A new attraction to rival many beloved Aussie 'big things' has just galloped into Australia's country music capital.
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Travellers on the New England Highway heading west into Tamworth, NSW, have had their attention turned this week by the nation's newest 'big thing' taking shape.
What was just a patch of grass at the front of the Stockman's Motel is now home to a gigantic horse and rider, not too far away from the city's big Golden Guitar.
The structure, which depicts a stockman riding a rearing horse, measures 14.4m in height, motel and restaurant manager Blake Butler told ACM's Northern Daily Leader, which puts it over 2m taller than the city's most famous 'big thing'.
Erected in 1988 and unveiled by country music legend Slim Dusty, the towering replica of a golden guitar award stands at 12m.
For comparisons further afield, the 'stockman' is just under a metre shy of The Big Merino at Goulburn, which is 15.2m and 2m of The Big Pineapple (16m), and taller than The Giant Koala in the Grampians (14m) and Big Prawn (9m).
It joins a list of local 'big' monuments across the region that also includes the Big Chook at Moonbi, Big Fish in Manilla, Captain Thunderbolt statue in Uralla and Big Lamb in Guyra,
Commissioned by motel owners Jeff and Rose Demanuele, the statue was made by an artist in Queensland and, after a 24-hour journey, rode into Tamworth on Saturday.
Arriving in multiple pieces, it took three days to build.
In sections weighing up to three tonnes, the parts had to be lifted by crane.
"The first day we had the legs up, then the next day we had the body and the head up, and then the following day, the [riders'] legs and arms and that went on," Mr Butler said.
Constructed of a combination of steel, sand and fibreglass and tipping the scales at over seven tonne, the structure is footed by a 7.5m by 8.5m slab of concrete.
Mr Butler said the idea of the structure is to draw in the tourists as well as "get the word out there for Stockman's", especially with Stockman's taking on the running of the restaurant (previously it was operated by outside businesses).
Once fully completed, it will have lights underneath to help it stand out at night, whilst the laser-engraved fence behind will provide privacy for guests.
"The whole idea of it is you stand back and get a photo, you don't get the motel windows and stuff. What you get is the fence, the horse and the roof (of the motel)," Mr Butler said.
"And it's actually been made and designed to rust, so it'll look rusty once the weather's hit it."
