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Outback sculpture trails: part two
Words Robert Crack Pics Robert Crack and Supplied
Could there be a better canvas on which to view works of art than the Australian outback landscape, with its red dirt, glinting salt lakes, bushland, boundless big skies and ever-changing light that never sits still? Owing to the enormous distances between some of these outback sculpture trails, we reckon that such distances merit bringing you this article in two parts. This is part two.
The Living Desert and Sculptures in Broken Hill, NSW (Credit: Destination NSW)
In the first part of this article, we covered outback sculpture trails in South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. If you missed it, check it out here. Otherwise, welcome to part two where we’ll share some more of our favourite outback sculptures.
Western Australia
Lake Ballard — a vast saltpan in Western Australia — hosts Inside Australia, a striking open-air installation by renowned British artist Sir Antony Gormley, which was commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Perth International Arts Festival in 2003. The work features around 50 slender metal figures scattered across the lake’s saltpan which, in summer after long periods without rain, can be eye-achingly, dazzlingly white. As the light changes, the figures seem to shift or dance — vanish, even — offering a surreal, hauntingly sublime experience. The remote setting augments the surreal effect. Bring sturdy shoes, plenty of drinking water, sunscreen and really, really good sunglasses to handle the blinding glare. Especially in summer. Oh, and if you have a DLSR camera, bring a circular polariser/linear (CPL) filter and neutral density (ND) filter. You’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t.
If you're road-tripping through WA’s Wheatbelt, don’t miss the Tin Horse Highway near Kulin — one of the quirkiest and most entertaining roadside attractions in Australia.
With a drive from Perth of a touch under 300km, to some outback travellers this may not seem to be quite ‘outback’ enough for you. However, given that the Tin Horse Highway is in the official tourism region of Australia’s Golden Outback, here at Hema Maps we feel that this sculpture trail is meritorious indeed of being included in an article about outback sculpture trails! Moreover, we reckon it would make a fabulous detour if heading to (or from) your bigger outback adventures in WA.
Tin Horse Highway near Kulin, WA (Credit: Tourism Western Australia)
The Tin Horse Highway (officially Kulin-Lake Grace Road) stretches just 15km east of Kulin towards the Jilakin Race Track. This otherwise ordinary road is lined with loads of comical, creative horse sculptures made from scrap metal and farm junk. Locals have turned 44-gallon drums, mufflers, vehicle doors and plough discs into hilarious horse characters doing everything from playing football and riding rockets to sitting on the loo reading ‘Playhorse’ magazine or drinking a ‘tinny’. Even more tin horses have emerged along other routes into Kulin and within the town itself.
What started in the mid-1990s as a fun way to promote the annual Kulin Bush Races has grown into a much-loved tourist drawcard. Farmers still add new creations each year in friendly rivalry, keeping the laughs coming.
The key to enjoying the Tin Horse Highway? Take your time. Pull over often to admire the clever details and snap some photos — it’s not something to just drive past.
Don’t miss the Tin Horse Interpretation Centre near the Kulin Visitor & Community Resource Centre, or the stunning views from nearby Jilakin Rock, overlooking Lake Jilakin and the racecourse. The Kulin Bush Races are held in October, with races, live music, fireworks and family fun attracting up to 4000 visitors.
The Kimberley is one of Australia’s most ancient and striking regions — and in Derby, the land speaks not only through red earth and tidal rhythms but also through art. Just a short walk from town, the award-winning Sculpture on the Marsh trail offers an evocative blend of landscape, culture and creativity.
This unique outdoor gallery was the vision of Mark Norval, a local artist and champion of Indigenous art. It began in 2019 with Contemplation, a striking steel portrait of Kelvin Kelly, a young Derby man painted in ochre before his first Djunba ceremony. Carefully positioned to catch the setting sun, it captures a moment of emotion, tradition and pride.
Thanks to the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, the trail has since grown to include eight more sculptures, each with a powerful story. The other sculptures by Mark Norval are Outback Football, Kimberley Ringer, Family, Kimberley Moonrise Girl and Brolgas. Mud Crab is by Valerie Lennard and Mark Norval, and Stingray is by Joey Kitching and Mark Norval.
And the best time to visit? Sunrise or sunset, when the golden light seems to dance and bring the sculptures to life.
Steel, story and saltwater country — these works seem born from the very earth they stand on. Much more than a local art project, Sculpture on the Marsh is a visual love letter to Country, culture and community.
New South Wales
My goal in visiting Living Desert State Park north of Broken Hill was to locate and photograph a particular species of bird, known for being a ‘skulker’. Skulker is birdwatching parlance for a species that is secretive and known to keep itself hidden in dense vegetation.
