The big things of Australia are large structures, some of which are

novelty architecture Novelty architecture, also called programmatic architecture or mimetic architecture, is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes for purposes such as advertising or to copy other famous buildings w ...

and some are

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

s. There are estimated to be over 230 such objects around the country. There are big things in every state and territory in continental Australia. Most big things began as

tourist trap A tourist trap is an establishment (or group of establishments) that has been created or re-purposed with the aim of attracting tourists and their money. Tourist traps will typically provide overpriced services, entertainment, food, souveni ...

s found along major roads between destinations. 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. Many of the big things are considered works of

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative. The makers of folk art are typically tr ...

and have been heritage-listed, though others have come under threat of demolition.

List of big things (by state or territory)

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

In popular culture

*The London production of '' Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: the Musical'' references the Big Prawn, Big Merino, Big Pineapple and the Big Banana. * The ABC produced a documentary titled ''Big Things'' as part of its program ''The Big Picture''. * The National Museum in Canberra has a comprehensive multimedia exhibit displaying many big things. * In 2007 Australia Post issued a set of 50c postage stamps by

Reg Mombassa Christopher O'Doherty, also known by the pseudonym Reg Mombassa, is a New Zealand-born Australian artist and musician. He is a founding member of the band Mental As Anything and member of Dog Trumpet (alongside his brother Peter O'Doherty). Ea ...

, commemorating five of the most iconic big things: ** The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour (NSW) ** The Big Golden Guitar at Tamworth (NSW) ** The Big Lobster at Kingston SE (SA) ** The Big Merino at Goulburn (NSW) ** The Big Pineapple at Nambour (QLD) * Danny Wallace mentions Australia's big things in his book ''Yes Man''. * Travel writer

Bill Bryson William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...

details his visit to the Big Lobster and the Big Bull in his book ''

Down Under The term ''Down Under'' is a colloquialism which is differently construed to refer to Australia and New Zealand, or Pacific Island countries collectively.Oxford English Dictionary (Electronic), Version 4.0, entry fordown under. The dictionary r ...

/ In a Sunburned Country'' * In the Australian comedy film ''

Young Einstein ''Young Einstein'' is a 1988 Australian comedy film written, produced, directed by and starring Yahoo Serious. It is a fantasized account of the life of Albert Einstein which alters all people, places and circumstances of his life, including r ...

'', when the titular character books into a hotel, the desk clerk asks if he's "Here to see the Big Bed?" * English stand-up comedian

Ross Noble Ross Markham Noble (born 5 June 1976) is an English stand-up comedian and actor. Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on panel shows such as '' Have I Got News for You' ...

visited many of Australia's big things during his 2009 tour Ross Noble's Australian Trip. * Australian comedians The Listies categorise Australian's big things in their comedy dictionary, Ickypedia as "Enbigenating".

References

General references

* * Scutt, Craig. ''The Little Book of Big Aussie Icons''. Five Mile Press. . * Clarke, Amy (2017)
"Australia's 'Big' problem – what to do with our ageing super-sized statues?"
''The Conversation (Australia)''. 19 September 2017. * Clarke, Amy (2017)
"Australia's Big Dilemma: Regional/National Identities, Heritage Listing and Big Things."
''Quotation: Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand'', edited by Gervork Hartoonian and John Ting, p. 46–56. University of Canberra. .

Specific references and notes

External links

{{wikivoyage, Big Things of Australia

Postie Notes.
Map of big things
* ttps://bigthingsofaustralia.com/ Big Things of Australia Novelty buildings in Australia Outdoor sculptures in Australia Roadside attractions

Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

Lists of public art in Australia