The Big Dinosaur
The Big Dinosaur that formerly stood outside Finlay’s landscaping supplies store in Darwin, Yarrawonga, is now located along Pierssene Road, outside one of the Bunnings warehouse outlets. As it is famously referred to, Big Kev is made of fibreglass and stands 13 metres tall.
The brachiosaurus structure was bought by its original owner Tom Finlay from the Philippines in 2007. Mr Finlay included the dragon statue to his stonemason business. In 2019, he sold his business premises to Bunnings, one of Australia’s biggest hardware companies.
Subsequently, Bunnings announced its plans to expand its Palmer’s store to Finlay’s Stone site where big Kev sat. Bunnings kept the locals wondering about Big Kev’s fate following plans to dismantle the giant bit by bit.
Some locals, who were unsure about their favourite dinosaur’s future, took to social media to express their concerns. The company considered the sentimental attachment the locals had to Big Kev and decided not to destroy it.
Although costly, Bunnings decided to move the sculpture to its new location and set aside $400,000 for its refurbishment, replacing the giant’s tail. Roy Milner, the site manager, ensured that Big Kev’s relocation was swift. The four-hour task involved carefully dismantling the giant into several parts; the neck, head, body, tail and legs, for safer and easier transportation.
Consequently, the Big Dinosaur joined many other Big Things of Australia on the move in search of a new home. One of the giant’s cousins, another dinosaur, called Ploddy, was on the move in 1996 in Gosford, New South Wales. The gigantic cement sculpture was escorted by armed guards and a parade of locals to its new location.
Victoria is home to several famous Big Things; examples include the Giant Koala, Big Strawberry, Big Ned Kelly. To read more about these and many other Big Things in Victoria, please visit the Victoria category on our blog.
