Gnomesville

Lawn gnomes are a classic symbol of kitschy yard decorations, but most people are content to have just one of the little creatures posted up in their yards. Australia’s Gnomesville, a collection of thousands of weird little statuettes set up on a roundabout is a whole different beast entirely.

The community of silent dwarves actually began as a whimsical protest some 20 years ago. As the Gnomesville website explains, a small bit of land in Ferguson Valley was annexed by the local government to create a roundabout. Despite an outcry from the nearby residents, the roundabout was installed, and tensions simmered. Then at some point, a gnome appeared. At first, there was just one in a tree hollow, but after a few months, there were around 20. The collection continued to grow as visitors and locals alike came and dropped off their own little statues.

In the decades since their first appearance the army of gnomes had exploded into the thousands. For a time, theft and vandalism stunted the growth of the little population, but today the site is fairly well respected and continues to grow as people bring their own gnomes to add to the community.

There are so many gnomes now in Gnomesville, that in some spots they are even grouped up into little neighborhoods, where gnomes of the same color or attitude are placed together. Visit Gnomesville, but be sure to bring a new resident.