| Big Merino | |
|---|---|
 The Big Merino in 2011 | |
| Completion date | 1985 |
| Medium | Concrete |
| Subject | Merino |
| Dimensions | 15.2 m (50 ft) tall |
| Weight | 97 tonnes (95 long tons; 107 short tons) |
| Location | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
The Big Merino is a 15.2 metres (50 ft) tall concrete statue of a merino ram located in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It was modeled after Rambo, a stud ram that lived on a local property.[1]
The Big Merino was built near the Hume Highway in 1985.[2] In 1992 the highway rerouted to bypass the town of Goulburn, which resulted in 40 fewer busloads of tourists visiting the Big Merino each day.[3] On 26 May 2007, the Big Merino was moved to a location closer to the new Hume Highway to increase visitor numbers, and is now located near the freeway interchange at a service station.[4]
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.[5]
- ^ "Big Merino | NSW Government". www.nsw.gov.au. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ 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.