The Big Boxing Crocodile
The Big Boxing Crocodile stands with its mouth wide open and red boxing gloves on his hands. Often referred to as the world’s largest boxing crocodile, this massive crocodile sculpture lives at the United fuel station along the Arnhem Highway, Humpty Doo, Northern Territory.
The fuel station was formerly a shop known as the Humpty Doo Bush shop, owned by Marcel Britnal. Together with his partner Ray Whear, Britnal built the sculpture to celebrate Australia’s win in America’s Cup in 1983. Inspired by the Boxing Kangaroo on the Australian team logo, the duo decided to replace the kangaroo with a crocodile.
The 1983 America’s Cup was a historic competition thanks to Australia’s victory over the United States. Before the competition, which lasted from September 14 to 26, the United States had successfully defended the title for 132 years.
But in 1983, team Australia fought back from 3-1 down to win the Cup, ending the longest winning run in sporting history and America’s dominance.
Four years after the historic win, Britnal hired a Sydney-based company to sculpt the crocodile with fibreglass. This project cost a whopping AUD 137,000; the high cost was due to the materials used to make the sculpture stable enough to sustain the strong cyclones in the area. Finally, in 1988, the 13 metres tall Big Boxing Crocodile was unveiled.
The fierce Big Boxing Crocodile aside, there is one happy Jumping Crocodile in the Adelaide River Bridge in Northern Territory.
Other notable Big Crocodiles in Australia include:
- Big Crocodile in Daintree, Queensland
- Big Crocodile in Normanton, Queensland – nicknamed Krys the Savannah King
- Big Crocodile in Wyndham, Western Australia
- Big Crocodile in Wangetti, Queensland
You can read more about the Big Crocodiles in Queensland here.
