The Big Pineapple recrowned
AHS is proud to have been involved in preserving the rich history of one of Queensland’s original ‘Big Things’ - the Big Pineapple! Now re-open and with further works planned for the 16-metre-high pineapple structure, the iconic attraction is sweeter than ever.
The Big Pineapple is an iconic roadside tourist attraction, located in Woombye on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and since its inception 1971 it has drawn crowds from around the world –among them some very famous visitors!
AHS was commissioned to produce a Conservation Management Plan, Heritage Impact Statements and recommendations for the restoration, management and protection of the Big Pineapple. We have worked with The Big Pineapple Corporation since 2019 to ensure the cultural significance of the site is maintained whilst allowing for new and contemporary uses to spring to life.
The Big Pineapple represents an early example of the agri-tourism trend in Queensland, built across more than 40 hectares of shops and restaurants, with a train ride and iconic Nut mobile that was famously ridden by Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1983! The property also consists of various crops, expansive rainforest, the Macadamia Nut Factory, Big Macadamia, and an animal nursery.
The Big Pineapple operated successfully for many years, reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1980s with more than a million visitors through the door per year during its heyday, before a phase of declining popularity that began in the late 1990s and continued into the 2000s. The Big Pineapple continued to struggle, before going into receivership in 2009, before officially closing the following year. A couple of years later, in 2011, The Big Pineapple was sold to a group of investors and in 2013 became home to a popular music festival.
We were brought into the project as Master planning activities were underway to update the site with contemporary attractions, services and experiences.
Sweet and golden
Experimentation with pineapple cultivation began in the 1870s and 1880s around the Woombye area, and in 1895 a farmer called Thomas Davey produced the first commercially available pineapples.
Before long, thousands of pineapple plants were being cultivated throughout the Sunshine Coast region and it became possible for small farmers to make a living growing the delicious tropical fruit. Land for pineapple cultivation is often chosen on factors such as elevation, soil, drainage, sunlight, and warmth, making the rolling hills and well-drained soil at Woombye an ideal location.
The land on which The Big Pineapple sits has a long (and sweet) history, originally owned and farmed by William McMullin who bought it in the 1880s to grow pineapples and citrus.
By the 1900s he had sold the land to Huber Hoare, who fully cleared the site to make way for a large pineapple farming operation. By this time various other families within the surrounding areas had begun farming pineapples, based on the Sunshine Coast region’s suitability for growing tropical fruit.
Queensland became one of the primary producers of tropical fruit, including pineapples, pawpaws, passionfruit, bananas, mangos and avocados, and to this day produces much of the nation’s sweet and golden produce.
Pineapple Pickers at Woombye, ca. 1915 (SLQ APA-039-01-0007)
‘Big Things’ celebrated
Australians love ‘big things’, with various monuments around the country celebrating our prized agricultural exports – from prawns to pineapples. Typically, the giant monuments are roadside, aimed at road trippers.
Following the war, road trips became one of Australia’s favourite past times with vehicle ownership more than doubling in the ten years between 1950 and 1960. Roads improved, cars became more reliable, and infrastructure grew to keep up with roundtripping families.
With more tourists on the road, the ‘Big Things’ phenomenon swept across Australia throughout the 1960s. One of the first was the Big Banana, followed by the Big Cow, Big Lobster, Big Merino, and countless more roadside attractions.
Inspired by the Big Things phenomenon and the emerging popularity of agri-tourism, Bill and Lyn Taylor sought to capitalise on the holidaying families they often saw stopping at roadside fruit stalls. In 1971 they purchased a 23-hectare pineapple farm in Woombye, turning it into the ‘Sunshine Plantation’–a road-side destination that promoted agri-tourism–and built a sixteen-metre-high fibreglass pineapple structure as its landmark
Just like that, the Big Pineapple was born.
The Big Pineapple, 1972 (Queensland Places, 2018)
Pineapple re-crowned and site revamped
The important revival and rejuvenation of The Big Pineapple, following its acquisition by The Big Pineapple Corporation, marks an exciting return for the agri-tourism industry.
So far, the pineapple structure and train have been reopened, while new attractions are currently underway. Further works will include rejuvenation and reactivation of the main building, which contains restaurants, a brewery and shops, and the restoration of the iconic pineapple structure so patrons can once again enter the fruity structure!
Our action plan for proposed works moving forward outlines best practice recommendations to restore and maintain the structures for future generations. The entire team at AHS enjoyed working on this iconic landmark’s future preservation, as it is reborn for future generations to enjoy.
Contact us
To discover how we may be able to assist on your next project, contact us today here or phone (07) 3221 0000. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn.
The Big Pineapple advert, Expo ’88 (Google, 2018
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The Challenge
Experimentation with pineapple cultivation began in the 1870s and 1880s around the Woombye area, and in 1895 a farmer called Thomas Davey produced the first commercially available pineapples.
Before long, thousands of pineapple plants were being cultivated throughout the Sunshine Coast region and it became possible for small farmers to make a living growing the delicious tropical fruit. Land for pineapple cultivation is often chosen on factors such as elevation, soil, drainage, sunlight, and warmth, making the rolling hills and well-drained soil at Woombye an ideal location.
The land on which The Big Pineapple sits has a long (and sweet) history, originally owned and farmed by William McMullin who bought it in the 1880s to grow pineapples and citrus.
By the 1900s he had sold the land to Huber Hoare, who fully cleared the site to make way for a large pineapple farming operation. By this time various other families within the surrounding areas had begun farming pineapples, based on the Sunshine Coast region’s suitability for growing tropical fruit.
Queensland became one of the primary producers of tropical fruit, including pineapples, pawpaws, passionfruit, bananas, mangos and avocados, and to this day produces much of the nation’s sweet and golden produce.
How we helped
Australians love ‘big things’, with various monuments around the country celebrating our prized agricultural exports – from prawns to pineapples. Typically, the giant monuments are roadside, aimed at road trippers.
Following the war, road trips became one of Australia’s favourite past times with vehicle ownership more than doubling in the ten years between 1950 and 1960. Roads improved, cars became more reliable, and infrastructure grew to keep up with roundtripping families.
With more tourists on the road, the ‘Big Things’ phenomenon swept across Australia throughout the 1960s. One of the first was the Big Banana, followed by the Big Cow, Big Lobster, Big Merino, and countless more roadside attractions.
Inspired by the Big Things phenomenon and the emerging popularity of agri-tourism, Bill and Lyn Taylor sought to capitalise on the holidaying families they often saw stopping at roadside fruit stalls. In 1971 they purchased a 23-hectare pineapple farm in Woombye, turning it into the ‘Sunshine Plantation’–a road-side destination that promoted agri-tourism–and built a sixteen-metre-high fibreglass pineapple structure as its landmark
Just like that, the Big Pineapple was born.
Results
The important revival and rejuvenation of The Big Pineapple, following its acquisition by The Big Pineapple Corporation, marks an exciting return for the agri-tourism industry.
So far, the pineapple structure and train have been reopened, while new attractions are currently underway. Further works will include rejuvenation and reactivation of the main building, which contains restaurants, a brewery and shops, and the restoration of the iconic pineapple structure so patrons can once again enter the fruity structure!
Our action plan for proposed works moving forward outlines best practice recommendations to restore and maintain the structures for future generations. The entire team at AHS enjoyed working on this iconic landmark’s future preservation, as it is reborn for future generations to enjoy.
Contact us
To discover how we may be able to assist on your next project, contact us today here or phone (07) 3221 0000. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn.
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