Height
3 meters diameter, 15 meters long
Year Built
1985
Address
Princes Highway, Orbost, VIC 3888
The Lowdown
The Big Log at Orbost is a tribute to East Gippsland's timber industry, which has been a cornerstone of the regional economy for over a century. This enormous log sculpture sits beside the Princes Highway, welcoming visitors to a region once covered in dense forests of mountain ash, woollybutt, and other eucalypts. The timber industry shaped Orbost and surrounding towns, with logs floated down the Snowy River and transported by rail to mills across Victoria. While the industry has evolved, the Big Log stands as a memorial to the generations of timber workers whose labor built communities and supplied the nation with essential building materials.
Did you know?
"Mountain ash trees can grow over 100 meters tall"
History
The Big Log was installed to honor Orbost's timber heritage. The region's forests were logged from the 1800s, with timber transported by bullock teams, river rafts, and eventually railways. The industry provided employment for generations and supplied timber for Melbourne's growth.
More Fun Facts
- •Mountain ash trees can grow over 100 meters tall
- •Orbost was once a major timber town with several mills
- •Logs were historically floated down the Snowy River
- •The Snowy River is famous from the poem 'The Man from Snowy River'
- •East Gippsland has some of Australia's tallest forests
Visiting Tips
- 💡Visit the Snowy River for canoeing and bushwalking
- 💡Marlo beach at the river mouth is beautiful and uncrowded
- 💡Cape Conran has excellent camping and walking trails
- 💡The Rainforest Walk at Orbost showcases local flora
- 💡Continue east to the NSW border and Eden
Opening Hours
Outdoor sculpture accessible at all times.
More Big Things Nearby
Big Lizzie
Australia's largest traction engine at Red Cliffs, VIC, a working piece of pioneering history.
Big Ned Kelly
A 6-meter tall fibreglass statue of Australia's most famous bushranger, standing guard over the historic township where Ned Kelly made his last stand.
Giant Koala
A 14-meter tall bronze and fibreglass koala weighing 12 tonnes, marking the gateway to the Grampians region on the Western Highway.