The Big Bowl in Lake Cathie
The Big Bowl in Lake Cathie Macquarie, New South Wales, is the world’s largest Big Bowl. The structure is an oversized replica of the lawn bowls used for the bowl sport.
This sport originated from ancient Egypt, quickly spreading to Europe in the Middle Ages. It is quite different from the bowling sport; in bowling, the player rolls a heavy ball down a narrow lane towards stationery objects called pins.
The purpose of bowling is to knock down as many pins as possible. On the contrary, in a lawn bowl, the goal is to drive the ball closer to a common target called a jack. The winner of the bowl game is one whose bowl rests closest to the jack.
The Big Bowl can be found at the Lake Cathie Bowling and Recreation Club, which opened in 1975. Ten months later, the club introduced this oversized ball as a symbol of the club.
Stan Kanar built the object in his home workshop after sharing the idea with his friend Reg Ellery.
Interesting facts about the world’s largest Big Bowl
Check out these interesting facts about the Big Bowl, the world’s largest.
- It measures 187 centimetres in diameter
- It stands three metres high
- The frame is made of a seven-centimetre-thick water pipe reinforced with 1.2 centimetres of steel
- The steel is wrapped in a wire mesh for reinforcement
- Its outer body is made of four inches of thick cement, an equivalent of 32 bags of cement
- The massive bowl weighs two tonnes
- The steel and concrete make up for three-quarters of its weight
You’ll find additional Big Things in Australia structured in the shape of a ball. Below are some great examples:
- Big Golf Ball in Heatherton, Victoria
- Big Golf Ball in Broadbeach, Queensland
- Big Pool Ball in Yarralumla
