The Big Powerful Owl, Public art sculpture in Belconnen District, Australia.
The Big Powerful Owl is a public sculpture made from cast composite, steel, and hardwood, installed at the junction of Belconnen Way and Benjamin Way in Canberra. It stands about 8 meters tall, depicting the bird in an upright pose on a freestanding base that makes it clearly visible from the road.
Bruce Armstrong created this work in 2011 as part of the artsACT public art program, which was designed to bring commissioned works to different parts of Canberra. Armstrong is an Australian sculptor known for his large-scale animal figures in wood and bronze.
The sculpture depicts the powerful owl, one of the largest owl species in Australia, bringing this rarely seen forest bird into an everyday urban setting. Locals have given it affectionate nicknames that reflect how they personally relate to its bold, looming shape.
The sculpture sits at a busy road junction, so the easiest way to visit is to park at the nearby Belconnen Fresh Food Markets and walk across. There is no entrance fee and the area around the base can be reached on foot at any time of day.
Although the work depicts a nocturnal forest bird, it stands in the middle of a busy urban road junction with no trees nearby. The powerful owl is so rarely seen in the wild that many Australians know it mainly through representations like this one.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
