Released 24/11/2022
The Legislative Assembly has formally adopted Batocara mitchelli as the ACT’s fossil emblem.
The Batocara mitchelli was chosen as the ACT’s fossil emblem following a public vote where it received more than 1100 votes (around 30 per cent of the vote).
Batocara mitchelli is a trilobite from an extinct group of marine anthropods – the same group as spiders, scorpions and crabs. They became extinct 250 million years ago.
The Batocara mitchelli is commonly found as fragments, however a complete specimen was found while drilling the foundations of the Treasury building in the 1940s.
The fossil emblem joins the floral, faunal, and mammal emblems for the ACT: the Royal Bluebell, the Gang-gang Cockatoo, and the Southern Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby.
The adoption of a state or territory emblem can be used to raise public awareness and conservation support of a species. All ACT emblems have no legislative requirements surrounding their use. They can be used by anyone on their publications, uniforms or websites.
For more information on the ACT’s emblems, please visit the website.
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Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases