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All Australia Canberra Australian-American Memorial

Australian-American Memorial

From a distance, this statue of an eagle looks like a giant chicken on a stick.

Canberra, Australia

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Fuaimneachadh
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Australian-American Memorial.   Mike/cc by-sa 2.0
Australian-American Memorial.   Ben McCarthy/cc by-sa 3.0
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Atop the nearly 240-foot-tall (73 meters) column—which is taller than any of the buildings in Canberra's Central Business District—sits a 36-foot (11-meter) eagle. Its wings are stretched high as it balances atop a sphere.

The big bird commemorates American military assistance to Australia in World War II. The statue was unveiled in 1954, at a time when the close friendship between Australia and the United States was really taking off. Much of the funding for the monument actually came from the Australian public.

Due to its location in the suburb of Russell, home to the headquarters of the Australian Defence Force, the structure is visible from many points along the shore of Lake Burley Griffin. However, since there is little other than defense offices in Russell, the column is often viewed from a great distance, its subject unclear. This has led to several nicknames, including the Chicken (or "Chook") on a Stick, and Bugs Bunny.

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Chickens Birds Statues Roadside Attractions Politics Animals

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Fuaimneachadh

Published

July 24, 2019

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  • https://visitcanberra.com.au/attractions/56b23b72d270154b4553c4df/the-australian-american-memorial
  • https://www.news.com.au/national/australianamerican-eagle-memorial-in-canberra-funded-by-australians-gets-a-million-dollar-facelift/news-story/ba0f1b766ccb7981d5a32a63cc2ceb56
Australian-American Memorial
17 Sir Thomas Blamey Square
Russell
Canberra, 2600
Australia
-35.297561, 149.151646
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