblems recognised under the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004
are as follows:
(a) the animal emblem of New South Wales is the platypus,
(b) the bird emblem of New South Wales is the kookaburra,
(c) the floral emblem of New South Wales is the waratah,
(d) the state fish of New South Wales is the blue groper,
(e) the gemstone emblem of New South Wales is the black opal.
The object of this Bill is to recognise the fish fossil Mandageria fairfaxi as a State emblem.
Outline of provisions
Clause 1 sets out the name (also called the short title) of the proposed Act.
Clause 2 provides for the commencement of the proposed Act on the date of assent to the
proposed Act.
Clause 3 amends the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004 to include the fish fossil
Mandageria fairfaxi in the list of State emblems recognised by the Act.
b2015-064-11.d10
State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Amendment (Fossil Emblem) Bill 2015 [NSW]
Explanatory note
Information about Mandageria fairfaxi and its scientific importance
Mandageria fairfaxi, a large, air-breathing sarcopterygian ("fleshy-finned") fish, lived in
freshwater lakes and rivers during the Devonian Period (also known as the "Age of Fishes")
around 370 million years ago and its well-preserved fossil remains have been found in what is now
central-west New South Wales, near the town of Canowindra.
The Canowindra site was discovered in mid-1955 during road works by a bulldozer driver who
turned over a large rock slab with "strange marks", pushed it clear of the road and saved it. In early
1956 this slab, bearing the remains of about 140 complete fish fossil specimens, was recovered
and removed to the Australian Museum in Sydney. However, nearly 40 years passed before
Canowindra's fossil site was rediscovered and excavated, in 1993. It proved to be the richest fish
fossil site of its kind in the world. Eight types of long-extinct fishes have now been identified from
the Canowindra fossil site, but other forms unknown to science may still be buried there.
Mandageria fairfaxi, the largest of the Canowindra fishes, grew to around 1.7 metres in length and
was clearly the top predator in its ecosystem. It is named after the Mandagery Sandstone
Formation in which it was found during the 1993 excavation and to honour Mr James Fairfax for
his support in funding scientific research on Canowindra's Devonian fish fossils. The fossil was
first described and named in 1997 by Dr Zerina Johanson, then at the Australian Museum, Sydney,
and by Dr Per Ahlberg, then at the Natural History Museum, London.
The unusual uncrushed preservation of the head region in some Mandageria fairfaxi specimens
means that detailed information on many aspects of its internal anatomy (for example, its palate,
gill arches and braincase) has been recovered.
One significant feature was the discovery of 2 facets at the rear of the Mandageria fairfaxi
braincase, where it met the backbone. These facets reveal that Mandageria fairfaxi had already
developed a functional neck joint, the first such discovery in sarcopterygian fishes.
Freeing the head from the body was an essential step in the evolutionary transition from fishes to
tetrapods. Mandageria fairfaxi had taken this step.
The original fossils of Mandageria fairfaxi are on permanent public display in the Age of Fishes
Museum in Canowindra.
Page 2
First print
New South Wales
State Arms, Symbols and Emblems
Amendment (Fossil Emblem) Bill 2015
Contents
Page
1 Name of Act 2
2 Commencement 2
3 Amendment of State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004 No 1 2
b2015-064-11.d10
New South Wales
State Arms, Symbols and Emblems
Amendment (Fossil Emblem) Bill 2015
No , 2015
A Bill for
An Act to amend the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004 to recognise the fish fossil
Mandageria fairfaxi as a State emblem.
State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Amendment (Fossil Emblem) Bill 2015 [NSW]
The Legislature of New South Wales enacts: 1
1 Name of Act 2
This Act is the State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Amendment (Fossil Emblem) 3
Act 2015. 4
2 Commencement 5
This Act commences on the date of assent to this Act. 6
3 Amendment of State Arms, Symbols and Emblems Act 2004 No 1 7
Schedule 3 State emblems 8
Insert at the end of the Schedule: 9
The fossil emblem of New South Wales is Mandageria fairfaxi. 10
Page 2
[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]