Sheep farming has been a crucial part of Australia’s economy for decades. So it’s not surprising to come across numerous sheep sculptures across the country celebrating the role of this industry. For example, in Karoonda, a town in South Australia, you’ll find the Big Ram sculpture standing atop a concrete base at the Railway Lawns.
Origins of The Big Ram
The Big Ram was erected in 1997 to which put Karoonda on the map and celebrated the importance of sheep farming in the area. Rams are considered so important to the local economy that they have been dubbed “the father of prosperity”.
The project was the brainchild of local resident Don Anderson and facilitated by Karoonda Development Group Inc. The community art project was overseen by Adelaide artist, Andrew Stock with the help of volunteers. Also helping in the construction phase of the project were the students of East Murray Area School and Karoonda Area School.
The stone on the wall is sourced from a local quarry and is estimated to weigh 18 tonnes bringing the total cost of the project to $12,000.
The Big Ram In Karoonda Measurements
The Karoonda Development Group built the statue to celebrate sheep farming in the region. It measures 2 metres high and 3 metres long.
Map of The Big Ram
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d11140.187936317901!2d139.89016565573928!3d-35.09386367030333!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6ab7f9b55a0bb4fb%3A0x855d62e9f6af1370!2sThe%20Big%20Ram!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sau!4v1675317401630!5m2!1sen!2sau&w=600&h=450]Other Sheep-Inspired Big Things of Australia
But that’s not the only giant sheep structure on the list of the Big Things of Australia. In Goulburn, New South Wales, there’s another oversized sculpture of a merino ram, nicknamed Rambo. Measuring 15 metres tall and 18 metres long, the enormous sculpture was moved to a new location in 2007 to attract more visitors. It had briefly lost its popularity due to the construction of the Hume Highway in 1992, which bypassed the town and the giant sculpture. The decision to move it to the new location was to make it even more visible to the public.
There’s also another massive merino in Blackall, a rural town in Queensland, Australia. The little-known merino sculpture measures 3 metres tall and 4 metres long. It was unveiled in 1983.
In Guyra, New South Wales, there’s yet another lamb sculpture. The Big Lamb, as it is famously referred to, was mounted by the local administration to bring more attention and awareness to the local lamb and potato industries in New England. The giant lamb structure stands atop a concrete slab embedded with a potato plant.
The Big Wool Bales in Hamilton, Victoria, also celebrate the wool industry but this time not in the form of a sheep monument. The oversized wool bales housed a café and souvenir shop, which was closed in 2013 following a series of losses and termite damage.
