Not many people have heard of Wellington Mill or Dardanup, tiny towns south of Perth on the great island continent of Australia. That was, anyway, until a group of gnomes decided to take up residence here and capture the imagination of people all over the world!

It’s a mystery how Gnomesville originally began. Some rumors say that a gnome-repairwoman started the trend to decorate a section of road, while others believe that a gnome was left behind to “stand guard” at a dangerous traffic intersection. Originally seen as a form of protest art, it’s much more of a tourist attraction today. There have been over 7,000 gnomes that call Gnomesville home, and this population is growing by the day.

The gnomes’ population grew so much that they threatened to distract drivers passing by. But they were promptly moved back a bit to habitats for everyone’s safety. Just like any population center, there are good gnomes and bad gnomes here. Some play professional football, others are partying, some are flying planes, and a few are being punished in a fenced-in detention center.

It’s a surreal and blissful spectacle full of bad puns (E.T. phone gnome!), political advocacy, and pure silliness. Gnomesville has been around since the 1990s and has suffered from floods, storms, and vandalism. But the resilient gnomes have persevered, and new ones are being added to the collection by local and international visitors. Meanwhile, local news stations and bloggers from the region continue to cover the happenings at Gnomesville with a sense of wonder and childlike enthusiasm.

Gnomesville is located on the Eastern Junction Roundabout of Wellington Mill Road and Ferguson Road in Wellington Mill, Western Australia 6236. I have yet to travel to Australia and see Gnomesville for myself, but I hope to in the near future! In the meantime, you can keep up with what the red-hatted ones are doing by following their website and Facebook page.

If you’ve visited the gnomes of Gnomesville, please share your thoughts and photos with us!