THERE’S a 30th birthday party approaching later in the year that has set Wagin locals’ tongues wagging.
“I heard he’s recently had some cosmetic work done.”
“Well, it’s easy to believe, he doesn’t look a day older than the week he arrived in town.”
“Yes, but my goodness, have you seen the size of him?”
It’s true, my friends, the Giant Ram (affectionately as Baaaart) has now been keeping a watchful eye over the main street of Wagin for more than three decades.
A major tourist attraction and symbol of the renowned Wagin Woolorama, the Giant Ram is a familiar icon of the Wheatbelt area, yet the story behind how he actually got there is much less known.
It all started in the early 1980s when local Rotary Club member David Chapple decided the town needed something to represent the local Merino breeders and as an extension, the Wagin Woolorama, which could boast being the largest annual sheep show in the southern hemisphere of that time.
Rotary members approached the 13 local stud breeders in the area with their idea, and it was so positively received that they quickly realised the project would need to also encompass the wider community.
Local Wagin farmer and businessman Ian Pederick had become involved with the Rotary club a few years earlier and joined the Giant Ram committee, which soon expanded to include the Lions, Apex and the Chamber of Commerce, along with several local stud breeders.
In order to build an accurate scale model of a Merino ram, the committee contacted the West Australian Institute of Technology, (now known as Curtin University) which had recently come into possession of some very savvy technology for 1984.
“We were able to use three dimensional imaging to build an accurate replica of our ram, which gave us some accurate computerised measurements,” Ian said.
“It was all very revolutionary. The best Jaloran stud ram of the day was three dimensionally photographed and the image fed into the computer."
“The computer then spat out a series of measurements for each segment, like the exact dimensions for the third rib for example.”
Fremantle-based artist David Hickson then came on board as the sculptor and architect, setting up his workshop in an empty industrial shed at the back of Wagin, which had previously been used to construct large grain silos.
He first constructed a smaller scale model made of polystyrene and consulted the stud breeders on its conformation before work started on the larger project, and it was agreed it needed a longer body, so an extra few ‘ribs’ were added.
David then set about constructing and welding the large metal frame together, before covering it in chicken wire and coating it in fibreglass, the entire project taking just under a year from beginning to end.
Once the Giant Ram was ready to be let loose on the town, it was transported on a low loader down the main street, with electrical wires being lifted as it progressed to its final destination - next to the local Shire of Wagin offices.
A large base frame was set in concrete onto which the ram was lowered and welded on, much to the delight of the huge crowd that had gathered.
“In the early stages of planning, there was an idea to build a museum underneath the ram, which someone suggested we call the ‘Ball-room’,” Ian chuckles.
“But unfortunately that never went ahead. It was a huge joint community effort and it has really become the symbol of our town and the Woolorama.”
Shire of Wagin manager of community and regulatory services Carolyn Webster said the Giant Ram has undergone some cosmetic improvements, receiving a fresh paint job and good scrub, as a large beehive was found inside his belly.
“While we were giving him a spruce up, a large bee hive was discovered inside,” Carolyn said.
“The bees had been coming and going through his nostrils.
“But we managed to remove it pretty easily and give him a fresh coat of paint.”
She said the community were still in discussions about the best way to celebrate the 30-year milestone, with some suggestions including a rather generous birthday present.
“We’ve been trying to think of a good birthday present for him,” she said.
“We are considering buying him a flock of ewes, because 30 years is a long time to be standing by yourself.”
