The Big Pineapple: a sweet slice of Queensland history

In January 1971, Bill and Lyn Taylor bought a 57-acre pineapple farm in Woombye, a small town on the Sunshine Coast. They had a big idea – to create a place where visitors could learn about and enjoy local produce, including tropical fruits, nuts, and spices. Later that year saw the grand opening of what would become Sunshine Plantation: one of Queensland's premiere tourist attractions, with iconic 16 metre high "Big Pineapple", that continues to serve as a nostalgic landmark for visitors and locals alike.

Sunshine Plantation officially opened on Sunday, 15 August 1971. Newspapers estimated between 500 and 1,000 people attended the event. As there were not enough parking spaces, police were needed to help manage traffic.

John Herbert, the State Minister for Labour and Tourism, officially opened the attraction. During his speech, he said:

During the ceremony, a crane lowered the top leaves of the Big Pineapple into place. Lyn Taylor then officially opened the attraction by unlocking its entrance door. The site also featured a one-kilometre train track for the Sunshine Plantation Express. Maroochy Shire Council chairperson, Eddie De Vere, marked its opening by driving a gold spike into the track.

In its first year, Sunshine Plantation attracted an estimated 250,000 visitors. It also continued to expand with new attractions, including a children’s farm and animal nursery, along with the largest macadamia nut factory in the Southern Hemisphere, and its nut-shaped ride, the Nutmobile. Visitors could also explore an extensive gift shop and market.

One of the highlights was "Tomorrow’s Harvest". This was a 'fascinating boat ride through time,' where guests could learn about the history of farming, from ancient crop-growing methods to modern hydroponic and aeroponic gardens.

Over the years, visitors enjoyed Sunshine Plantation's produce at its various restaurants.

The Sunshine Plantation Restaurant offered lunches along with its famous ice cream sundaes and parfaits. Troppo’s Licensed Restaurant was known for its all-you-can-eat "Tropical Smorgasbord". This included soups, breads, salads, fruit, desserts, coffee, and more. RAP’s was a restaurant that operated on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. It served a mixture of Mexican, Italian, and Chinese dishes.

Two of the most famous visitors to The Big Pineapple were Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The couple visited during their 1983 tour of Australia. According to ABC Australia, more than 10,000 people travelled to Sunshine Plantation just to catch a glimpse. During their brief stay they enjoyed a train ride and the Nutmobile.

Larger than life

The Big Pineapple soon became one of Australia’s famous 'big things' – large roadside tourist attractions designed to catch the eye. During the 1970s and 80s on the Sunshine Coast, other well-known 'big things' included:

• The Big Cow (formerly in Yandina)
• The Big Shell (in Tewantin)
• The Big Bottle (House of Bottles, also in Tewantin)

In 2009, The Big Pineapple was added to the Queensland Heritage Register and gained heritage-listed status.

State Library of Queensland holds several items documenting the history of this iconic Sunshine Coast attraction.

Home movies

You might not know that State Library’s historical collections also include old home movie footage. These films show clips of holiday trips to tourist attractions. The video below features snippets from three different home movies in our collection.

Glenn R. Cooke Souvenir Textiles Collection

This collection of colourful tea towels was put together by the late art historian Glenn R. Cooke. The Glenn R. Cooke Souvenir Textiles Collection features around 2,018 items from tourist destinations, spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s. Some of the items showcasing the Big Pineapple can be viewed through our catalogue (you can scroll through a selection below).

Tourism ephemera

Old tourism leaflets are often seen as temporary items, meant to be thrown away after use. To State Library, however, these materials are valuable pieces of nostalgia, especially when looked at years later. State Library has an extensive collection of tourism ephemera, with the Sunshine Coast region alone spanning 11 boxes, ranging from the 1960s onwards. By going through these boxes, you can discover several promotional flyers from the Big Pineapple.

Our full ephemera collection can be viewed in person at State Library.

Recent years

In 2009, the Big Pineapple went into receivership, closing in late 2010 due to a decline in visitors.

Over the years, there have been several attempts to revitalise the site. The Big Pineapple Music Festival was launched in 2013 and has been held annually, except for 2020, 2022, and 2023. Wildlife HQ Zoo was also established at the site in 2013. In 2014, Wildlife HQ Zoo rehoused many animals from the recently closed Alma Park Zoo. In 2019, a high ropes course called TreeTop Challenge was added.

A large part of State Library of Queensland’s historical collection consists of donated items. This includes old photographs, home movies, advertising flyers, posters, maps, diaries, letters, and more. If you have any materials related to The Big Pineapple or Sunshine Plantation that you'd like to contribute, please fill in our online form.