The Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum is much better than its plain name suggests. It houses the Somerville Collection, with thousands of mineral and fossil specimens displayed in a former school building in central Bathurst.
The crowd-pleaser is the complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton cast, but the mineral gallery is the real surprise: crystals, ores, and gemstones arranged with enough care to make geology feel theatrical. It is one of the strongest reasons for non-racing visitors to stop in Bathurst.