PRESS RELEASE: Opal Collector Uncovers Remarkable History of Rare Opalised Dinosaur Vertebrae

A forgotten opal, a Winton mining family’s discovery and a remarkable exchange lead to the certification of a rare prehistoric specimen.

For years, Wayne Sedawie, founder of Opal Auctions, kept an unusual opal in a drawer in his office. He bought it around five years ago because he liked its appearance, believing it resembled opalised vegetation.

He had no idea that the specimen would lead him into the history of a remarkable dinosaur fossil discovery in Queensland.

That changed when an opal miner from Winton saw the specimen approximately a year ago and offered Sedawie twice what he had paid for it. A few months later, the miner returned with an offer of four times the original purchase price.

“I started asking myself, ‘What’s going on here? Why does he want this opal so badly?’” Sedawie recalls.
The miner explained that his father, Bruno Tasic, had discovered a parcel of dinosaur fossil specimens around 30 years ago in Winton . According to the account shared with Sedawie, one specimen was sold for a six-figure sum and that image is in Queensland museum book.

During the subsequent history of the mining partnership, Sedawie’s specimen had apparently become separated from the original find. As Bruno had partners in the opal minging operations ,so maybe someone else has piece from this find? It eventually passed through an opal dealer before Sedawie purchased it, unaware of its significance.
“I’ve sold hundreds of thousands of opals throughout my career, including some worth tens of thousands of dollars. Yet this remarkable opalised dinosaur fossil sat in my desk drawer for years. I picked it up hundreds of times, but never fully understood why I was so drawn to it. Looking back, perhaps there was a reason I kept it — sometimes, the most extraordinary treasures are the ones we don’t yet understand.”

The miner told Sedawie that only one other specimen from the discovery remained in his family’s possession, having been kept in his mother’s safe for many years and the family still has one specimen kept as memorial their father.

Certification reveals the specimen’s significance

Sedawie arranged for the specimens to be examined by GSL Laboratories. The certification, received last month, provided a remarkable connection to Queensland’s prehistoric past.

The GSL certificate describes the material as opalised sauropod dinosaur fossil bone and references the Queensland Museum publication In Search of Ancient Queensland: Discovery Guide, published in 2014, on page 236,which shows macro image of the opal sold in Les Vegas.

According to the certificate, palaeontologists identified the specimen as the opalised remains of a vertebra belonging to a plant-eating sauropod dinosaur that roamed the Winton Formation area during the Cretaceous period.

The certificate documents analysis by Dr Andrew Rozefelds, Principal Curator at Queensland Museum.
For Sedawie, the certification was an extraordinary moment: documentation had connected the specimen to the story he had been told about the original discovery.

A remarkable exchange between collectors

The discovery led to an unusual agreement between the two men.
“I had a 45-kilogram boulder opal specimen sitting in my office for around ten years. We talked openly about the pieces, and I offered to trade my boulder opal for his two remaining specimens,” Sedawie said.

“They agreed, we shook hands and completed the exchange. No price was discussed. We were both happy with the deal.”

The exchange was not simply a transaction for Sedawie. It was an opportunity to bring together specimens with a remarkable shared history and obtain documentation that helped establish their significance.

Preserving a piece of Australia’s prehistoric past

Sedawie has spent decades collecting opals, gemstones and fossils and building online marketplaces connecting collectors and sellers around the world.

He believes specimens such as this deserve more than commercial interest alone.
“My passion has always been Australian opals. I’ve collected them for decades, but discovering the history behind this specimen has given it a different significance for me,” he said.

His hope is that the specimen will eventually find a home in an Australian museum, where it can be preserved and studied and its story shared with future generations.

For Sedawie, the experience is a reminder that the true significance of a collectible is not always apparent when it is first acquired.

“Sometimes you buy something simply because you like it. Years later, you discover there is an extraordinary story behind it.”