The History of The Big Spider
If you are scared of spiders, you’ll probably not appreciate the idea that there’s a Big Spider crawling from a water tower in Uraba, New South Wales. However, unlike most spiders, this particular one is harmless only because it is not an actual spider.
The huge spider sculpture is the work of Andre Whitehead, an artist and resident of the town. Mr Whitehead’s idea was to commemorate an old local football club named Spiders, which dominated the town in the 80s.
However, arachnophobic individuals can rest easy because the Big Spider sculpture is not a symbol of a region known for spiders, as many Big Things would depict.
Mr Whitehead made the sculpture from a wide range of materials, including recycled old piping and tubing, a washtub, and a hot dog muffler. Pleased with his work, he named the Big Spider “Not So Itsy“.
The biggest challenge, though, was installing the Big Spider to hang down the water tower. The artist, however, had it all planned out and was able to install the Big Spider on his own.
Despite being scared of heights, Mr Whitehead climbed to the top of the tower on a 16-metre long ladder. While at it, he had to walk on the 30-centimetre rim of the tower, carrying a bracket weighing 8 kilograms and an 8-metre long cable. He fixed the bracket and cable to suspend the spider, which was raised into position by a cherry picker and finally secured with three cables.
The Big Spider has a competitor in Jamberoo, New South Wales. The Big Funnel Web Spider even holds a Guinness World Record for being the Largest Spider Sculpture. You can read more about it here.
Big Things in the Form of Insects
Here is a list of a few more insects made into Big Things sculptures across different cities and states in Australia.
- The Big Mosquito in Hexham, NSW
- The Big Bagong Moths in Acton, ACT
- The Big Ant in Poochera, SA
- The Big Ant in Broken Hill, NSW
