Height
3 meters
Year Built
1990
Address
Maybe Street, Bombala, NSW 2632
The Lowdown
The Big Platypus at Bombala celebrates one of Australia's most extraordinary creatures - the platypus, found in the streams and rivers of the Monaro region. When European scientists first encountered the platypus in 1798, they thought it was a hoax - a beaver's tail sewn onto a duck's bill. This egg-laying mammal with venomous spurs, electroreception, and a duck-like bill is found nowhere else on Earth. The Big Platypus honors this evolutionary marvel and the clean waterways of the Bombala region where platypus can still be spotted in the wild.
Did you know?
"Bombala's rivers are prime platypus habitat"
History
Bombala has embraced the platypus as its symbol, recognizing the healthy populations that live in local waterways. The Big Platypus was created to celebrate this connection and draw attention to platypus conservation.
More Fun Facts
- •Platypus are one of only five species of monotremes
- •Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs
- •They use electroreception to find prey underwater
- •Scientists first thought preserved specimens were hoaxes
- •Bombala's rivers are prime platypus habitat
Visiting Tips
- 💡Visit the Bombala River at dawn to spot real platypus
- 💡The Snowy Mountains are nearby
- 💡Excellent trout fishing in local rivers
- 💡Bombala is gateway to wilderness areas
- 💡The town has charming heritage buildings
Opening Hours
Outdoor sculpture accessible at all times.
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Big Potato
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Big Trout
A 10-metre tall, 2.5-tonne fibreglass rainbow trout sculpture celebrating Adaminaby's fishing heritage.