Australians are a quirky bunch. We claim Vegemite as a national dish, have incorporated slang words into our everyday vocabulary (favourites include arvo, crack the shits and heaps good) and enjoy drinking beer from shoes. We also have a weird obsession with Big Things, as evidenced by the number of large statues and monuments sprinkled across the country.
Officially known as “shire promotional grotesques,” these gigantic outdoor sculptures are usually erected with tourism in mind, with many country towns hoping to cash in on Australia’s obsession with oversized objects and encourage more people to visit.
Also Read: The Best Pubs on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula
There are more than 150 ‘big things’ across the country, with South Australia home to some of the wackiest you will ever encounter. Mainly found in small towns dotted around the state, these impressive creations have become fun tourist attractions, with people ticking them off on their list of things to see when travelling the state.
Below is a guide to South Australia’s most prominent Big Things worth checking out.
The Big Lobster
Kingston
One of the most well-known Big Things not only in SA but Australia-wide is the Big Lobster. Found in Kingston, a popular area where lobster fishing is one of the main industries, the Big Lobster was built in 1979 to attract people to the local visitor centre and restaurant the creation sits in front of.
Locally known as Larry, the rumour has it the 17-metre-high lobster was only meant to be 17 feet high, but someone misread the design plans. The steel and fibreglass lobster was designed and built by Paul Kelly for businessmen Ian Backler and Rob Moyse as a way to spark tourism in Kingston.
Larry took a few hits over the years and was on the verge of being destroyed until a fundraising campaign backed by radio duo Hamish and Andy in 2016 helped restore Larry to his former glory.
The restaurant, Janet’s Takeaway, also got an upgrade and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner meals, including a wide array of seafood and standard pub grub.
The Big Rocking Horse
Gumeracha
Just a short drive from the northern suburbs, the Big Rocking Horse is the largest of its kind in the world. Designed by David McIntosh, it is part of a large complex that includes a wooden toy factory, wildlife park and café.
Wal Wilkinson opened the toy factory in 1973 and was looking for ways to attract more customers and had the idea of building a towering rocking horse. Construction started in 1980 and was finished a year later, with the Big Rocking Horse standing 18 metres tall and weighing roughly 25 tonnes.
Unlike many other Big Things, you can actually climb the Big Rocking Horse. The top of the structure gives great views of the Adelaide Hills and upon your descent, you receive a certificate commemorating your climb.
The Big Orange
Berri
The Big Orange is an impressive 15 meters high with a diameter of 12 metres. Sitting on the outskirts of Berri in South Australia’s Riverland, it’s the biggest of the “big fruit” found in Australia and cost a reported $140,000 to build.
Opened in 1980, visitors could take the stairs to the top of the orange and look out on the surrounding area. The Big Orange also contained a 360-degree mural on the inside, a café, a souvenir shop and a function room.
Sadly, the Big Orange is no longer open to the public these days. While ownership has changed hands several times throughout the 00s, attempts to renovate and re-open the Big Orange have come to nothing.
The most recent building application came about in 2023, with current owner Fred Vallelonga applying to transform the Big Orange into a brewery, distillery and restaurant. Nothing has come to fruition yet, but you can still take a picture of the Big Orange from the road.
The Big Oyster
Ceduna
Ceduna is a coastal town known as the gateway to the Nullarbor with an economy built on aquaculture and tourism. It’s estimated around 250,000 cars pass through the town annually, with many of them stopping at the information booth on the Eyre Highway just outside of town to take a photo of the Big Oyster.
Crafted by Leon Veerhuis out of ferro-concrete, it was part of a float for the local Oyster festival. It was eventually retired and turned into a tourist attraction.
At the tail end of 2022, the Big Oyster was taken away to be repaired and it is yet to be returned to its resting place, but if driving through Ceduna the nearby fish and chip shop is tops.
The Big Hat
Cradock
Why is there a Big Hat sitting atop a steel frame in Cradock Wildlife Park? Nobody knows, but it sure makes for an interesting attraction.
The Big Hat can be viewed from the Cradock Hotel, so you can sink a few froths while gazing at the Big Thing and trying to work out why the hell somebody decided to put a large hat in the middle of nowhere.
Surprisingly, it’s not the only Big Hat in Australia, with the Big Scout Hat located in Cairns.
