The Big Galah

Is the perfect big-thing. This is what happens when a town gets together and puts their mind to it. Correct size, correct colours, fantastic idea, and a true tribute to the town which is "half way across Australia" (looks a little too far to the right on a map to me). This was made by the locals who had never made a big thing in their lives before, probably never drawn one either, but hats-off people of Kimba, we salute you.

7/10

No idea.

The Big Park Bench

Whilst technically not a proper big-thing, more of a sculpture, it probably ranks as number one on our books, as it is so interactive.

The idea is you sit on it to make yourself feel like a child again. It works, I felt like watching BJ and the Bear, and nicking my fathers Craven-A's. People of Broken Hill we salute you as being the Heppest town in New South Wales without a doubt.

4/10

Lots/10

The Big Lobster

Has been made world famous by Bill Bryson, in his travel book Down Under. Funny stuff.

Here our intrepid 'Big Thing' scout Smokin' Lachie Clark shows how big the big Lobbie is, especially as he's seventeen feet tall himself.

We Have it on good authority that the locals call him "Larry" (The lobster, that is, not Smokin' Lach) which is weird could as we thought he was a chick. Sorry Larry.

8/10

7/10

The Big Trout

Is at the entrance to the new town of Adamimiby.

A bit of Local history here: Adaminaby was moved brick-by-brick from it's original location, to it's current one in the 1950s, due to the fact that the original site was flooded. The reason for this was due to one the icons of the 1950s- The Snowy Mountains Scheme.

The snowy was damned and Lake Eucumbene was formed. Rumour has it that the reason that Adaminaby is not situated right on Lake Eucumbene, is that the locals worried that the mosquitos would be too bad. Shame.

However, Adaminaby is a Mecca for trout fishing, which is one of the finest ways of needing an excuse to drink beer there is.

The Snowy Mountains area rarely disappoints, and Adaminaby is no different. After Stopping in at the Snow Goose Hotel for a lazy dozen, the Big Trout seems even more impressive, due to it's use of fine chicken wire, and awesome paint-job. It's pretty big too.

You can pick up many fine souvenirs at the Newsagent too.
Anyway, here is Jeremy 'Bin' Lagan, and yours truly giving the thumbs up to the Big Trout, and Below intrepid LFC scout Juliet MacKenzie shows us that a 'Big Thing' can sometimes be trained just like a dolphin.

6/10

9/10

The Big Merino

Is what life in a hep town is all about? Goulburn and the Big Merino (‘Rambo’ to the locals) are synonymous, and it would be hard to imagine one without the other.

The Legend Feel Co. followers were thrown into turmoil when in 1997 the Vienna World, housed in the adjoining BP closed down. There are still to this day men in Lederhosen wandering the streets in shock and despair "Vere ze fuck are vee gonta eet now".
Since the Hume Highway by-passed Goulburn (about twenty years ago!) the locals got drunk one night and moved Rambo a few clicks down the road closer to the highway. Not sure why, you still can’t see it from the highway (or at least I can’t).

You can pick up many fine souvenirs too, and on permanent display is a Golden Fleece Bowser-Ram.

Anyone will tell you this but attached to the Big Merino is in fact The Great Love-spuds, as the Merino is quite well endowed in the fondle-berry department.

By the way, Goulburn does have some pretty hep cafés; the Blue & White has gone, but the Paragon still stands -- The best café in New South Wales after the Central in Queanbeyan.

9/10

12/10

The Big Ned Kelly

Jonathan Podborsek, another Legend Feel Co scout has been trekking over this vast, flat, brown land of ours and has stumbled across one of the Jewels-in-the-crown of Big things, the big Ned Kelly.

One of the most confusing, misunderstood, misreported, not to mention misrepresented Australian characters has at last been given a descent tribute. Well if you consider the shocking Peter Carey novel, and that completely shit film with Heath Ledger, then this would be the first time Ned Kelly has probably not spun in his grave over recent years.

Question? If all children who were born in Australia had developed an instant Australian accent (from nowhere), a phenomenon recorded by historians on the ground in 1788, not to mention Robert Hughes and Manning Clark, then why do filmmakers give Ned Kelly a FUCKING IRISH ACCENT?

He would have had a bloody Australian accent like everyone else. Maybe they just couldn't understand him through the helmet.

Anyway, go see the big-Ned in Glenrowan, Victoria, Jonathan obviously gives it the thumbs-up, Incidentally Jonathan is standing where Ned was shot by the police, right in the legs, Wouldn't happen in Victoria these days, no-sir-ee.

7/10

10/10

The Big Potato.

Here Malcolm McKernan, Rock'n'Roll God, and legend of the highest order, is pictured here with another one of his Rock'n'Roll conquests The Big Potato! (The babe is his fiancé, Lyndall, probably not one to appreciate being called a "Rock'n'Roll conquest", remind me to re-write this later).

The Big potato is affectionately known to as the "Big Pooh", due to its obvious similarity to a bum-spud, although the colour might have something to do with its ambiguity.

It looks like fairly strong concrete-render, and not a bad big-thing at all, however, it could have been a little-bit more potato-ish, which is why the Legend Feel Co. give the people of Robertson NSW...

5/10

6/10

The Big Penguin.

As if being nominated for triple-j hottest 100, and marring afore-mentioned babe Lyndall, Malcolm McKernan manages to travel the globe (Tasmania) on the never-ending search for all things-big.

