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Tin Horse Highway

A quirky collection of community creations

Roadside art at its horsey best

Tin Horse Highway is a 15-kilometre stretch of otherwise ordinary road in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region. The ‘highway’ contains an amusing collection of horse-themed outdoor sculptures made from farm junk and other interesting bits. Tin Horse Highway heads east along Kulin-Lake Grace Road from the township of Kulin to Jilakin Rock, home of the annual Kulin Bush Races.

The project began as a community marketing campaign to promote the races, but this living gallery of colourful, quirky characters has since become a unique and much-loved tourist attraction. The humorous antics of the roadside metal creations horsing around, get the cameras clicking and provide some fun entertainment for travellers on their way to Hyden and Wave Rock.

Travel the Tin Horse Highway with Fun Over 50 Holiday

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Physical rating:
3 - Active/Moderate
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Tour duration:
14
days

Join us on an adventure through Western Australia’s stunning landscapes and blooming wildflowers! Start your journey with a visit to the iconic Rottnest Island, home of the friendly quokka. Soak up spectacular views from the Kalbarri Skywalk and West Loop Lookout and pay tribute at the moving HMAS Sydney Memorial. Discover Albany’s rich maritime history with a guided tour of the historic Whaling Station and explore lush Australian wildlife and botanical gardens. This tour entails a perfect blend of natural beauty, history, and adventure.

Outstanding in their field

The Tin Horse Highway is evidence of the imagination, resourcefulness, and humour of the community of Kulin. What started as a cheeky way to promote the area’s annual horse races has become a friendly competition amongst the locals.

While old favourites remain, touched up regularly with a lick of paint, a new scarf or a fancy wig, new creations are being added all the time. There’s a touch of secrecy surrounding new horse creations along with a good deal of one-upmanship, with each one aiming to be bigger, bolder, or just plain funnier than the rest. 

Visitors who travel Tin Horse Highway say it takes a long time to traverse the 15 kilometres as they’re always stopping and starting to get out and take photos of these original creations. One thing is for sure, on Tin Horse Highway, every one of the horsey works of art is outstanding in its field!

A quirky collection of community creations

An idea that has blossomed

Kulin in the mid-90s was a small farming town, three hours east of Perth, that if you blinked, you’d miss. Residents wanted to find a way to draw people to the town for the annual Kulin Bush Races and they quickly embraced the idea of making tin horses. 

Before long, horsey creations made out of 44-gallon drums, scrap metal, tin cans, and farm junk could be seen in the paddocks on the main road leading to the racetrack.

The idea worked and word got out about the ‘Tin Horse Highway’ at Kulin. More farmers and creative locals got on board and over the years the tin horses have popped up throughout the area. 

Some have signage with funny puns, others need no interpretation, and all feature the kind of outback humour that brings either a laugh or a groan. Today, Kulin is probably better known for its tin horses than its racing variety!

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Tin Horse Highway?

The Tin Horse Highway is a 15-kilometre stretch of sealed road that heads from the town of Kulin to Jilakin Rock, home of the annual Kulin Bush Races held on the first weekend in October each year.

Where is Tin Horse Highway?

The small farming town of Kulin is 280 kilometres east of Perth in the eastern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The town is an agricultural centre with a population of around 350 people known for its weekend-long Kulin Bush Races. The main activities of Kulin are wheat and sheep farming… and tin horse building!

How many horses are on Tin Horse Highway?

You can currently spot over 70 tin horses in the paddocks beside Tin Horse Highway, throughout the town of Kulin and along some of the other roads leading to Kulin. New horses are added all the time and the tin horses remain in their paddocks all year ‘round.

Are all the tin horses on Tin Horse Highway?

Whilst the majority of tin horses are found on the Tin Horse Highway, many tin horses have popped up along other roads in the area and throughout Kulin township.

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