Dinosaur ants (Nothomyrmecia macrops) were discovered in Poochera in 1977 by Australian entomologist Dr Robert Taylor. Before that the species was thought to be extinct.

Mrs Quinn has tirelessly campaigned to build a sculpture of Poochera’s famous insect inhabitants.

“I was raising money for it and virtually organising the project on my own,” she said.

“Liz Davis was helping me with letters and talking about it with the community.”

The sculpture will cost $10,000, and Mrs Quinn has so far raised 60 per cent of the funds through cash donations.

She hopes the monument will attract more tourists She has already received generous donations and support from locals and travellers.

She has collected over $1000 in change from a jar at the Poochera Roadhouse.

Mrs Quinn considered applying for a grant, but this turned out to be impractical as she’d already started fundraising.

She started the project with prompting from Melbourne sculptor Les Futo, who was visiting Mrs Quinn’s roadhouse.

Mr Futo was unable to take the job, but introduced Mrs Quinn to his fellow sculptors David Waters and Alex Sanson.

Waters and Sanson corresponded with Mrs Quinn on the project.

With the framework for the ant made, the next step is to cover it in wire mesh and plaster on a polymer mixture of resin and concrete.

Mrs Quinn hopes to involve students from Karcultaby Area School in finishing the ant, and would like them to watch or assist when the wire is attached to the frame.

Mrs Quinn wants to include other locals in the project, and says residents will help prepare the footings and rocks for the ant’s resting place.

She says that as yet there is no fixed date for the ant’s completion, but it will only take a week to finish once Mr Waters comes over from Melbourne.

She anticipates the sculpture will be finished by the end of November.