The Big Cockroach In Lower Light

The Story of The Big Cockroach

There’s no doubt that cockroaches love low light, but that has nothing to do with the Big Cockroach in Port Wakefield Road, Lower Light, South Australia. This enormous cockroach sculpture is one of the many roadside attractions on Port Wakefield road. Others include the statues of Ned Kelly, the Y2K Fly, The Environmental Observer, Party Platform Rat, the Tin Man, etc. 

So why are there so many Big Things of Australia along Port Wakefield Road? According to reports, these sculptures were constructed to protest the State Government’s decision to build a landfill dump in the region. 

Back to the Big Cockroach, this monumental sculpture sits inside private land situated next to a highway. Constructed in the 1900s, it is one of the oldest Big Things in the region. 

The massive statue was almost destroyed in 2013 but was saved thanks to protests by the locals. It was then returned to the site where it sits to date. 

Measuring approximately 4 metres wide and 4 metres long, the roach statue was initially relocated to a scrap metal yard north of Adelaide. However, it took the intervention of local TV host Andrew Costello, who set off a social media campaign to track the cockroach sculpture and petition for its return to Port Wakefield road. 

It now sits on a private piece of land. Discussing the removal of the cockroach sculpture, Mr Kevin Lawrence, the owner of the private piece of land where the oversized cockroach sits, told ABC News that the local community helped change his mind. He explained that the Big Things along Port Wakefield Road were known all over Australia, creating a sense of pride among the locals. 
If you loved reading the story of The Big Cockroach, check out The Big Ant in Poochera, also located in South Australia.