Peddle Thorp and Harvey, Paul Luff, and Gary Smallcombe & Associates designed it. The Sunshine Plantation is another name for it. On March 6, 2009, it was placed to the Queensland Heritage Register. The two-story Big Pineapple stands 16 meters (52 feet) tall and was first inaugurated on August 15, 1971. It was built by John Oxley, founder of Brisbane.
The original pineapple grew in size over time until it reached its current height. The fruit is sold both fresh and in canned form. The canning industry based in Brisbane helped pioneer modern canning techniques which are now used throughout Australia and elsewhere.
In conclusion, the Big Pineapple was designed by Peddle Thorp and Harvey, two American architects who were responsible for many buildings in Brisbane. It was constructed by a team of workers from Hawaii who had been brought in by the government to work on this project. The plant itself uses solar power and recycles its own water. It has become an iconic symbol of Brisbane and attracts thousands of visitors every year.
The Big Pineapple, located near Bathurst, is the world's largest man-made pineapple. The 16.5m high fiberglass, steel, and concrete building has three levels with a breathtaking view from the top all the way to the shore. It was built as a landmark attraction for the 1984 New York Olympics.
The Big Pineapple started out as a small pineapple planted in soil inside a glass case at the Long Island Museum in 1974. In 1983, it was moved to its current location and opened to the public the following year. Since then, it has become a popular tourist destination, especially during Christmas time when decorated trees are displayed inside the fruit.
The original pineapples were 3 feet in diameter but today's Big Pineapple sells slices of fruit that can be bought online or at the museum.
It costs $12 million to keep the pineapple growing season running so unless you're a millionaire or know of someone who is, this huge fruit will never be able to grow again.
In fact, the whole concept of growing large fruits and vegetables is pretty new and not many people have tried it before now. There are only five other giant fruit trees in existence, three of which are in China. The other two are in Spain and France.
The Big Pineapple, located on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, is a national tourism and cuisine symbol. Featuring a 16-meter-tall fibreglass pineapple construction, the Big Pineapple was formerly Australia's most famous tourist attraction, attracting over a million visitors every year. It now stands as a permanent public art installation near the Pacific Ocean in Caloundra.
Construction on the original pineapple began in 1973 under the direction of local artist Donald Mollison. The fruit was to be 30 feet in height with a diameter of 30 feet at its base, but due to financial difficulties it was not completed until several years later. The pineapple was donated to the city of Caloundra by the Mollison family and installed in a small park called The Pineapple.
In 1996, following an arson attack that destroyed much of the surrounding parkland, the city acquired the rights to the pineapple from its owners and moved it to its current location about 300 meters from where it stood before. This new location offers better views of the ocean and has more open space for visitors to enjoy.
Donald Mollison died in 1998 at the age of 70. Today, the pineapple continues to attract thousands of tourists each year who come to see it standing tall in its new home near the ocean.
The former Sunshine Plantation tourist attraction, now known as The Big Pineapple, is located immediately to the west of the present Bruce Highway on the north side of the Nambour Connection Road (former Bruce Highway). The site includes a display area with information about the pineapple and its history, as well as an outlet shop and café.
The Big Pineapple was built by Tommy's Fruit Farm as part of their fruit exhibition business. It opened on 16 December 1956, and was one of many attractions across Queensland that year at the opening of the new Sunshine Motorway. The pineapple weighed 11 tons and was 3 metres in diameter and 2.5 metres high. It used 750 gallons of water per day during its first season and was pollinated by local bees.
In 1973, the farm that owned the pineapple went into receivership and was sold at auction. The pineapple was bought by a dentist who planned to export it to Sweden but this did not happen. In 1975, it was purchased by a couple from Sydney and they decided to make it their home. They restored the pineapple and moved it to its current location on land that had been given to them by the farmer who originally owned the site. This farmer had inherited the land from his father and so the story goes that he gave it to his son for keeping him out of trouble!
Bathurst Bathurst is located in the center of one of South Africa's most important pineapple farming regions. The world's largest pineapple, measuring 16.5 meters tall and three floors, is located on the outskirts of Bathurst, right off the R67, about 15 kilometers from Port Alfred. It is owned by Roy and Gloria Henry.
The plant produces nearly 100 tons of fresh fruit annually, with the majority sold into regional markets. Bathurst also manufactures a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables with sales worldwide. The town has an active community of more than 6500 people living in over 500 houses. Bathurst was founded in 1872 when the railway was extended to the coast; it became a major stopover point for passengers and cargo traveling between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Today, visitors can enjoy a ride in a steam train that travels between the old growth forest next to the farm and a lookout point with views across the valley down to Port Alfred. There are also walking trails through the forest, as well as opportunities to watch wildlife including otters, mongooses, and monkeys.
The Henry family bought the giant pineapple in 1998. They had been growing pineapples for sale at the local market since before World War II, but this was the first time they were able to sell their product overseas. At the time of purchase, the fruit weighed approximately 600 pounds and measured 8 feet wide and 7 feet high.
The Big Pineapple officially shuttered its doors today after being sold to a "local family" for an unknown fee. The heritage-listed Nambour icon has been on the market since July 2009, when owner Graham Hayes entrusted it to receivers PPB.
Big Pineapple opened in 1964 at Nambour Cultural Centre near Palm Beach and spent the next 12 years spinning and singing songs of the South Pacific before closing its doors for the last time in 1976. Since then, it has been located variously around Australia and New Zealand.
Hayes bought the pineapple for $20,000 in 1988 and it has been his permanent home ever since. He said he would like to retire to Queensland but wouldn't rule out moving to New Zealand if an attractive offer came along.
"I've had lots of interest from people looking to move it but nothing's come up yet," he told The Courier newspaper. "It's a big job and it's not something that can be done quickly."
He added that he hoped to sell it for more than he paid for it. "If someone really wanted it they could buy it cheap - I'd like to see it moved somewhere else though," he said.
The Nambour Cultural Centre closed in 1990 but the town continues to host the annual Big Pineapple Festival each January.