Big Merino
| Big Merino | |
|---|---|
 The Big Merino in 2011 | |
 | |
| Designer | Charles Rickard |
Completion date | 1985 |
| Medium | Glassfibre-reinforced concrete |
| Subject | Merino |
| Dimensions | 15.2 m (50 ft) tall, 18 m (59 ft) long |
| Weight | 97 tonnes (95 long tons; 107 short tons) |
| Location | |
The Big Merino is a 15.2-metre (50 ft) tall statue of a merino ram located in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It was modelled after Rambo, a stud ram that lived on a local property, "Bullamallita".[1]
The Big Merino was unveiled on 20 September 1985 by John Brown, the federal minister for sport, recreation and tourism. The idea was originally conceived by brothers Attila and Louis Mokany. The statue was constructed by Adelaide builder Glenn Senner and took six months to build. The frame is steel, covered and shaped with wire mesh, and sprayed and detailed with glassfibre-reinforced concrete. The architect was Gary Dutallis.[2]
The statue was originally situated on Goulburn's Cowper Street, which then formed part of the Hume Highway.[3] In 1992, the highway was rerouted to bypass the town, which resulted in 40 fewer busloads of tourists visiting the Big Merino each day.[4] On 26 May 2007, it was moved closer to the new Hume Highway to increase visitor numbers. It is now located near the freeway interchange at a service station.[5]
Inside the Big Merino is a gift shop, an exhibition on the history of wool in Australia, and an observatory in the ram's eyes.[6]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Big Merino | NSW Government". www.nsw.gov.au. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ↑ "The Merino Story". The Big Merino. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Dowse, Nicola (27 March 2024). "Bigger is better: A guide to the 5 best big things in NSW". timeout.com.
- ↑ "Bypassed Rambo looks for new pastures". ABC Rural. 3 October 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ Thistleton, John. "Buying and moving the Big Merino". About Regional. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ↑ Grossetti, Carla (7 November 2023). "A Guide To 30 Of Australia's Iconic Big Things". Australian Traveller. Retrieved 29 September 2024.