Australia is famous for its “big things” and the 230 or so innovative landmarks can certainly be divisive.
The satirists from Shit Towns, Australia put it to the vote and compiled a short list of what people think are the most unusual or unbelievably “big things”.
Some people think that the “craziest” poll is a bit of fun and helps draw attention to their cities. others are exempt from speaking to them in such unflattering terms.
Kalgoorlie is no stranger to competition
The city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is known to some of the 560,000 followers of the Shit Towns of Australia Facebook page, where polls are conducted to decide which city is the worst in the country.
The competition split in the city of Goldfield in 2019, when it was vying for the national title of “Shit of the City of the Year”.
A group of locals saw the competition as an opportunity to attract tourism and campaigned for people to vote for Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
However, the city’s mayor, John Bowler, was concerned that attention would prevent people from moving to the city amid a shortage of workers and urged people not to compete.
The 2019 title was removed by Logan in Queensland, but Kalgoorlie has been named “WA’s Shittest Town” for the past three years.
He is now a candidate for “Australia’s Shittest Big Things”, after thousands pointed to the so-called Tallest Bucket in the World, which is located at the top of the main road on a piece of red soil known as the Park with the tallest bucket in the world.
The bucket is a long piece of pipe eight meters high.
According to local historian Tim Moore, he settled in the early 1980s during a campaign to clean up Australia.
While he remembered throwing cans at it as a child, Mr Moore said there was not much else in it.
The creators are receiving death threats
Like the bucket, Geoff Rissole – who created the most “stupid” contests with Rick Furphy – also has a self-proclaimed title as an expert in sociology, travel and culture, which he claimed after books, blogs and social media. of the Shit Towns couple the media page took off.
Mr Rissole is from New Zealand, but said he and Furphy had lived and traveled extensively in Australia.
“[We] “He found that Australians and kiwis share a similar sense of humor that underestimates themselves.”
He draws inspiration from his birthplace across the lake, which he refused to name because of the reaction of his fellow citizens.
“We periodically receive death threats from babies without humor, and the locals have asked us not to tell anyone because they do not want to contact us,” he said.
Mr Rissole said his top pick for the new division was the Big Merino in Goulburn, New South Wales, but failed to make the final cut.
“It’s supposed to be a giant ram, but it doesn’t really look like a sheep,” he said.
Mr Rissole said he was surprised the bucket was in the top four, but appreciated the lack of attention to what it represented.
“Most of the big things will be to promote certain aspects of the city, such as an industry or some kind of tourist attraction.
Captain Cook bought for $ 1
He said the large bucket was watching voters closely, along with the controversial “Nazi salute” Captain James Cook, who was eight meters high in the tropical city of Cairns, Queensland for 50 years.
The statue was deemed offensive and sold for $ 1 to a private buyer who transferred it to his property in Mount Molloy this year.
Mr Rissole said another semifinal, the Big Potato, had a less political and more unhealthy controversy surrounding it.
“I do not know if this will push him to the top, but it is very bad.”
Not everyone thinks it’s funny
While Mr. Rissole said the contest was meant to be a bit of a laugh, Giant Koala owner Patricia Crute did not find it funny.
Mrs Crute’s daughter informed her that the koala, which is actually a gift shop along Western Highway on Dadswell Bridge in West Victoria, had been added to the list.
He said he was offended by the caption depicting the koala as “a giant replica with red eyes, hairy ears of the only creature with more chlamydia than a local young man”.
“It is a tourist attraction that everyone admires.”
Ms Crute said there was a boost in koala visitors after being voted “Australia’s Biggest Thing” in another online contest a few years ago.
But she was not sure that winning the title of “Australia’s Shittest Big Thing” would have the same impact.
But like the locals of Kalgoorlie a few years ago, Grampians Tourism CEO Mark Cleeman believes light competition is good for the region.
“This is a lot of fun and it just helps to promote our area and keep our destination in mind,” he said.
“We have the koala and I’m happy to support it.