The Cunnamulla Fella Statue, Qld

This statue in the heart of the small country town of Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland was unveiled in 2005.  The imposing double life size bronze statue pays tribute to the ‘ringers’ of the bush. 

In the 1950s and 60s when Australia was riding on the sheeps’ back there were endless work opportunities for young lads on both sheep and cattle stations.  At this time, Cunnamulla was booming as the large properties in the area employed so many men.  When these workers came to town the pubs would overflow and these young ‘fellas’ would be seen squatting around the streets in the classical pose of the statue. 

Around this time Stan Coster wrote the song ‘Cunnamulla Fella’, which was later sung by the late Slim Dusty.  More recently the song has been performed by Lee Kernaghan.

In 1862 the Cunnamulla area was explored, with pastoralists being attracted by the fertile land following soon after.  By 1880 the town had a population of around 200.  During the 1880s more farmers moved into the area and found the open plains perfect for sheep grazing.