LAST Sunday and Monday over the long weekend the Big Ned Statue in Glenrowan received a well-earned new coat of paint.
The statue has never had a repaint in its 29 year history and some parts were down to the fibreglass.
Bid Ned now stands tall and proud in his new levery looking over the township.
Rod and Chris Gerrett commissioned the Big Ned Statue, which was built by special effects technician Kevin Thomas from Ingleburn, Sydney, and arrived in Glenrowan on April 14, 1992.
Although Big Ned sits on the apron of a body corporate land in front of shop 1 and 2, which everyone knows as the Glenrowan Post Office, when these properties were sold no component of the cost was included in any sale price.
The statue was donated by Rod and Chris Gerrett to aid tourism for the benefit for all of the township.
It now sits there on permanent display effectively owned by the township and comes under the canopy of the Glenrowan Improvers.
During 2020 the Glenrowan and District Craft Group donated funds raised from making masks to the Glenrowan Improvers to be spent on improvements to the town.
The painting of Big Ned has been on the plans of the Glenrowan Improvers for a couple of years and the donation turned that dream into a reality.
Professional painter Tony Holden, a former resident of Glenrowan who grew up in the town, was commissioned to paint the statue.
Helen Senior organised the project and tourists visiting Glenrowan were excited to see the rejuvenation.
A large number lined up to capture the moment during the painting and then of course the finished fresh look.
Interesting facts about Big Ned
1. Chosen as part of the Redheads Matches Big Aussie Icon series. This was released as a limited-edition matchbox design collection series called Australia’s Big Things, paying homage to some of the country’s most iconic attractions including The Big Ned Kelly statue.
2. Featured in the book “Big Things - Australia’s amazing roadside attractions“ by David Clark. He was well featured on three pages.
3. Some years ago a phone call was received from the USA to say that our Big Ned had been chosen as the only Australian entry for a quirky website called “Gallery of Huge Beings”.
4. On a website called Australian Pictorials “Australian Big Things Icons”, the Big Ned Kelly statue is featured foremost on their Australian map.
5. Featured in an RACV motoring magazine.
6. During the time of the Gulf War, three huge camouflage army tanks were unloaded in front of the Big Ned Kelly statue. Large, muscular army personnel restricted photographs of the tanks as they were for army purposes only. The tanks were to be commissioned to the Iraq Gulf War - Operation Desert Shield. The tanks were named after some of the Kelly Gang, namely Ned, Dan and Steve. The tank named Ned is now decommissioned and on display at the Puckapunyal Tank Museum.
7. Was used as advertising backdrop for the Ford Mustang GT – Outlaw.
8. School children on excursions in Canberra were asked to vote on their favourite Big Australian statue and we were informed that the Big Ned Kelly statue was the unanimous winner.
Considered to be kitsch, but for some reason Australians have taken their fascination for the big icons to the extreme.
Kitsch or otherwise, the Big Ned Kelly statue is considered the most photographed item in North East Victoria.