Here in Penguin Tasmania, they have a big Penguin (OK it would have been pretty left-field to have a big doughnut I suppose). During Christmas, they even don it in Santa attire, which as far as I know is the first ever big thing seasonal range (unless the big Ned Kelly gets to sport board-shorts during the hot summer months). Someone's been busy with a sewing machine, unless they nicked it off Laurie-Oaks.

3/10

7/10

The Big Oyster.

You have to hand it to Malcolm. He’s been up north this time and found himself in Taree, New South Wales, and stumbled across another iconic big-thing. I'll let him explain:

" The spray-crete has aged beautifully to create a faux oyster patina of near excellence! It even smelt bad from the road! Pity it was such a cloudy day as I’m sure the mother of pearl ceiling detail would have radiated with an opalescence to stop many a passer by!"

Poetry, sheer poetry.

What we have here is nothing shy-of environmental excellence, as the big-thing is no longer a big-thing, technically, but a car-yard. (Big thing recycling is a weird concept when you think about it, as most big-things are made of recycled bottle tops chicken wire, pieces of architecture and poorly disguised sheds) Malcolm has awarded the folks of Taree (mainly Mid-North-Coast Ford) a whopping score:

7/10

8/10

What Malcolm has failed to mention (not his fault, he was driving by at eye-watering speeds) is that the big oyster could have been greatly improved by covering the big-oyster in big-bacon, and put under a big-griller, and placed on a bed of big-rock-salt, and served up as the big oysters-Kilpatrick, which is a much classier dish by far. Skinny -Tim and I might get onto that when the people of Taree least expect it.

Radio Sation 2BH.

You guys ought to be ashamed of yourself; Malcolm has yet again come up trumps with Radio Station 2BH (Broken Hill, NSW) who have turned the whole station in to a 'big thing', in this case an old Cathedral-style Radio.

It is even complete with a dial, speakers and tuners. You can't really ask for more than that.

How cool would it be if it actually broadcast down the street, then you could spend those hot evenings in the Silver-City sitting on the front veranda, listening to Hank Williams, and having a beer, A bloody big one to match the radio.
I'm telling you, there's nothing un-hep about Broken Hill.

10/10

300.000/10

Big Apple - Stanthorpe QLD
Big Avocado - Byron Bay NSW
Big Banana - Coffs Harbour NSW
Big Bottle - Mangrove Mountain NSW
Big Bull - Wauchope NSW
Big Cheese -Bega NSW
Big Cow - Nambour QLD
Big Guitar -Tamworth NSW
Big Lobster -Kingston SA
Big Macadamia -Nambour QLD
Big Merino - Goulburn NSW
Big Orange -Tenterfield NSW
Big Oyster - Taree NSW
Big Peanut - North Tolga QLD
Big Pineapple - Nambour QLD
Big Potato -Robertson NSW
Big Prawn -Ballina NSW
Big Rock - Barrington Tops NSW
Big Rocking Horse - Gumeracha SA
Big Trout -Adaminaby NSW
Big Windmill -Coffs Harbour
Big Yabby -?? NSW
Big Barramundi - Daintree QLD
Big Earthworm - Bass SA
Big Gumboot - Tully SA
Big Ned Kelly - Glenrowan VIC
Big Rocking Horse - Gumeracha
Big Captain Cook - Cairns QLD
Big Banana- Coffs Harbour NSW
Big Arch - Ballarat VIC
Big Miner - Kapunda
Big Cassowary - Mission Beach
Big Windmill - Coffs Harbour
Big Milkshake- Warrnambool
Big Bull - Rockhampton
Big Truck - Dysart
Big Koala, Dadswells Bridge
Big DNA - Perth
Big Easel - Emerald
Big Axe - Kew
Big Murray Cod - Swan Hill
Big Black Marron - Walpole
Big Miner - Rubyvale
Big Bottle - Mangrove Mtn.
Big Penguin - Penguin
Big Crab, Miriam Vale
Big Fruit Bowl - Bilpin
Big Tassie Devil - Mole Creek
Big Croc - Darwin
Big Mandarin - Mundubbera
Big Gold Panner - Bathurst
Big Pelican - Noosa
Big Cherries - Young
Big Shell - Tewantin
Big Guitar - Narrandera
Big Stubby -Tewantin
Big Macadamia - Nambour
Big Wine Cask, Buronga
Big Park Pench-Broken Hill NSW
BigEarthworm-Broken Hill NSW
Big Galah-Kimba SA
Big Wool Cart-Hamilton WA
Big SLR Camera-Meckering NSW
Big Fucking-waste-of money- Wellington NSW

Recent additions include:

The Big Mango - Bowen, QLD
The Big Crab -- Cardwell, QLD
The Big Peanut --Atherton Tablelands,QLD
The Big Apple -- Spreyton, TAS
The Big Penguin -- Penguin, TAS

And due to overwhelming demand, the first "small thing":

The "Big" Uluru -- Karuah, NSW

If you are stuck for a good idea for your town, we are only happy to send you our 450-page Big-Thing Guide, which icludes such great ideas as "The Big Vegemite tin" "The Big Nutri-Grain, "The Big Dunlop Volley" "The Big Fantale" "The Big Bubble-o-bill" and The "Big Iced Vo-vo"

Please send any comments, photos, additions or reviews to :

simon@legendfeelco.com.au