Nilpena Ediacara Visitor Centre
Bringing to life the story of the Ediacara Biota — extraordinary animals that lived more than half a billion years ago — projected onto the fossil bed where they were found.
This project remains a career highlight. We were entrusted to bring to life the story of the Ediacara Biota — incredible animals that lived half a billion years ago.
The experience unfolds across a nine-metre fossil bed inside the new Visitor Centre. In collaboration with Dr Mary Droser and her team of palaeontology experts, plus our animation partners at ModelFarm, we were able to bring these incredibly important animals back to life in an immersive audio-visual experience.
The Challenge
The Ediacara Biota are extraordinarily significant in the history of life on Earth, often described as the ‘answer to Darwin’s dilemma’, and the Flinders Ranges is one of the few places on Earth where their fossils are found.
Visualising them required a careful balance of scientific accuracy, creative interpretation, and dramaturgy — creating a dramatic, emotional connection for visitors.
The Approach
Close collaboration with the palaeontology team allowed us to bring unprecedented detail to many species never before visualised in this way. It was an extraordinary privilege to help shape how the public meets these ancient lives.
“The audio visual display at the Nilpena Ediacara National Park is breathtaking… Sandpit have done an exceptional job creating such a unique tourism and educational experience.” — The Hon Dr Susan Close MP