Helensburgh NSW 2508
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road
Last updated 7 July 2026
Why did the chicken cross the road… at Bi-Lo?
Because it had flown the coop and was strutting across Walker Street in front of the old Bi-Lo supermarket in Helensburgh town centre. A couple of blokes were on hand to help it to the other side — of the road, that is; not “the other side” (afterlife).
The photo captures a small-town moment that needs no punchline: a black rooster mid-stride on the double lines, two locals watching from either kerb, and the Walker Street shopfronts in the background. Not every story on Helensburgh.com.au involves coal mines, railway tunnels, or century-old parades. Sometimes it is just a chook on the loose in the main street.
Quick facts
Walker Street
Walker Street is Helensburgh’s main shopping strip — supermarkets, cafes, medical centre, and local businesses a short walk from the railway station. In 2013 the Bi-Lo chain still traded in many NSW towns (the brand was later absorbed into Coles). The shopfronts behind the rooster have changed hands since, but Walker Street remains the place where everyday Helensburgh life happens — including the occasional escaped poultry.
A few hundred metres away, Rex Jackson Park hosts the gold-and-black Tigers on match days. The public school on Fletcher Street is just around the corner. It is that kind of town.
Related pages
Photo: Walker Street, Helensburgh — 15 June 2013. © Helensburgh.com.au