With its massive caverns and dramatic formations, it was among the first caves in the region to open to the public. This cave is like a time capsule, preserving the bones of extinct creatures and offering a glimpse into the distant past. It also harbours a perennial stream that flows through its depths during winter and spring.
Inside, visitors can admire impressive stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones that resemble karri forests, and beautiful shawls hanging from the cave’s ceilings.
While Mammoth Cave has been known to the Wadandi people for thousands of years, reports of the discovery of a cave in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave date back to 1895, but it is unlikely that exploration was undertaken at the time. In September 1900, surveyor Mr. Marmaduke Terry located Mammoth Cave, and it was soon explored by Tim Connelly and Ned Dawson, with Dawson being the first to discover the “back exit.”
Tourists began entering the cave through its main entrance on the hill, passing through the immense cavern to emerge into the valley. Before it officially opened as a tourist site in 1904, Tim Connelly had already begun leading unofficial tours. By 1905, the cave was equipped with stairs, platforms, a camping area, a kiosk, a well, and an enclosure for visitors’ horses.
During this time, the cave was also known as the “Dawn of Creation” because of its incredible fossil discoveries, which hinted that this cave could hold the secrets of the very beginning of life.
In 1904, while constructing a walkway, Edgar Robinson and Tim Connelly unearthed large, unusual bones.
This discovery led to Ludwig Glauert being assigned to research the cave’s palaeontological significance. Excavations between 1909 and 1915 revealed around 10,000 fossil specimens, including bones from the region’s ancient megafauna.
The collection included bones from some truly colossal creatures—Giant Pythons (Wonambi naracoortensis), giant echidnas (Zaglossus hacketti and Megalibgwilia ramsayi), a species of Wombat (Vombatus hacketti), Wallaby (Wallabia kitcheneri), and even the fearsome marsupial lion, Thylacoleo carnifex.
The Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) and the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), as well as the more recently extinct Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus). One of the most notable finds is a jawbone of Zygomaturus trilobus, an ancient herbivorous marsupial, still embedded in the cave wall. Radiocarbon dating of flowstone around the jaw suggests it’s around 50,000 years old.
In the 1960s, palaeontologists Duncan Merrilees and Michael Archer re-examined the cave’s fossils and noticed an intriguing notch on the tibia of an extinct kangaroo species. Further study suggested this notch could have been made by humans, indicating the possibility that early Australians may have once occupied the cave. This theory was bolstered by the discovery of other bone fragments that appeared to have been cut, broken, or even burned—though no other direct evidence of human activity has yet been found.
Mammoth Cave continues to captivate with its stunning beauty and ancient secrets, offering visitors not just a glimpse into the natural wonders of the past, but also a tantalising connection to the early people who may have once called it home.
Mammoth Cave’s fossils include bones from ancient Giant Pythons and the marsupial lion, with a 50,000-year-old jawbone of the herbivorous marsupial Zygomaturus trilobus still embedded in the cave wall.
