The 100-tonne Central Coast icon is marking three decades in Somersby, and the Park is throwing a month-long celebration to match.
Thirty years ago, over 10,000 people lined the streets of Gosford to watch something extraordinary roll through town. A 26-metre, 100-tonne concrete dinosaur was on the move, and she was heading to her new home on the Central Coast.
In August 1996, the Australian Reptile Park relocated from Wyoming to Somersby in one of the most ambitious moves any Australian zoo had ever attempted, and this month, the Park is celebrating 30 years since that iconic journey.
Ploddy the Dinosaur has been part of the Australian Reptile Park story since 1963, when founder Eric Worrell commissioned the design and construction of a concrete replica of a Diplodocus dinosaur. Built over two months and more than 1,100 man-hours, she weighed in at almost 100 tonnes and stood 26 metres tall. From the moment she was completed, Ploddy became Australia's very first giant roadside icon, predating the Big Banana, the Big Pineapple and every oversized landmark that followed.
"Ploddy is part of the Central Coast's identity. Celebrating 30 years at Somersby is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary move that secured the Park's future, while also celebrating the community that welcomed us and has supported us ever since," said Liz Gabriel, Executive Director.
Moving a 26-metre, 100-tonne concrete dinosaur is no straightforward task. It took a team of specialists to execute her journey, and to mark the occasion she was given a full street parade through Gosford. Local school children painted giant Ploddy footprints along the route. The crowd that turned out to watch numbered more than 10,000.
Ploddy was far from the only one making the trip. Around 1,000 animals were relocated from Wyoming to Somersby, including the Park's entire alligator population, Miss Piggy the pig-nosed turtle, Galapagos tortoises Hugo and Dippy, and Terminator the alligator snapping turtle. The Park's life-saving antivenom program made the move too, along with the keepers and staff who had devoted themselves to its work.
Among them was Ranger Mick, who had joined the Park four years earlier and would go on to dedicate more than 30 years to its work.
"The plan was basically 'grab the alligator and try not to get bitten'," laughed Ranger Mick. "We hand-wrangled every gator out of the lagoon and loaded them up for the move to Somersby, and not one person lost any limbs."
Ploddy now sits atop a hill overlooking the Sydney-Newcastle M1 Freeway, seen by more than 40 million passing vehicles every year. The area around her has never been open to the public, but a special event on 26 August will give a lucky few the chance to see the iconic dinosaur up close.
"For so many Coasties, seeing Ploddy on the hill means they are nearly home. She has watched the Park grow and change over the past 30 years, but she has remained that familiar, much-loved symbol. This anniversary is about celebrating where we have come from, the animals and people who made the move possible, and the exciting future still ahead," said Tim Faulkner, Managing Director.
Throughout August, every visit to the Park comes loaded with free activities included with entry. Each day, a unique wildlife show tells the story of how the Park moved from Wyoming to Somersby, featuring some of the very animals that made that journey. Families can also follow Ploddy's free Scavenger Hunt around the Park, tracking down the animals, people and programs that came to Somersby 30 years ago. On weekends, free face painting and a Dinosaur Walk bring one of Ploddy's friends out to meet visitors in person.