Kingaroy’s Big Peanut lands in Lions Park after four year journey

After four years of hard work, Kingaroy’s very own ‘big thing’ has joined Australia’s infamous tourist trail. Take a peep at the colossal legume here:

Kingaroy’s Big Peanut touched down at the break of dawn on Thursday, marking the end of a long and arduous journey to secure the town’s rightful place as Australia’s peanut capital.

As the town slept, a team of philanthropic South Burnett businesses, the council and the Big Peanut Committee gathered to see the half tonne structure installed on its 6 foot platform in Lions Park.

Stand alongside Big Australian icons – such as the Big Banana, Big Orange and Big Pineapple – the peanut is a reflection of Kingaroy’s farming history and built from a collection of local farming machinery that worked South Burnett soils over the past 100 years.

The items were donated from peanut farms across region and supplied to artist Kane Minogue, who crafted the enormous structure by hand.

Mr Minogue, who is a sculptor from Grafton, said he felt incredibly proud as he watched the peanut’s installation via livestream.

“It’s a bit surreal. I’m happy for the committee and the people of Kingaroy that it’s finally there,” he said.

Kingaroy Needs a Big Peanut Committee member Kristy Board said everyone’s “stomachs were in knots” as they watched the peanut, which they’d worked four long years to get, being craned onto its platform.

“The committee was absolutely elated. The energy there was electric,” she said.

Ms Board said passers by on Kingaroy Street honked their horns and were doing U-turns to swing back and see the Peanut being set up.

The structure will be illumined at night by two specially designed lighting poles, which were also been installed on Thursday.

Official unveiling plans for the Big Peanut are due to be announced soon.