Imagine this: People, young and old, working and retired, spending hours and days over months and years on activities that are, in essence, only for themselves. They collected coins and stamps, tended to gardens, and formed clubs and communities — not online, for validation from strangers, but to share and learn from each other. And, in the rare instance that their hobby led to wider recognition, it was a treat; the clipping of their story in the inside page of a newspaper, something to be treasured. For years, Robert Beattie, now 82, was an amateur palaeontologist who collected fossils across eastern Australia. His findings, it now turns out, were more than run-of-the-mill bones in stone.
Since 1948, when he found his first fossil as a child, the science teacher has been collecting samples and submitting them to the Australian Museum. In early 2020, some of these remains were found to be of ancient midges, over 150 million years old, and the subsequent study published in the journal Gondwana Research places the origins of major branches of insect life in the Southern Hemisphere (earlier, they were believed to originate from the other side of the world).
In the world of palaeontology, Beattie has made a serious mark. And even for the large swathes of people who aren’t that interested in ancient creepy-crawlies, there is something to learn from him. On the value of his discoveries, he said, “Lots of people find all sorts.” Collect the stamps and coins, become part of a Dungeons & Dragons game. Just don’t do it for the likes.
