Big Rocking Horse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Rocking Horse |
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| General information | |
| Location | Gumeracha, South Australia |
| Construction started | 1980 |
| Completed | 1981 |
| Opening | 1981 |
| Cost | A$$100,000 |
| Client | Wal Wilkinson |
| Owner | Anthony Miller |
| Height | 18.3 metres (60 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Weight | 25 tonnes (25 long tons; 28 short tons) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Twopenny |
| Civil engineer | Halwell Engineering |
The Big Rocking Horse is a super cool tourist spot in Gumeracha, South Australia. It's a giant horse that weighs 25 tonnes and stands over 18 metres tall! This huge horse is one of many "Big Things" across Australia. These big attractions are built to catch the eye of people driving by.
The Big Rocking Horse is part of a fun place that also has a wooden toy factory, a wildlife park, and a café. The Wilkinson family owned the complex for a long time. Then, in 2004, it was sold. But don't worry, it's still open and ready for visitors today!
Contents
The Story of the Big Rocking Horse
In 1973, a man named Wal Wilkinson opened a wooden toy factory in Gumeracha. He wanted to add something big to attract more visitors. So, he decided to build a large roadside attraction.
First, he built a tall wooden giraffe, about five metres high. After that, he tried out different rocking horses. He started with a three-metre horse, then a five-metre one. Finally, he decided to build the biggest rocking horse ever!
The giant 18.3-metre-tall horse was designed by David McIntosh and John Twopenny. It took eight months to build and cost $100,000. The Big Rocking Horse officially opened in 1981.
Changes Over the Years
The Wilkinson family owned the Big Rocking Horse for over 20 years. For a while, visitors could even climb up to a lookout spot on the horse's head!
However, in 2001, the site had to close to the public. This was because of new safety rules and changes in insurance. Even though the horse was still strong, people couldn't go inside anymore.
In 2003, the Toy Factory and the Big Rocking Horse were put up for sale. In 2004, a man named Anthony Miller bought them. He had moved to Australia from South Africa.
Anthony Miller worked hard to fix up the Big Rocking Horse. He reopened it to the public in April 2004. He also made the wildlife park free to enter. These changes made a huge difference! The number of visitors jumped from 65,000 in 2003 to 200,000 in 2006.
In June 2009, another family from South Africa, Frans and Lyn Gous, bought the Big Rocking Horse. It's still open and welcoming visitors today!
How the Big Rocking Horse Was Built
The Big Rocking Horse is 18.3 metres tall and 17 metres long. It's made of strong steel and weighs 25 tonnes. To make sure it doesn't actually rock, it's set into 80 tonnes of concrete!
The steel frame was made in Adelaide by Halwell Engineering. Then, it was brought to the site on a truck. After that, the steel "skin" was added to the frame.
Inside the rocking horse, there are stairs. These stairs lead to three different viewing platforms. You can look out from the horse's head, from its saddle, or from the "rocker bows" near its base.
What Else is There?
The Big Rocking Horse is part of a bigger complex. This includes the Toy Factory, a cafe, and a wildlife park.
The Toy Factory sells lots of cool wooden toys and souvenirs. The wildlife park is about seven acres big. It's home to many Australian animals, like emus and kangaroos, as well as some animals from other parts of the world. It's a great place to spend a day!
