The Incredible Story of The Big Stockwhip
The Big Stockwhip is located at Mick’s Whips and Leather Goods entrance in Acacia, Northern Territory. The gigantic stockwhip is made of steel, standing 7 metres off the ground and measures 25 metres in length. The half-a-tonne structure welcomes you to the famous whips store and gallery specialising in handmade whips from kangaroo hide by the internationally-renowned whip master, Mick Denigan.
Denigan’s passion for whip cracking is evidently displayed in the store’s gallery. He also challenges other competitors to beat the records he set by his whip-cracking mastery. In January 2020, he set a record for the most whip cracks in 15 seconds by a 50-year-old man. As a result, he joined the Australian Book of Records after recording 152 cracks with a 2.3 metre-long whip.
Besides selling whips and other leather-made items at the store, visitors experience whip cracking demonstrations with fire. The skilled entertainers often perform in art and music festivals and sometimes for high-profile guests, such as politicians, delegates, and international celebrities. For example, in 2000, the whip-cracking entertainers performed at the opening ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games.
Mick Denigan also goes out of his way to teach prominent individuals various whip-cracking techniques. Some of his famous students include Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, who needed the whip-cracking skills for their roles in Buz Luhrmann’s film, Australia, in 2008. Denigan also customised whips for former US president George Bush, the Late HRH Prince Philip, Bill Gates, and Tim Fischer.
Whips aside, the Northern Territory has other unique and intriguing Big Things sculptures worth checking out. Here are some great examples:
- The Big Boxing Crocodile in Humpty Doo
- The Big Fish in Wanguri
- The Big Aboriginal Hunter in Anmatjere
- The Big Buffalo in Winnellie
