OPINION: Is it time we let go of Australia's 'big things'?
Of course, big things were once popular creatures. Tasked with the noble purpose of signifying their place, they stood proud beside regional highways. People from neighbouring towns and far off cities stopped to marvel at them, spend a few bob and even climb inside to check out the view.
But their reasons for being have not gone anywhere. Small towns still rely on drive-by business and, for many, tourism infrastructure is crucial.Perhaps surprisingly, some small towns are still building big things in a bid to boost tourism. There's the Big Thermometer in Stanthorpe , the Big Melon in Chinchilla and the Big Bogan in Nyngan .
Though their designs vary wildly, each big thing is built for the same reason: to express the identity of an area and put it 'on the map'. In the contemporary design world, we call this a "sense of place" — the distinct character of an area, its landscapes and local stories. Recent regional projects like the Kalbarri Skywalk in WA or the Warumbungles Visitor Centre in NSW have attracted glowing online reviews from tourists for their unique visitor experiences and critical acclaim from the design community for their subtle abstractions of surrounding landscapes.
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