The Untold Stories Behind our Welcome Sign

14 10 2025

Behind every brand, there are untold stories. In regional Australia, those stories often begin over a couple of beers at the local drinking hole. For Rawnsley Park Station, it all started at the Hawker Bowling Club in 1997 when two mates came together for a chat.

Tony Smith (owner of Rawnsley Park Station) and George Aldridge (well-known local artist, illustrator and cartoonist) were discussing how to develop a logo for Rawnsley Park Station. There were a lot of ideas thrown around: kangaroos, the dramatic profile of the Flinders Ranges, Rawnsley Bluff, Akubra hats, and finally Wedge-tailed eagles.

George was the ideas man; Tony mostly there to provide feedback – usually with a nod or shake of the head. As the creative ideas kept coming, eventually George pitched the idea of a ‘stylised’ Wedge-tailed eagle – its widespread wings representing the ‘freedom and beauty’ of the Flinders Ranges. Tony nodded a few more times, ordered another round and it was ‘job done.’

In the coming week, George experimented with several ideas on what the ‘eagle’ would look like before deciding on the current version that has been proudly incorporated within Rawnsley Park Station’s brand identity as we know it today.

“The Wedge-tailed eagle stands as a proud emblem of Rawnsley Park Station’s connection to the land - a symbol of freedom, strength and the untamed natural beauty of the Flinders Ranges, woven into our brand to reflect the essence of the regional experience that we are proud to protect and share.” – Tony Smith

The majestic entrance sign that welcomes visitors to Rawnsley Park Station was designed by George Aldridge, who created the template using sheets of butchers’ paper taped together. The sign itself was hand-cut from a 2400mm x 1200mm x 10mm sheet of steel by Brenton Hannigan at Hildabilt Engineering in Hawker, using an oxy cutting torch - a method now largely replaced by computer-controlled laser cutting. Once the steel was cut and ground to the satisfaction of both Brenton and George, it was sandblasted and acid-washed to achieve the distinctive rusted finish that visitors see today.

But the stories do not end there. The stone base beneath the entrance sign was sourced from nearby Willow Springs Station and built by Brian Allan (dec.), a former Rawnsley Park Station employee who was tour guiding at the time. He personally collected the stone and constructed the base himself.

The, now iconic, Rawnsley ‘Eagle’ has been photographed by thousands of people visiting the Flinders Ranges. “The Wedge-tailed eagle, a powerful symbol of the Flinders Ranges and one of the highlights of our wildlife experience, proudly features in our brand identity – it has proven to be the best piece of marketing we have ever done.” – says Tony Smith.