Tom Kapitany
Tom Kapitany is an Australian botanist, geologist, international consultant and lecturer in geosciences, and entrepreneur. Kapitany is the director of Crystal World Exhibition Centre in Victoria, Australia, National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra, Australia, Collectors Corner Garden World in Braeside, Victoria, Australia, Australian Mineral Mines Pty. Ltd. and National History Museum Pty Ltd. He is an international consultant in geosciences, as well as a professional paleontologist.
Kapitany is known for raising awareness on the importance of collecting and fossicking minerals and fossils; to educate people and children on fossils and rocks of biological origin. However, as Australia's largest commercial dealer of minerals and fossils, he is a controversial figure owing to revelations of his involvement with international fossil smuggling.
Career
Crystal World
Tom Kapitany started Crystal World Exhibition Centre in 1999 following his involvement with the family business' retail nursery Collectors Corner. Kapitany would frequently travel the world to source natural history specimens. Through Crystal World, Kapitany has hosted fundraising activities to help the Australian Animal Rescue charity.In February 2019, Kapitany and Australian Animal Rescue rescued Rosie the Shark, a preserved great white shark facing vandalism at the abandoned wildlife park Wildlife Wonderland and was rehoused at Crystal World in Devon Meadows. The shark was originally preserved in formaldehyde which caused major disruptions to its relocation due to the toxic nature of the chemical.
National Dinosaur Museum
Tom Kapitany is one of five directors of the National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra, Australia.Television
In 2002, ABC Catalyst interviewed Kapitany on the topic of fossil protection within Australia; saying that "we shouldn't condemn the whole fossil community based on a few rogue collectors. Nor should we condemn the scientific community on a few rogue scientists."Books
In 2013 Kapitany purchased a small piece of the Chelyabinsk meteorite roughly the size of an Australian 20 cent coin.Tom Kapitany was noted for his significance in bringing heteromorph fossil specimens of Blackdown formation in Queensland to international recognition in the geological catalog Heteromorph by Wolfgang Grulke.