TIN HORSE Galloping down the Highway

The Tin Horse Highway was once an otherwise ordinary stretch of country road in Western Australia’s central wheatbelt. Now, it's been transformed by a delightfully quirky collection of outdoor sculptures.

Words: Emily RicheS

THE SMALL town of Kulin is 280 kilometres east of Perth, just a short detour south of the most direct route to Hyden and Wave Rock.

The town is an agricultural centre with a population of around 350 people, and wheat and sheep farming as the main industries. It is best known for its annual horse races: the weekend-long Kulin Bush Races held in October every year.

In the late 1990s, when Kulin Shire Council thought the races could use some promotion to draw more visitors to town, local farmers and residents took it upon themselves to start their own community marketing campaign.

At first, one tin horse appeared without fanfare on the side of the road – and from there, it grew. Soon, the main road that led out to the race track – a 15-kilometre stretch east of town – was lined with tin horses made out of scrap metal, spare parts and basically, farm junk.

Ever since, the roadside paddocks in Kulin have become a public gallery of bright, quirky community creations, and the tin horses are as much of a drawcard as the races that they originally promoted.

Now, the Tin Horse Highway has become one of Western Australia’s most popular and unique self-drive tourist attractions.

Stiff Competition

The Tin Horse Highway provides a seriously entertaining drive and a fun alternative route through to Hyden and Wave Rock.

The hilarious horse characters are made of everything from corrugated iron, to 44-gallon drums, tin cans, farm equipment and other bits and pieces from the scrap heap. With a little bit of paint – and a lot of imagination –they were transformed into amusing, larger-than-life sculptures.

Some have signage that would cure any long face. Witty puns abound: there’s “Fillypoosis,” a play on the tennis player Mark Philippoussis, and Usain Colt, Usain Bolt’s equine relation. There’s horses doing handstands, playing bagpipes or reading “Playhorse” on the loo. There’s even a seahorse. Each horse has a story with some local legends thrown in.

Stop along the way to truly enjoy the details, creativity, humour and ingenuity behind each sculpture –selfies with these horsey creations are a must. With over 100 horses in town and on the highway, there are plenty of opportunities.

The horses are now there yearround, but new ones will occasionally pop up on the roadside. These new tin horses are constructed in great secrecy, by farmers who have developed a friendly rivalry with fellow tin horse creators. When new additions pop up, they are often larger, more colourful and cheekier than the last.

On the western side of town, you will find the biggest tin horse in the region: the ‘West Kulin Whoppa.’ This sculpture is a reflection of many years of friendly competition between East and West Kulin farmers.

A Boon For Tourism

The region is also known for having the largest waterslide in WA outside of Perth, as well as hosting Blazing Swan, a Burning Man-style festival held at nearby Jilakin Lake. The tourism that these events – as well as the Bush Races and the Tin Horse Highway – bring to the town has been a great boon for the region, encouraging more people to experience the country life, hospitality and the many unique experiences on offer.

You never know what you might see when you cruise down the Tin Horse Highway. TA