The Big Bull was a darling of many Australians who knew the iconic structure that once stood at Redbank, off the Oxley Highway between Wauchope and Pacific Highway.
John Eggert, a dairy farmer in Wauchope, had a 14-metre-high and 20-metre-long structure of the Holstein Friesian Bull built on his farm in 1987.
Eggert had hoped that the Big Bull structure would attract tourists to the area, particularly to his business that featured an animal nursery, a children’s playground, and an educational hayride.
The Big Bull lived up to its purpose as it attracted a lot of visitors. This fibreglass structure had a gift shop and a beef display literally in its belly. Also, there was a restaurant at the site that served visitors various delicacies.
But all that remains, at the moment, are fond memories of the gigantic bull sculpture.
The Big Bull Disappears
Before it was brought down in 2007, the Big Bull gift shop had been closed to the public for many years. Despite the closure, locals and visitors still stopped by to take pictures of the iconic Big Bull.
But presently, nothing remains on the site as a reminder of the Big Bull. The structure was completely demolished, and the area swept clean. Eggert explained that the Big Bull had been redundant for too long, and it was time for it to go.
A special Souvenir Teaspoon from Macquarie Museum may be the only remaining reminder of the Big Bull.
The Souvenir Teaspoon has the picture of the Big Bull enclosed in a circular coloured resin disc on its handle. It also has the text ‘THE BIG BULL WAUCHOPE N.S.W’ around the Big Bull. It was made in the 1990s in New Zealand, proving just how famous the Big Bull had become.
The Big Bull in Wauchope may be gone, but more Big Bulls reign among the Big Things of Australia. Here is a list of places to find the rest of the Big Bulls.
- Banana the Bullock in Banana, Queensland
- Big Bulls in Rockhampton, Queensland
- Big Malle Bull in Birchip, Victoria
