Pelicans are well-represented in the list of The Big Things of Australia, not once and not twice. In fact, they are some of the most popular birds on this list. In this article, we’ll mainly focus on The Big Pelican in Loxton, a town located on the banks of the Murray River in South Australia.
Brief History of The Big Pelican in Loxton
The Big Pelican was originally constructed as a float for a local Mardi Gras back in 1979. The sculpture made several appearances in similar events across different towns and cities in Australia, including once in Adelaide. It was then remodelled and coated with fibreglass in 1992 before retiring at the Loxton Caravan Park.
Other Big Pelicans in Australia
As mentioned earlier, the Big Pelican in Loxton is not the only gigantic pelican sculpture on the list of the Big Things of Australia. Here are some additional Big Pelicans across the country:
The Big Pelican in Noosaville, Queensland, sits on a motorized float next to the Noosa River. It was built in 1977 to serve as a float for the Festival of the Waters Parade. The popular pelican sculpture, nicknamed ‘Percy the Pelican’, is widely considered the symbol of Noosaville. It even appears on postcards and other tourism materials.
The massive pelican statue has a bottom floor where passengers can ride in and wave at the crowds. The viewing area has hosted celebrities in the past, including politicians, popular athletes, beauty queens, you name it.
Then there’s another Big Pelican in Meningie, a town in South Australia. The giant pelican sculpture was carved from a single tree by Ants Redgum Gallery. At the bottom half of the sculpture, there is a statue of a European child and an indigenous child holding a fish together. Unveiled in 2015, it currently sits at Jubilee Park off the Princess Highway.
