Big things (Australia)

Giant Pineapple, Nambour, Queensland

Locations of many of Australia's Big Things

The Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures representing much smaller objects which pertain to the area in which they are located. Each one is individual and constructed without reference to any of the others, but together they have certain things in common and are collectively known as Australia's Big Things. For example, the first Big Thing was the Big Banana built in 1964 in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, but now there are over sixty similar objects around the country.

To qualify as a "Big Thing", a structure must obey the following "formula":

• At least twice the size of the object it represents.
• At least twice human size.
• Dominant and accessible.
• Lifelike quality of construction.
• Enterprising and/or locally representative.

The Big Things have become something of a cult phenomenon, and are sometimes used as an excuse for a road trip, where many or all Big Things are visited and used as a backdrop to a group photograph.

The ABC produced a documentary titled "Big Things" as part of its programme The Big Picture.

List of Big Things

A.C.T.

• The Big Mushroom, Belconnen - 4m x 8m

New South Wales

The Big Trout in Adaminaby

The Big Merino, Goulburn, New South Wales

• Big Ant at Broken Hill, New South Wales
• Big Apple at Batlow, New South Wales
• Big Avocado at Byron Bay, New South Wales
• The Big Axe, Kew
• Big Ayres Rock at Karuah, New South Wales
• The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour - 11m x 2m
• Big Bottle at Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales and Pokolbin, New South Wales
• Big Bowl at Port Macquarie, New South Wales
• The Big Bull, Wauchope - 14m x 21m
• The Big Cheese at Bodalla, New South Wales
• The Big Cherries, Young - 2m x 4m
• The Big Chook, Mt Vernon - 4m x 4m
• The Big Gold Panner, Bathurst - 5m x 3m
• The Big Golden Guitar, Tamworth - 12m x 4m
• The Big Merino, Goulburn - 15m x 18m
• The Big Mosquito, Hexham
• The Big Murray Cod, Tocumwal - 2m x 7m
• Big Orange at Tenterfield, New South Wales
• The Big Oyster, Taree - 4m x 12m
• The Big Playable Guitar, Narrandera - 6m x 2m
• The Big Potato, Robertson
• The Big Prawn, Ballina - 6m x 9m
• Big Rock at Barrington Tops, New South Wales
• The Big Trout, Adaminaby - 10m x 3m
• The Big Trout, Oberon
• Big Windmill at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
• The Big Wine Bottle, Pokolbin (Hunter Valley) - 6m x 2m
• The Big Wine Cask, Wentworth - 6m x 8m
• Big Yabby at Ballina, New South Wales

Northern Territory

• The Big Boxing Crocodile, Humpty Doo - 8m x 8m
• The Big Stockwhip, Acacia - 7m x 10m

Queensland

• The Big Apple, Stanthorpe - 4m x 3m
• The Big Barramundi, Normanton - 6m x 2m
• The Big Barramundi, Daintree - 6m x 2m
• Big Bottle at Bundaberg, Queensland,
• Big Bull at Rockhampton, Queensland
• The Big Captain Cook, Cairns - 7m x 2m
• The Big Cassowary, Mission Beach - 5m x 5m
• The Big Cow, Nambour - 6m x 10m
• The Big Dinosaur, Ballandean
• The Big Gumboot, Tully - 8m x 6m
• The Big Hard Rock Guitar, Surfer's Paradise - 10m x 3m
• The Big Macadamia nut, Nambour - 5m x 10m
• The Big Mandarin, Mundubbera - 11m x 15m
• The Big Mango, Bowen - 12m x 8m
• The Big Marlin, Cairns - 8m x 2m
• The Big Ned Kelly, Maryborough - 8m x 2m
• The Big Paperclip, West End, Brisbane - 3m x 2m
• Big Peanut at North Tolga, Queensland
• The Big Pineapple, Nambour - 16m x 6m
• The Big Redback, Brisbane - 3m x 3m
• The Big Rum Bottle, Bundaberg - 6m x 1m
• The Big Shell, Tewantin - 3m x 1m
• The Big Stubby, Tewantin - 9m x 4m

South Australia

• The Big Galah, Kimba - 6m x 2m
• The Big Lobster, Kingston SE - 17m x 15m
• The Big Miner, Kapunda - 8m x 2m
• The Big Orange, Berri - 15m x 12m
• The Big Ram (male sheep), Karoonda 2 m x 3 m
• The Big Rocking horse, Gumeracha - 18m x 17m
• The Big Roo, Border Village - 5m x 2m
• The Big Scotsman, Medindie (Adelaide) - 5m x 1m
• The Big Winch, Coober Pedy - 8m x 5m

Tasmania

• The Big Penguin, Penguin - 3m x 1m
• The Big Tasmanian Devil, Mole Creek - 2m x 3m

Victoria

• Big Apple at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
• Big Abalone at Laverton North, Victoria
• The Big Murray Cod, Swan Hill - 3m x 9m
• The Giant Ned Kelly, Glenrowan - 6m x 2m
• The Big Pheasant, Tynong - 8m x 17m
• The World's Largest Rolling pin, Wodonga
• The Big Worm, Bass - 250m x 4m
• The Big Woolbales, Hamilton - 3m x 12m
• The Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge - 14m x 8m
• The Big Watermellon, Wantirna South

Western Australia

Big Ram at Wagin

• Big Apple at Donnybrook 7m x 4m
• The Big Banana, Carnarvon - 6m x 1m
• The Big Crocodile, Wyndham - 3m x 18m
• The Big Orange Harvey - 2m in Diameter
• The Big Ram, Wagin - 8m x 10m

See also

• List of World's Largest Roadside Attractions
• Dunedoo, New South Wales, which decided against "The Big Dunny"

External links

• ABC Online - Friends, Family and Big Things - photographs of Australian Big Things, including lesser known examples
• - Glenn Industries - the company responsible for building many Big Things
• - Accommodation - to see the big things!