In late 1996 Osmand Signs Ltd of Auckland, New Zealand was approached by Auckland graphic designer Len Cobb inquiring if the firm would consider producing a large scale, 4 metre high, 3 dimensional cow for the Kiwi Dairy Company.

The dairy company, one of the largest in New Zealand, was creating an interactive visitor area for the thousands of tourists and New Zealanders interested in the workings of a huge dairy factory.

The sheer number of enquiries to tour the factory had created problems with the smooth running of the plant so a visitor display, encompassing the workings of the factory and the dairy industry in general, seemed a sensible and worthwhile public relations solution to the problem.  Len was one of the principal designers employed to put the idea in to practice.

Osmand Signs, having worked with Len over a period of some 25 years in creating many specialised displays, was his first call.

Osmands have a reputation for completing work different from the normal.

Peter Parata was the partner in charge of the new project.  A scale model of a Friesian cow was obtained from The Friesian Breeders Society and from this 200mm high model, work was begun.

A steel armature was constructed to form the base of the support structure, using scale model aircraft techniques a series of reinforcing steel rod profiles were welded to the base armature to form a perpendicular detailed profile.  Then horizontal rods were welded to form a complete profile and covered with plastic film and masking tape to form a base for the application of two mix expanding foam.  The Foam was sprayed freehand to develop the cow' s shape by "eye".

Some experimental shaping was attempted and the final spraying of the foam base was then completed.

With the shape of the cow sprayed slightly oversize the shape was carved with knives, surform and electric grinder and finally sanded.  Body putty was used to complete the final finish.

The finished foam shape was then fibre glassed by subcontractors, Heritage Marine and returned to Osmands for finishing.

The cow was painted with semi-gloss epoxy paints to simulate the texture of skin and hair, the eyes were painted with high gloss paint which gave a natural wet look and created highlights as one moved past the cow.

Lifting bolts had been fixed to the cow's spine to aid with lifting during transportation.  These were removed and plugged when the cow finally reached the Kiwi Dairy Company’s Dairyland Visitors centre at Hawera in Taranaki, some 6hrs driving time from Auckland.

The cow was erected on a concrete plinth outside the visitor’s centre at Hawera.  The wooden sign was created from laminated exterior pine.  Lettering routed and filled with polyurethane paint after a special undercoating process.

The Dairylands cow was entered in the New Zealand sign and Display Association's Sign Awards competition in 1997 and was awarded a silver medal.

But the tale continues, in 1999 New Zealand Post produced a stamp issue of town icons consisting of 10 stamps with icons best representing each town.  The people of Hawera selected the Dairylands cow as the icon for their town.

At Osmand Signs Peter Parata, Steve Foster and Keith Ellis, assisted by other staff members completed work on the cow.