The big objects around Australia that you have probably never heard of
The big thumbs up, in Scottsdale, Tasmania, one of the many lesser known big objects. Photo: Australian Pictorials.

The big objects around Australia that you have probably never heard of

Even before selfies were invented people have been visiting Australia’s iconic metal and fibreglass ‘big things’ to make boring roadtrips bearable.

They’re kitschy and fun and most of them have been built to encourage drivers to spend money in small towns.

Blogger Jacqui Kennedy estimates she has seen nearly 220 big things on her journey around Australia, and apparently there are still more out there.

Most of us are familiar with the big pineapple, the big banana or the big prawn, but what about less marketable big things like the big nut and bolt?

Here are some of Australia’s big things that haven’t been quite big enough to make it onto most of our     travel radars.

The big potato, Robertson, NSW

The Big Potato. Photo: tripadvisor.com. The Big Potato. Photo: tripadvisor.com.

Some of Australia’s ‘big things’ are impressive sculptural works of art. The big potato in Robertson, is not.

The 10-metre long, four-metre wide lump is also affectionately known as ‘the big turd’. It was almost sold (possibly to be turned into giant chips) until a local purchased the block of land to save it.

The big thumbs up, Scottsdale, Tasmania

The big thumbs up. Photo: Australian Pictorials. The big thumbs up. Photo: Australian Pictorials.

The big thumbs up in Scottsdale, in Tasmania’s north east, may be one of the smaller entrants to the big things list but it’s also one of the friendliest.

With a sign that says “G’day mate, welcome to Scottsdale” why wouldn’t you want to stop in the town.

The big dead fish, Fishy Creek, Victoria

The big dead fish, Fishy Creek Victoria. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. The big dead fish, Fishy Creek, Victoria. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The big dead fish isn’t the only huge fibreglass fish in Australia. There’s also the big rainbow trout and the big murray cod, but this one is unique for making a point of being dead.

With its eyes closed, the somewhat-morbid big dead fish lies on its side on the roof of the Fishy Pub in Fish Creek, Victoria, about 2.5 hours away from Melbourne.

The world’s tallest bin, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

The world’s tallest bin, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: photo: Keep Australia Beautiful The world’s tallest bin, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: Photo: Keep Australia Beautiful

At eight metres high, the world’s tallest bin in Kalgoorlie sure makes your red and yellow wheelie bins look pretty inferior.

According to local History and Archives Development Officer Tim Moore, the bin was taken out in 1980 by the Keep Kalgoorlie Klean Kommittee for the Tidy Towns competition, and painted by school children.

The big stockwhip, Acacia, Northern Territory 

The big stockwhip, Acacia, NT Photo: mickswhips.com.au. The big stockwhip, Acacia, NT. Photo: mickswhips.com.au.

The Northern Territory doesn’t have as many ‘big things’ as other states, but it does have a seven-metre high big stockwhip. 

It forms the gate to Mick’s Whips, in Acacia Hills, 60 kilometres south of Darwin, a whip store where you can also view a whip cracking demonstration.  It doesn’t get much more Australian than that. 

The big deckchair, Winton, Queensland

The world's biggest deckchair. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. The world’s biggest deckchair. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The big deckchair is seven times the size of a normal deckchair, and purports to be the world’s biggest.

The chair was originally built by the Free Masons Taskforce of Victoria, who were at a loss for what to do with the chair after an event and decided it would fit in at Winton’s deckchair theatre.

Big bolt and nut, Roma, Queensland

big_bolt_and_nut-800x534 Big bolt and nut, Roma, Queensland. Photo: Tripbucket

The gold big bolt and nut is located in front of Banks Bolts and Fasteners in Roma, acting as a none-too-subtle advertisement. 

Roma is a two-big-thing town, also home to the 30-metre high ‘Big Rig’ monument to the oil industry.

The big rabbit trap, Albert, NSW

The big rabbit trap, Albert, NSW The big rabbit trap, Albert NSW. Photo: facebook/ Hop on Into "The Rabbit Trap Hotel". The big rabbit trap, Albert, NSW. Photo: Facebook/ Hop on Into “The Rabbit Trap Hotel”.

Albert does not have a very big population but it does have an enormous rabbit trap which was unveiled in 2010.

The 9.5-metre wide and 3-metre high trap is mounted on top of the pub, usually the spiritual and physical heart of any country town.

The big miner’s lamp, Lithgow, NSW

2744011008_f4effda15f_b The big miner’s lamp, Lithgow, NSW. Photo: Pinterest.

The big miners’ lamp was the brainchild of a creative local Snow Vanderbelden as one of the more unique ways to recognise Australia’s coal mining industry.

It’s attached to the Lithgow tourist information centre and is one of the few big things that you can walk inside of.

The big wombat, Bookabie, South Australia

The big wombat, Bookabie. Photo: Facebook. The big wombat, Bookabie, South Australia. Photo: Facebook.

The big wombat lives above ground in Scotdesco, a small Aboriginal community near Bookabie, which is, not surprisingly, an area with a high population of wombats.

The wombat was a group effort by locals and finished in 2013. 

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