Augathella, population 580 and 750km northwest of Brisbane is famed as the “home of the meat ants” – and not much else. That’s something the local Murweh Shire Council would like to change.
With $100,000 of its ratepayers’ money and a similar amount from the Queensland government, Augathella plans to put itself on the tourism map by building a Big Meat Ant in the town.
The latest addition to Australia’s big collection of Big This and Big That would be an attempt to hold tourists in Augathella, said Councillor Cecil Russell.
”It’d be a focal point I guess, for people to pull up in and try and keep them in Augathella a couple of days longer,” Cr. Russell said.
He said the meat ant is not ferocious unlike the green ants and bull ants in the district.
”The meat ants, if you go near their nest, they’ll swarm about, but they don’t actually bite you.”
The town became known as the home of the meat ants after their local football team adopted the name Meat Ants, Cr. Russell said.
As it happens, meat ants are omnivores. So the fruit salad of big bananas, mangoes, pineapples, apples, and oranges may need to worry as well.
At least the Big Bowl in Port Macquarie, the Big Rocking Horse in South Australia, and the Big Boomerangs at Eumundi and Surfers Paradise in Queensland are safe.
Until some council comes up with the Big Termite.
