A footprint discovered in Brisbane this week is believed to be that of John Howard, created during his formative years in student politics 230 million years ago.
“This is when Howard would have been forming his view of the world and testing out his ideas. It’s a fascinating and historically significant discovery,” Palaeontologist Jim Burtongi said
He said the footprint shows no evidence of lateral movement, suggesting the creature responsible stood firmly in one place for an extended period while the world evolved around it.
“We found an etching nearby that read ‘everything was better before the meteor’. That’s when we thought it might belong to Howard,” Burtongi said.
Nearby sediment revealed other fossilised artefacts consistent with Howard, including what is believed to be an early version of the WorkChoices pamphlet etched onto stone, as well as a speech warning that granting rights to other species would ‘undermine traditional values’.
Historians say the discovery helps contextualise Howard’s later discomfort with modern Australia.
“If you accept that he formed his worldview before flowering plants, it explains a lot,” political historian Dr Tim Nguyen said.
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Headline by Anthony Bell
