When Australia’s Big Pineapple went on the market this past summer, the article about the sale in The Sydney Morning Herald, began with the following:

“One of Australia’s best-loved ‘big things’ — the Big Pineapple — is on the market and could soon fall victim to progress.

“Residential developers are expected to snap up the 34-year-old tourist attraction which, in addition to the giant fruit, features 80 hectares of prime real estate on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland.

“The Big Pineapple agricultural tourist attraction is one of Australia’s oldest ‘big things’, second only to the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.”

The Big Banana
The Big Banana

As soon as I read the phrase, “second only to the Big Banana,” I knew that my life wouldn’t be complete until I’d found a postcard depicting this most massive of fruits. And, wouldn’t you know, I chanced upon an auction on eBay that featured not only the postcard on the right, but this postcard of the Big Pineapple as well. $2.50 really can buy happiness.

Both postcards are stunning examples of using of natural photographic color and careful composition to draw the viewer into the scene. As for the herbaceous lettering in the foreground of the Big Banana postcard, wasn’t “Itors Velco” the Swedish next-door neighbor of Trespassers Will in the Hundred Acre Wood?

And for those of you who would like to know even more about the Big Banana…

Additional Reading

  • The Big Banana Web site

    “This 40 year old giant structure modeled on a prize winning banana is probably the most photographed object in Australia. At any time of the day cameras are clicking away — individuals, couples, honeymooners, small groups, families, whole coach loads of people — all recording their visit to The Big Banana. Many are returning with children and grandchildren to continue a family tradition. Frequently the comment has been; ‘The Big Banana is not as big as I remember’. Well, it is still 11 metres long, 5 metres high, and 2.4 metres wide but the surrounding developments have lessened its impact.”

    (“The Big Banana is not as big as I remember?” That’s just what every honeymooning male want’s to hear, isn’t it?)

  • Australian Big Things

    Where you can see a list of all 146 “Big Things” in Australia and learn that Queensland has the highest density of “Big Things,” with 11.87 “Big Things” per million capita. (A factoid sure to impress your next date.)

  • Wikipedia: Australia’s Big Things

    To qualify as a “Big Thing”, a structure must obey the following “formula”:

    • At least twice the size of the object it represents.
    • At least twice human size.
    • Dominant and accessible.
    • Lifelike quality of construction.
    • Enterprising and/or locally representative.