I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay
I sleep all night and visit The Big Axe all day!

Axe yourself this – how much excitement can you handle? If the answer is ‘plenty’, then swing by The Big Axe, which rests happily in front of the iKew Visitor Information Centre.

The original sculpture was built by Rufus McCarthy in 1979, celebrating both his brother, world-champion axeman Mannie McCarthy, and the local timber industry. It was modelled on a Tasmanian plumb axe and was an astonishing nine metres long.

For the woodchopping purists out there, that’s EIGHT TIMES the length of a real Tasmanian plumb axe.

The Big Axe became a welcome sight on the trip between Sydney and Brisbane. Family trips away hadn’t really started until you’d seen that wonderful whacker.

Sadly, termites did a real hatchet job on the attraction, leading to its replacement in 2002. Gibson Engineering restored the head, whilst local legend ray O’Neill carved a new eight-metre-long handle out of a blackbutt log.

The statue was rebuilt once again in 2017 by the clever – or should that be cleaver? – members of the Kendall Men’s Shed. The 800kg tomahawk now rests on supports that are axe-actly two metres shorter than the old ones. That should make happy snaps a little easier to take.

I’m sure the unveiling had locals Kew-ing up for a look!

The highway bypassed the town in 2009. These days, there’s little more than a cluster of curious Big-thusiasts admiring this roadside oddity at any one time. It allows for a quieter, more intimate encounter with the icon. Far from the maddening crowds, one can truly appreciate the nostalgic charm of this classic piece of Australiana.

Just make sure you’re looking sharp – because The Big Axe certainly is!

Careful with that axe, Bigs!

The Bardot Family’s 2026 visit to Kew uncovered a delightful surprise: the Visitor Centre was selling not one, not two, but three Big Axe magnets. There’s also a range of patches and stickers – so get ready to chop till you drop!

The chop-ularity of this monument has even led to a replica in Western Sydney, and another down in Tasmania. Alright, they’re not axe-actly the same, but they’re close enough.

The freeway might’ve bypassed Kew years ago, but a short detour takes you to this Big on your way north to The Big Koala Family and The Big Golden Dog, or south to The Big Oyster.

The volunteers at the Visitor Centre are always up for a chat, and the nearby park is a great place to stretch your legs, so make sure you don’t axe-dentally pass by this attraction!