Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Natural history museum in Bathurst, Australia

The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst displays thousands of specimens spanning millions of years of Earth's history, including a complete dinosaur skeleton and fossils preserved in amber. The exhibition illustrates different periods of planetary development through minerals and preserved remains.

The museum opened in July 2004 in a public school building erected in 1876. It was created to house the Somerville Collection, which Warren Somerville AM donated to the people of Australia in 2000 after 60 years of collecting. Funding came from all three levels of government, corporate sponsors and private donors; Bathurst Regional Council now operates the museum.

The museum is run by Museums Bathurst, the Bathurst Regional Council's museums unit, alongside the Bathurst Rail Museum and the National Motor Racing Museum. The collection bears the name of Warren Somerville AM, who taught at NSW TAFE for over 25 years and lectured part-time at university while running an orchard in Orange. He collected specimens worldwide for 60 years and donated the collection to the people of Australia in 2000.

The galleries sit inside the 1876 former public school building, with the T. rex skeleton at the centre and the fossil and mineral cabinets arranged around it. Magnifying glasses and microscopes are provided for examining amber inclusions and specimen details, and visitors can open the drawers of the fossil and mineral cabinets themselves.

The museum holds a special collection of opalised fossils from Australia that show how minerals can preserve living creatures over millions of years. These rare specimens can be found in only a few places worldwide.