The Big Owl

The creator of this locally famous sculpture of the powerful owl, a bird native to the area, envisioned his work as a guardian spirit watching over its habitat. But unfortunately, the artwork has since become iconic for a rather different reason.

When viewed from behind, the slant of the owl’s body and the extension of its feet at the base bears a striking resemblance to a certain feature of the male anatomy. For that reason, the sculpture is seldom referred to as the Big Owl, but as the “Penis Owl”, or a variation thereof.

The sculpture was commissioned by the Chief Minister (Canberra’s de facto mayor) and unveiled in 2011. It is perhaps apt for the nation’s capital that the collective noun for a group of owls is a parliament. It is, after all, often claimed that the inhabitants of Parliament House are a bunch of—ahem—owls.