Big Rocking Horse

The Big Rocking Horse is a tourist attraction located in the town of Gumeracha, South Australia. Designed by David McIntosh, the structure weighs 25 tonnes and stands at over 18 metres tall, and is one of a number of Big Things in Australia designed to attract the attention of passing motorists. It is part of a larger complex that includes a wooden toy factory, wildlife park and cafe which had been owned by the Wilkinson family since the early 1970s, and while the complex was sold in 2004, it continues to operate today.

History

In 1973, after opening a wooden toy factory in Gumeracha, owner Wal Wilkinson chose to incorporate a large roadside attraction to the site in order to attract passing traffic. The first of these was a large wooden giraffe which stood at approximately five metres in height. This was subsequently replaced by a series of rocking horses: a three metre tall horse giving way to a five metre model, before the process culminated in the decision to build the Big Rocking Horse.

The Big Rocking Horse remained under Wilkinson family's ownership for just over 20 years, although problems arose late in this period with an increase in...
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