2025 Aussie Big Things 2 $1 AlBr Uncirculated – The Big Galah

The Big Galah perches proudly in front of the Halfway Across Australia Gem Shop in Kimba, a town on the Eyre Highway at the top of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, on the traditional lands of the Barngarla people. Standing eight metres tall, the vibrant pink-and-grey bird reflects the cockatoos commonly seen in the region.

Constructed from fibreglass over a metal frame, the Big Galah was built over 18 months in 1993 by the gem shop’s owners to catch the eye of passing motorists. Its colourful exterior was decorated by artists Karen Carr and Jill Pantiyasa. Today, tourists flock to the site for photos—often posing as “one galah in front of another,” a playful nod to the Australian slang for “idiot.”