The Big Bulls are a set of seven large statues of

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

s that decorate the city of

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. The set is regarded as one of

Australia's big things The big things of Australia are large structures, some of which are novelty architecture and some sculptures. In Australia, big things have come to be seen as a uniquely Australian phenomenon, although they emerged at the same time as the so-c ...

and is intended to reinforce Rockhampton's claim to being the Beef Capital of Australia. Initially there were two bull statues but over time others were added reaching a total of seven. Five of the bulls were created by sculptor Hugh Anderson. The theft of the

testicle A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is Homology (biology), homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of Androgen, androgens, p ...

s from the bulls is a common prank and they frequently have to be replaced. Some residents also feel that the bull statues overemphasise one aspect of the city and should be relocated to less prominent locations. However, there is strong public support for the retention of the bulls.

Locations

The first six bull statues are located near highways and major roads and were built to be realistic depictions of breeds of cattle raised in the area; the seventh was constructed as an art work for display at the Rockhampton Art Gallery. The bull statues are:

Other bulls

Within Rockhampton, there are other bull statues, including: * Stockman's Corner clothing store, 9 Gladstone Road, Allenstown. A white bull is raised above the store awning; * The Lionleigh Pub, 1 Wandal Road, Wandal. A brown bull stands atop the awning of the pub; * 'Lease-A-Bull', 184 Musgrave Street, Berserker. A braford bull, on top of a building awning; and * Korte's Resort, 984 Yaamba Road, Parkhurst. The entrance to the motel has three beige bulls together.

Proposed bulls

In 2021, the Belmont Red Breed Society bemoaned the fact their breed was not yet represented in the series of statues despite it having been developed at the Belmont Research Station near Rockhampton. President of the Belmont Red Breed Society, Jeanne Seifert said a statue of a Belmont Red bull would not only be a good focal point for visitors to the city but also a tribute to the contribution which had been made by scientists and the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...

. Her father, Dr George Seifert, was a principal research scientist based at the Belmont Research Station, credited with helping develop the composition of the breed.

References

{{reflist Big things in Queensland Buildings and structures in Rockhampton Statues in Australia Fictional bulls Sculptures of cattle