Height
5 meters
Year Built
2003
Address
Renmark Avenue, Renmark, SA 5341
The Lowdown
The Big Red Gum in Renmark honors the magnificent river red gums that have lined the Murray River for thousands of years, providing shelter, food, and cultural significance to Indigenous Australians and becoming synonymous with the Australian outback. These ancient trees, with their distinctive red-tinged timber, twisted trunks, and spreading canopies, are the lifeblood of the Murray-Darling ecosystem. The Big Red Gum celebrates not just a tree, but an entire way of life tied to Australia's greatest river system. River red gums can live for over 500 years, surviving floods, droughts, and fires - a testament to resilience that resonates with the communities along the Murray.
Did you know?
"The timber is incredibly hard and was used for railway sleepers"
History
The Big Red Gum was erected in 2003 to celebrate the importance of river red gums to the Murray River ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. River red gums have been part of the Australian landscape for millions of years, providing habitat for wildlife, shade for travelers, and timber for early settlers. Today, conservation efforts work to protect these magnificent trees and the wetlands they inhabit.
More Fun Facts
- •River red gums can live for over 500 years
- •Their root systems can extend 30 meters to find water
- •Aboriginal people used red gum bark for canoes that could carry eight people
- •The timber is incredibly hard and was used for railway sleepers
- •Red gums flower profusely and are an important food source for wildlife
Visiting Tips
- 💡Take a Murray River cruise to see magnificent old red gums
- 💡The Riverland is famous for its citrus and stone fruit - visit farm gates
- 💡Canoe or kayak the river for close encounters with ancient red gums
- 💡Renmark is South Australia's first irrigation settlement
- 💡Look for koalas in the red gum forests - they love the leaves
Opening Hours
The Big Red Gum can be viewed at any time.
More Big Things Nearby
Big Galah
An impressive 8-metre tall pink and grey galah sculpture marking the halfway point across Australia between Sydney and Perth.
Big Orange
Australia's largest big fruit at 15 metres tall and 12 metres wide, a former cafe and viewing platform celebrating the Riverland's citrus industry.
Big Rocking Horse
An 18.3-meter tall steel and concrete rocking horse overlooking the Adelaide Hills, complete with internal viewing platforms and a wildlife park.