Tumbrella

Craig Scutt: likes big things

Craig Scutt, the English author of Big Aussie Icons, talks Big Stubbies, Big Cane Toads and Big Bull’s balls

Australia’s Big Things: what’s the attraction for you?
I’m from England and I think sometimes it takes an outsider to appreciate just how weird and wacky things that people take for granted actually are. There are 150-odd Big Things around Australia and there’s nothing like that really, in England.

What is it about Australia that has produced all these Big Things?
I don’t think there is really one answer. A lot of them are designed to get tourists 
to stop their cars and visit something. The guy who built the Big Banana in 1964 was inspired by the Big Pineapple in Hawaii. And I think it works; he was trying to sell his bananas on the side of the road and people were stopping for the Big Banana and he was flogging heaps of bananas. I think people copied that.
But also there’s a lot of jokey humour, Aussie larrikinism where people just go “bollocks, I can build a Big Thing”, and so they do. And with a few of them, no one knows who built them or how they got there. There’s a funny one where a local MP put up the Big Poo, in protest at how the water was being treated in Kiama (NSW). He put it up by the side of the road as a bit of a joke and everybody loved it. He obviously got heaps of publicity. But people were like, “yeah, we want to keep this thing”, as a permanent, I don’t know what, symbol of their town. And it’s still there.

They seem to be most popular in northern NSW and Queensland, why do you think that is?
Maybe it’s the sunshine – it’s twisted their brains? The Big Banana is in Coffs Harbour, so maybe it’s kind of spread from the epicentre. The Northern Territory has some of the best ones, like the Big Boxing Croc. But then they live in places like Humpy Doo, so who knows [about them].

Do you have a personal favourite?
Yeah, the Big Murray Cod in Victoria. It’s a beautiful thing. It was built for a movie. It was a leftover prop and the council found a home for it. It is an amazing artwork.

And a least favourite?
I haven’t actually seen it, but the Big Mushroom. We only included that [in the book] because we wanted to have a representative from everywhere. But we were a bit like, “come on guys, you can do better than that.”

The Big Cane Toad is a strange one…
The idea was to get tourists to visit [Sarina, Queensland]. But it’s backfired, if they were hoping to have the impact of the Big Banana or something. Obviously cane toads are hated. I think it’s a lovely sculpture. It’s pretty dark and menacing though, for kids. The people who tend to be responsible for these things are mainly operating on a different level.

Any others that are particularly bad?
Haha. Um, I think the thing to say is, for the communities they are in, none of them are bad. I mean the Big Wool Bales are pretty bad. But if you asked anyone in that community they would probably say they are fantastic. It’s just magnificent to have something that’s a little bit different.

Has there been any opposition to Big Things?
Generally the local communities love it. But in Rockhampton they had a problem with the Big Bull’s testicles getting stolen. I don’t know if that’s genuine appreciation, or some sort of protest? But someone’s got a garage full of bull nuts.

The Big Stubby and the Big Wine Cask appeal to Tumbrella…
I think it was 17,000 stubby bottles were used to make the Big Stubby. So someone had a lot of fun putting that one together. The Big Wine Cask is a brilliant piece of improvisation. It’s actually two big sheds and they put a cap on it and painted it the right colours. it should give hope to anyone who wants to set up their own Big Thing. All you need is a shed and a bit of imagination.

Lastly, how many big things can you name in a minute?
Oh, you’re kidding!

Nope. Ready? Go!
The Big Stubby, Big Boxing Croc, Big Dinosaur – two of those – Big Croc, Big Staircase, Big Ram, Big Merino, Big Worm, Big Crab, Big Lobster, Big Oyster, Big Miner, Big Ned Kelly, Big Murray Cod, er… shit! Big Pineapple, Big Cassowary, Big Rocking Horse, Big Galah, Big Scotsman, Big Avocado, Big Mango, Big Axe, Big Pie, Big Macadamia Nut, Big Dugong, Big Cassowary [again], Big Cane Toad, Big Captain Cook, er, shit… Big Penguin, Big Tassie Devil… [total 31].

Big Aussie Icons is out now, published by The Five Mile Press, www.fivemile.com.au