14 DAY TRIAL // The phrase Big Things of Australia refers to a set of large structures that are placed all around the country and that have generated something like a cult phenomenon in the area. Some of these structures are oversized buildings with innovative architecture, while others are imposing sculptures.
It seems that more than 150 such objects can be found around the country. They began to be commissioned since the 1960s by rural towns. The first to be built was the Big Scotsman in Medindie, Adelaide, which was erected in 1963. Every state in Australia has at least one such Big Thing.
The alleged theft of the Big Mango in Queensland has brought the Big Things of Australia into the spotlight. This recent robbery is believed to be just a huge hoax, but in some way, it reflects the respect for the large assemblages that popped up mostly in the rural areas of Australia.
Most Big Things began as tourist attractions placed on major roads, but they quickly turned into a cult phenomenon and they are now regarded by locals as “our pyramids, our temples,” as described by artist Reg Mombassa.
“Because European settlement was so recent, Australia doesn't have historic old buildings like in other countries and the Big Things are a way of saying ‘we're here, this is our place,’” said Mombassa, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
In 2007, the artist painted his favorite Big Things for a collection of stamps commissioned by Australia Post. He says that the structures are works of folk art and considers them as landmarks for the country.
“You look at the Big Merino (a sheep in Goulburn weighing almost 100 tonnes) where they've recreated the texture of the wool in concrete. Or the Golden Guitar, that's a beautiful-looking guitar,” he says.
The 96-tonne, 15-metre (49.2-foot) high, 18-metre (59-foot) long cement sculpture mentioned by Mombassa is located in Goulbourn, southern New South Wales.
Among the gaudy structures, we can also mention the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, which is about 13-metre (43-foot) long, the Big Trout at Adaminaby and the Big Gumboot, an oversized wellington that can be seen in Queensland.
Earlier this year, the Queensland authorities included the Big Pineapple on its heritage register, classifying it as one of the state's most important historic and cultural buildings.
Check out the photos included below to see more of Australia's Big Things.
