We got in a trip before the school holidays ended, a few days in a country town at a slow pace. The first stop was Shepparton, which is billed as the cow town, and the plan was a cow treasure hunt.
Cow sculptures hunting
Colourful painted cows are all over the town. Our kid treated it like opening blind boxes. He was excited the whole way along and couldn’t stop looking for the next one.
There are more than 90 cow sculptures around Shepparton, and they’re real cow size. Each one was painted as its own design by a different artist. The styles go from cute and funny to abstract and avant-garde.
They stand in the streets, in parks, in front of shops and in other public spaces. They get moved to new spots every so often, not on a fixed schedule, so the whole town works like an open-air art exhibition that keeps changing.
Monash Park
The cows are most concentrated in Monash Park, which people call the cow park. In bright sunshine they’re especially eye-catching.
Why does Shepparton have so many cows?
Shepparton and the Goulburn Valley are one of Australia’s main dairy regions, and a big share of the dairy is exported. The cows are a tribute to that dairy industry.
The cows themselves
Each one is a 1:1 scale 3D fibreglass cow. Local and emerging artists are invited to paint and decorate them. Under each sculpture there’s a number and a QR code, and if you scan it you get the story behind that cow. They’re moved to new locations on a regular basis.
Why it’s called Moooving Art
Because the cows keep moving, the project is called Moooving Art, which mixes moving with a moo.
The map
What makes it more fun is that the organisers made an interactive map that shows each cow’s latest location. The cows stand next to the landmark public buildings and attractions in Shepparton and the area around it, so finding them is a treasure hunt in itself. Tick off the cows and you’ve also ticked off the landmarks most worth seeing in the region. The map is on the Shepparton & Goulburn Valley Moooving Art page.
There’s a Wally the cow too!
Good to know
You can pat the cows, but be gentle and don’t climb on them. Because they get moved around, check the map before you go if there’s a particular one you want to find.
Shepparton is in Victoria, about 175 km north of Melbourne.
More Victoria days out: Bayswater’s red steam train playground and the Mill Park all-abilities play space.