The Dinosaur Dealer
For the last 5 years, Mark has been trading and dealing life-sized dinosaurs through his business Epic Animals. He is a man with a deep passion for life and the nature around him, something resembling a Jurassic Park Steve Irwin. Mark’s farm is home to over 20 species of dinosaurs including his prized Titanosaurus or what he calls, "the superhero!” An icon that can give Earth hope for a brighter future.
I first heard about Mark and his prized Titanosaurus on the news, it was a short segment highlighting the replica dinosaur’s sheer size and extravagant price tag attached to it. As is the trend nowadays, using the bait of financial expense is a surefire way for news outlets to get some attention and clicks. While this click baitery is not a path in which I walk down with my own work I can’t deny that without it I may have never heard of Mark and sought to delve deeper into his story.
Now, while the $50,000 dollar price tag and 19 metre giant of a replica prehistoric animal are very key and interesting points to this story, they merely act as a vessel for highlighting Mark and the man he is…a larger-than-life figure. It was the passion in his voice and commanding body language that really drew me into the story when I first saw it, for me the hoo-ha around its price ultimately felt inferior in comparison. I felt there was more to be explored and to my luck, the Facebook ad that garnered him all this attention was still active. A few messages later and we had set a date to meet at his home in Langwarrin.
We meet on Monday around midday with the sun shining down on the world below it and a few clouds floating in the sky. There probably isn’t a better way to start your week than venturing deep into the Southside of Melbourne to photograph a life-sized dinosaur. As I arrive on the property I am greeted by King Kong, a giant gorilla sitting beside a small rock face, he is the protector of the property. As I take a closer look at King Kong, a figure in the distance catches my eye, it’s the neck and head of the Titanosaurus floating amongst the trees. As I’m lost in my daze I hear the sound of gravel moving, I turn my head and see Mark a little further up the driveway, I head over and introduce myself.
We exchange a firm handshake and begin to chat. He asks if I would like a tour of the property or to head straight over to the Titanosaurus, as eager as I was to see it up close, I knew that it wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. It’s always nice to have a chance to chat with your subject before taking their portrait, to hear more about who they are and what the bigger picture is of why they do what they do.
Mark was born in New Zealand, moving with his family to Australia, a place he says was, “…great for opportunity.” Recalling his younger years around the Langwarrin area, Mark details waking up at 4:00 before school to work in the bakery, doing paper rounds and pharmaceutical deliveries. It was during this stage of his adolescence that Mark learned that what you put into life is what you get back out of it, a key mantra that he still follows to this day.
As we drive around the property dinosaurs and animals of all shapes and sizes parade the gardens. Mark's collection includes 20-30 different types of dinosaurs as well as a tiger, African elephants, crocodiles and even rhinos. His main goal is to bring everything all together into one big natural environment. Even some of the plants Mark has planted have prehistoric dates linked to them just to add to the authenticity of the experience.
Mark’s dinosaur trading first started 5 years ago after finding a damaged dinosaur in Ballarat and repairing it back to life, from there a passion for the craft was established. The next step in his process was booking a plane ticket to a manufacturing plant in China with the intention of buying one new dinosaur to bring back. Instead, Mark ended up returning home with two 40-foot containers full of an abundance of replica dinosaurs.
As we arrive back around to the front of the property we make our way over to the Titanosaurus, it stands at 4 metres high and 19 metres long, weighing in at 800 kilograms. Mark describes the animal with such passion, it honestly is infectious. Just like the dinosaurs on his property, Mark himself is a larger-than-life figure, with these giant statues acting like physical representations of his huge personality and character serving as a way to share his love for life on a much bigger scale.
Wrapping up the shoot I ask Mark the reason why he does all of this for. Throughout our interactions over the day he regularly brings up the power of thought, energy and manifestation, using these elements to stay dedicated in his pursuit of happiness, as he tells me, “…being true to yourself and actually surrounding yourself with positive energy…the law of attraction, whatever you dream and whatever you come across, you can create.”
And create he did, Mark uses this mentality to give back. In his eyes these animals act as a symbol of hope and appreciation for nature. “It's about giving people an experience, what their life used to look like and a free gift today to bring the magic back. The superhero! There is a chance for Earth after all when you look at these things that survived for millions of years in the natural environment.”
Mark's dinosaurs bring him an immense amount of joy, joy that he spreads to people, passing that feeling of excitement and sharing this special experience in particular with those who might be struggling. His main act of giving focuses predominately on children battling cancer or those with a disability, seeing the smiles and joy on their faces is why he loves what he does. These animals allow Mark the ability to give hope to others that he believes truly live in the present, within the moment. “That's where I get my energy from.” Brightening the day for others helps Mark to get through his own battles, with his actions stemming from the act of karma, what you give, you will receive.
As eye-grabbing as the price tag and pure size that these animals boast, it was unfortunate for Mark's purpose to be somewhat overlooked. Mark is a bubbly, quirky hard working man with an outgoing passion for life with a personality to excite you for a world that we never got to experience. The time we shared chatting and shooting brought genuine happiness to my day.
With stories and characters like Mark, it is easy to forget the impact of their actions and how this all came to be what it is. Just because these huge dinosaurs are here in front of you right now does not mean that they actually ever had to exist in the way they do, it was never a given. It takes an individual or group to bring something into the world and then give it purpose. That is the obvious power of creativity, you are the creator, you bring to the world. It is so simple but it’s something that we can regularly forget, we are always waiting for someone else to think of or make their idea our own reality. I would say true individuality if it’s still possible is achieved by those avidly seeking to create the reality in front of them and blind to those who are without faith of self. You may not be the first, but you damn sure can be the last to do it. Don’t take these things for granted and understand the sheer beauty within the small possibility of what has been brought to you.