The Big Miner, aka Map the Miner
Kapunda
Built by Ben van Zetten, the Big Miner is a seven-metre-tall statue erected in the country town of Kapunda to commemorate the Cornish mining history of the area. The Kapunda copper mine was the first successful metal mine in Australia, running from 1844 to 1878.
The original statue, made from fibreglass, was destroyed in a fire in 2006. Insured for $140,000, van Zetten and artist Lawry Love Grima were able to use the money to rebuild Map the Miner, this time from bronze, making it much more resistant to flames.
The Big Galah
Kimba
This colourful statue was built in 1993 and modelled after the local galahs that gather in the area. Taking 18 months to complete, the Big Galah was the brainchild of Robert and Diane Venning, who were looking for a way to attract more people to their Halfway Across Australia Tourist Shop.
Standing eight metres tall, the Big Galah weighs around two tonnes. Having recently undergone a facelift in 2021, the statue has been repainted in bright pink and grey tones and features indigenous symbols on the Galah’s chest.
The Big Hills Hoist
O’Sullivan Beach
The Hills Hoist is an Australian icon developed by World War II vet Lance Hill in 1945. After arriving back in Oz after the war, Hill set about creating a space-conscious clothesline, based on designs created by Gilbert Toyne, whose patents had lapsed. The Hills Hoist went on to become a massive hit and made Hill millions while Gilbert faded into obscurity.
As a tribute to South Aussie Hill, a Big Hills Hoist was erected on a patch of grassland at O’Sullivan Beach. There’s not much more information about this Big Thing, although it’s worth checking out if you find yourself down south.
The Big Ant
Poochera
With a population of 59 according to the 2016 Census, it’s safe to say there aren’t a lot of people stopping in Poochera. But if you do happen to find yourself driving through the small town on the Eyre Peninsula, do yourself a favour and visit the Big Ant.
Why a Big Ant? Well, it turns out Poochera is home to a rare species of ant called Nothomyrmecia macrops, commonly referred to as the dinosaur ant. These ants date back over 70 million years, with the building of the Big Ant done in hopes of attracting both tourists and biologists.
Things haven’t panned out the way the townsfolk had hoped since the statue was erected in 2008. Tourism hasn’t improved and the Poochera Roadhouse where the Big Ant is situated closed, with residents wanting the Ant moved to the town centre in hopes of attracting visitors.
The Big Whale
Nullarbor
One of the great Australian road trips is cruising down the Eyre Highway across South Australia’s Nullarbor Plain before crossing into Western Australia and heading towards Perth. There’s not much to see along the journey, so we recommend stopping at the Nullarbor Roadhouse and visiting the Big Whale.
Although not much bigger than a full-sized 4×4, the Big Whale has undergone several upgrades over the year, with the current version looking quite life-like.
There’s no explanation for the Big Whale’s existence, but considering the nearby Fowlers Bay is a top spot for whale watching, it makes sense the Nullarbor Roadhouse would try and cash in by building this statue.
The Big Thongs
Elliston
The Big Thongs are just one of several interesting statues found along the Elliston Coastal Trail. Witness the waves roll in as you traverse the coastal clifftops and take in the unique monuments, including the Big Thongs.
Designed by Todd Romanowycz, the Big Thongs won the District Council of Elliston sculpture competition and are one of the more unique statues on the trail.
Interestingly, there is another pair of Big Thongs found in the town of Calen, just north of Mackay, Queensland. Built from conveyor belt rubber, these Big Thongs were crafted to help increase tourism to Calen.
The Big Olive
Tailem Bend
Although it’s known as the Big Olive, there are actually two olive statues that make up this tourist attraction at the Big Olive processing plant. The black and green olives are made from fibreglass, stand eight metres tall and weigh around one tonne.
The Big Olive was built in 2005 and became involved in a scandal when current affairs program Today Tonight exposed The Newell Group, who owned the olive oil plant, for selling expired oil not fit for human consumption.
The plant is now closed, with the Big Olive left to fend for itself behind a barbed wire-topped fence.
Other Notable Big Things in South Australia
- The Big Winch, Coober Pedy
- The Big Windmill, Penong
- The Big Kangaroo, Border Village
- The Big Bee, Kingscote
- The Big Wombat, Bookabie
- The Big Goanna, Coober Pedy
- The Big Apple, Balhannah
- The Big Scotsman, Medindie
- The Big Cockroach, Lower Light
- The Big Cherries, Pages Flat
- The Big Yabby, Clayton
- The Big Dice, Barrier Highway