That goal — the shy and reclusive Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus) — was achieved. It’s a pretty plain, kind of dumpy bird that is only conspicuous in its inconspicuousness. At least, that is, in comparison with the colour or markings of the birds I was to photograph further up the road: Bourke’s Parrot, Zebra Finch, Redthroat, Budgerigar, Galah, Cinnamon Quail-Thrush, Red-rumped Parrot, Red-capped Robin, Red-backed Kingfisher, Cockatiel, Crimson Chat, Orange Chat, Red-necked Avocet, White-winger Fairywren and Australian Ringneck.
But the Chirruping Wedgebill wasn’t my highlight in Living Desert State Park.
The sculptures were.
The Living Desert and Sculptures in Broken Hill, NSW (Credit: Outback NSW)
Tucked in the Barrier Ranges just north of Broken Hill, the Living Desert Sculptures offer a dramatic fusion of art and landscape. Born from a unique 1993 art symposium, this sandstone sculpture park stands as one of Australia’s most iconic outback installations. Sculptors from around the globe spent six weeks carving into Wilcannia sandstone — transforming Sundown Hill into a cultural landmark. The result? A dozen monumental pieces that now catch the golden light of sunset like glowing sentinels of the desert.
The reserve is open daily, with hours shifting seasonally. Fees apply.
Beyond the sculptures, the predator-proof sanctuary protects native flora and fauna. Keep an eye out for emus, wallaroos and wedge-tailed eagles along the walking trails. Interpretive signs along the Cultural Walk reveal layers of Aboriginal heritage, old mining stories and desert botany.
Each sculpture has a story — some finished in haste, others left incomplete. Some honour legends such as Fred Hollows; others speak to the passing of time, light and shadow.
The site also includes shaded picnic zones with free barbecues, while the nearby Starview Primitive Campsite offers basic overnight facilities. No pets are allowed (except guide dogs), and sturdy shoes are a must.
Whether you visit for the view, the stories or the solitude — this outback gallery leaves a lasting impression, carved in stone and lit by sky.
Tibooburra Road Conditions sign (Credit: Robert Crack)
From Broken Hill, follow in the footsteps of explorer Charles Sturt and discover an unexpected layer of creativity across Outback NSW. The Sturt’s Steps Touring Route is a self-drive journey that stretches 1100km from Broken Hill to Cameron Corner, roughly following the route taken by Charles Sturt’s Inland Expedition of 1844–46, passing through iconic outback towns such as Packsaddle, Milparinka and Tibooburra.
What makes it truly special? The art. The history. And the storytelling through sculpture.
Along the way, a growing collection of public artworks — from wire sculptures and murals to granite installations and metal silhouettes — bring local stories to life. Some are fun, some profound. All are deeply rooted in a palpable sense of place.
Each interpretive shelter along the route features silhouette cut-outs representing key figures or fauna from that area. These make for great photo ops and quick insight into the people, creatures and culture of the region.
Whether you're towing an offroad van or ‘swagging it’ and exploring in your 4WD, the route offers a rare mix: historical depth, artistic expression and big, open landscapes that stretch as far as the eye can see.
In Tibooburra where the sun-bleached plains of Corner Country stretch into the horizon and granite outcrops rise like sentinels, a surprising sight catches the eye in Tibooburra’s Pioneer Park — a full-sized whaleboat, marooned in the middle of the desert.
This is Myth and Mirage, a striking 30-foot sculpture by the late Australian artist Antony Hamilton. Created in 1999 as part of the Silver City Highway Sculpture Project, it’s a replica of the sea-going vessel that explorer Charles Sturt (in)famously hauled into the outback during his 1845 expedition, hoping to find an inland sea.
A sculpture in Tibooburra dedicated to the folly of Charles Sturt's 1844–46 expedition to find an inland sea. He carried a whaleboat with him into the outback. Nice one. (Credit: Robert Crack)
The dream was bold — some say deluded — but it symbolised the spirit of exploration in a still-mysterious land. The expedition eventually abandoned the boat at Depot Glen, just south of Tibooburra, when water ran out and the desert proved unyielding.
Hamilton, whose work was deeply shaped by solitude and landscape, saw the boat as a metaphor for vision against all odds. After years weathering the elements, the sculpture was restored in 2014 by local artists and the Tibooburra Progress Association, not long after my photo of it was taken, before it was coated in copper shingles.
To this day, when I look at the photo of Myth and Mirage and recall its backstory, I am just as dumfounded by the incongruity of it all as I was in 2014.
But then again, when it comes to outback sculptures, why would anyone be surprised by incongruity, enigma and whimsy?
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