The Story of The Bert Bolle Barometer
The Guinness Book of Records recognizes the Bert Bolle Barometer as the largest barometer in the world. It measures over 12.5 metres tall and is named after Dutch writer and barometer specialist Bert Bolle.
He designed and built the water barometer in 1985 and had it on display at the Barometer Museum, which he ran with his wife, Ethne. The museum was located in an 18th-century country house in the central Netherlands.
In 1999, Bolle and his wife relocated to Australia. However, he didn’t want to leave his barometer behind, so he brought it to Australia and donated it to the community of Denmark, Western Australia.
However, given that the town didn’t have a building high enough to host the massive barometer, a Visitors Centre was built in 2004, known as The Barometer Tower, and served as the new home of the gigantic instrument.
The water barometer quickly became popular among visitors and locals. As a result, the Shire of Denmark named it The Bert Bolle Barometer. The construction of the Denmark Visitor Centre ended in 2007, and a new facility was launched in August of the same year.
In addition to the Bert Bolle Barometer, Western Australia is home to many other Big Things worth discovering. Here are some of the most iconic.
The Big Bobtail lizard basks outdoors along Stirk Street, Kalamunda, Perth, WA. The gigantic lizard sculpture, carved out by artist Roman Antoniuk, measures 9 metres long and 1.3 metres wide.
There’s also the Big Camera in Meckering. The camera-themed building is home to over 3,000 cameras, some dating back to as far as 1900.
In the Southwestern part of South Australia, you’ll find the Big Mushroom in the small town of Balingup. This massive mushroom sculpture sits in the gardens of the Old Cheese Factory on Nannup Road.
And, if you love chemistry, you’ll find the world’s largest periodic table at the Edith Cowan University in Joondalup.
