Sense of pride for group who unveils WA's next big thing

From the Big Pineapple in Queensland to the Big Prawn in New South Wales, the next "big thing" will be unveiled in the West Australian town of Moora.

A group of conservationists has worked tirelessly for seven years to launch two 11.5-metre Carnaby's cockatoos in the wheatbelt town, 180 kilometres north of Perth.

Those spearheading the project say they hope the sculptures will be a tourism drawcard and bring awareness to the endangered icon of the region. 

A 'local icon'

The Kerkhoff Carnaby Group came up with the idea in 2019 in an effort to put Moora on the map and highlight the town as an important place for the cockatoos' conservation.

The group's namesake, 84-year-old Moora conservationist Wally Kerkhoff, has built and installed nesting hollows for the local Carnaby's population throughout the area for more than 40 years.

The critically endangered birds are found in Moora between July and February, when they breed in the hollows of old salmon gums and wandoo trees.

Moore Catchment Council community landcare officer Rachel Walmsley has worked alongside Mr Kerkhoff for 14 years and described the conservationist as a "legend".

"If it wasn't for Wally, we wouldn't have Carnaby's in Moora anymore," she said.

Ms Walmsley said she hoped the new installation would inspire the next generation of Carnaby's cockatoo conservers.

"Wally has done his job. He won't be around forever," she said.

"We need to carry on the fight to keep these birds alive and thriving."

Fittingly, the Kerkhoff Group voted to name the male Carnaby figure Wally, with Mr Kerkhoff given the rights to pick a name for his female counterpart, settling on Mrs Carnaby.

A community effort

The COVID-19 pandemic and rising fuel prices made completing the project challenging.

The project cost $540,000, with 74 per cent from community donations.

There are 240 named donors, many of whom live in Moora and surrounding towns.

Kerkhoff Carnaby Group secretary Topsy De Vries said the community support behind the project meant the giant birds belonged to the residents.

"As we would encounter more roadblocks, say we needed more money to bring the project to life, I would have neighbours come over wanting to give what they described as 'a bit of money', then handing over cheques of $10,000," she said.

"We did feel like giving up a couple of times, but we couldn't because people trusted us.

"People really believed in us."

One of those residents who went "above and beyond" was retired truck driver Erich Juhren.

Mr Juhren drove the sculptures, in sections, several thousand kilometres from Queensland to their new home, where they were put together piece by piece and "perched" on a branch.

Another 'big thing'

Official measuring of the sculpture by manufacturer Natureworks Australia confirm the birds stand as tall as the Big Tractor in the nearby town of Carnamah.

"People have asked us, 'Why so big?' And I always say, 'It's no good building a small, big thing,'" Ms De Vries said.

Ms De Vries said there was an air of disbelief that the day of the unveiling had arrived.

"My family have seen me go through this for the past seven years and they can't believe it's nearly over," she said.

"You sit there, you look at them and you get a feeling of, 'We've done it.'"

A tourism 'must-see'

Ms De Vries said the sculptures had already lured tourists from around the state to watch them being erected and the finishing touches being applied.

"One of the local cafes is already benefiting because we now have to wait 30 minutes for our morning coffee," she said.

Moora Shire President Ken Seymour said the local government welcomed the new attraction.

"I look forward to seeing these sculptures attracting more people to the regions, getting people out of the city and enjoying what we have to offer," he said.

Ownership and maintenance of the Carnaby's cockatoo sculptures will be transferred to the Shire of Moora as of the launch day.