The Big Galah.

The story

Kimba is a rural service town of about 600 people on the top of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia — and, geographically, it sits at almost exactly the halfway point between Sydney and Perth across Australia. That fact is the town's marketing identity, the slogan on every Kimba souvenir, and the reason the Big Galah exists.

In 1991, Roger and Dianne Venning ran a small gem shop in Kimba called "Halfway Across Australia". The shop sold opals, jade, iron-ore, semi-precious stones, local quandong jams, and tourist souvenirs to drivers crossing the Eyre Highway in both directions. The challenge: most cars were doing the long Nullarbor crossing as a marathon drive, with stops measured in minutes. The Vennings needed a reason for travellers to actually stop and come inside.

The solution was the Big Galah — a giant fibreglass galah, modelled on the pink-and-grey cockatoos common to the region. The build started in 1991 and took 18 months of weekends and school holidays. The family used an 1800s wagon-wheel bender to shape steel rods into the structural frame. High-tension bird wire formed the mesh layer. Then fibreglass and gel coating completed the exterior. Roger and Dianne worked on it; their four children helped during school holidays. The finished bird was erected in July 1993, standing 8 metres tall, 2.5 metres wide, and weighing approximately 2.3 tonnes.

"The Big Galah came from humble origins, as a family-project initiated by Roger and Dianne Venning in the hopes of encouraging travellers to their gem shop, 'Halfway Across Australia'. Over the span of 18 months, with the help of their four children during the school holidays, The Big Galah was hatched." — Glam Adelaide, on the Big Galah's construction

The marketing worked. Within a few years the Big Galah had become Kimba's signature, the town's identity merging into "the town with the Big Galah". Every Nullarbor crossing now stops at Kimba. In 2023, the Galah received a 30th-birthday makeover funded partly by community programs, restoring the fibreglass and gel coating after three decades of South Australian sun. The shop next door still operates as "Halfway Across Australia", now joined by a bakery and a roadhouse.

A piece of Big Galah trivia much-loved by locals: an egg was once found in the Big Galah's "nest" on April Fool's Day — which suggested the bird might be female, but the timing made it unreliable evidence.

Visiting the Big Galah

The Big Galah stands on the western edge of Kimba township on the main Eyre Highway, immediately visible to traffic in both directions. Free to view at any hour. The Halfway Across Australia shop is the natural pair — pick up coffee, lunch, souvenirs, or refuel before continuing the Nullarbor crossing.

About Kimba

Kimba is a wheat and sheep farming town of approximately 608 people (2021 census), 282km northwest of Adelaide on the Eyre Highway. The town was officially established in 1915 and sits on the traditional lands of the Barngarla people. Beyond the Big Galah, the town has a notable silo art installation by artist Cam Scale (painted 2017, illuminated at night), an annual Kimba Art Prize, the Gawler Ranges to the north for nature lovers, and a working cafe culture that punches well above the town's size.

What else is on the Eyre Highway

The Big Galah is the headline icon on the eastern Eyre Highway, but it's not the only Big Thing on the crossing. Other notable stops:

• The Australian Farmer at Wudinna (1 hour west) — 8m granite sculpture by Marijan & David Bekic, took 17 years to complete (1992–2009), celebrates Australian farming heritage.
• The Big Ant at Poochera (further west) — built 2008, honours the rare Nothomyrmecia macrops (dinosaur ant) that's endemic to the area.
• Rooey II (Big Roo) at Border Village, SA/WA border (10+ hours west) — 4.5m kangaroo marking the state border crossing.
• For the full Nullarbor experience, plan 4–6 days Adelaide to Perth, with overnight stops at Ceduna, Nullarbor Roadhouse, Eucla, and Norseman.

Trivia worth knowing

• Built by Roger and Dianne Venning and their four children over 18 months, using an 1800s wagon-wheel bender for the metal frame.
• Officially erected in July 1993.
• 8 metres tall, 2.5 metres wide, weighing approximately 2.3 tonnes.
• Constructed of steel frame, high-tension bird wire mesh, fibreglass, and gel coating.
• Modelled on the pink-and-grey galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) common in the region.
• Underwent a major makeover for its 30th birthday in 2023.
• Kimba is officially Australia's geographic halfway point between Sydney and Perth — the slogan is literal.
• An egg was once found in the Galah's "nest" on April Fool's Day — local folklore suggests the bird is female, though the timing is suspicious.