I thank the Paleontological Society for awarding me the 2017 Harrold L Strimple Award for my contribution to Paleontology. This is a great honor and I thank Dr. Mary Droser for her efforts with my nomination.

Ross Fargher

My family has been grazing sheep and cattle in the area for five generations, stretching back to the 1850s. As a 4th generation pastoralist, I have continued that family tradition running cattle on Nilpena Station, adjacent to the Flinders Ranges in the semi-arid north of South Australia—sparce vegetation limits the carrying capacity to 1700 cattle across the property expanse of 200,000 acres.

My interest in rocks came about as a child living in this most spectacular ancient landscape. Reg Sprigg and Sir Douglas Mawson were household names, with Reg Sprigg well known throughout the Flinders for his work as a Government Geologist and subsequent discovery of the Ediacara Fossils in the nearby Ediacara Hills.

When visiting Nilpena soon after its purchase in the 90s, a family friend noticed rippled sandstone floor in the historic Woolshed and remarked its similarity to the Ediacaran material that she was studying at the University of Adelaide. I enthusiastically toured her to a site in the hills not so far from the homestead where, while mustering, I had seen evidence of this rippled stone, and thought this may be where the Woolshed slate had its origins. We were amazed to walk a short distance from the vehicle and immediately spotted fossils.

Already aware of the existence of fossils at the northern end of the property, in the absence of any security or management, this remote site became severely degraded through a lack of protection. Following notification of my discovery, a working relationship was soon developed with the SA Museum and it was agreed that it was imperative that a protection plan be adopted. A memorandum of understanding regarding access to the property was adopted to ensure the future protection of this site for future generations.

Dr. Mary Droser from the University of California and SA Museum colleague Dr. Jim Gehling approached us with regard to working the site and developing it as a leave in situ site to enable study of a snapshot of time.

Nilpena is now home to a National Heritage listed Fossil Site. Conserved as an outdoor museum, the Nilpena Site is where NASA-funded world-leading paleobiologist Mary Droser and her team of researchers with assistance from the South Australian Museum have exposed, excavated, flipped, and reassembled large samples of fossil-covered seafloors, in an in situ excavation site considered by scientists from all over the globe to be one of the most intact and rich Ediacara fossil sites in the world.

For the past 17 years Mary, her family, and research team have made an annual pilgrimage to Nilpena where they have become part of our family and consider the station’s rustic shearers quarters their summer residence—their combined enthusiasm is infectious. Thanks to them, my new-found knowledge has provided me a new perspective through which to view the world and provides me an interesting diversion from running cattle. It is difficult to comprehend that long before livestock roamed Nilpena, this marginal country was once underwater and was home to an array of ancient creatures that scientists today say mark the dawn of animal life.

The recent naming of a new fossil, Nilpenia rossi, is recognition in stone of my commitment to the protection of fossils and the significance of the Nilpena site. Paleontologists, with the support of the Fargher family and the local community, are now working on a combined effort to gain World Heritage Listing for specific sites in the Flinders Ranges.

As recipient of the Strimple Award, I am overwhelmed to be recognized for my new-found passion to ensure the future protection of the Ediacaran Fossils located on our property.