Push to build Australia’s ‘Big Bacon’ in Kingaroy

A PETITION is currently circulating to bring Kingaroy the greatest thing we never knew we needed - the giant strip of Aussie bacon.

The Big Bacon could be coming to Kingaroy. Photo/Australian Pork

THERE may soon be more than peanut silos decorating the Kingaroy skyline, as a petition to build the 'Big Bacon' gets underway.

Australian Pork cooked up the idea in celebration of International Bacon Day 2020, with three location options being put to the public. This included Kingaroy, the home of BaconFest, Tassie, home of Eggs and Bacon Bay, and Canberra, home of Parliament House - a political declaration of our nation's love affair with bacon.

Kingaroy came out on top, winning by a landslide, and now it's up to our leaders whether our hypothetical giant bacon strip becomes a reality. Once enough signatures have been collected, the Australian Bacon team will be sending the petition off to state or federal parliament.

Julia from Australian Pork said, "we normally have award winners for International Bacon Day for the best Australian bacon for each state and territory, but we weren't able to do the judging this year. So, we wanted to do something a little bit different."

"We have worked with the BaconFest guys in the past, so we've spent a bit of time up in Kingaroy, and we thought it'd be an interesting way to celebrate bacon and draw attention to the fact that majority of bacon in Australia is imported."

"We really see Kingaroy as the bacon capital of Australia and have an important message around imports in bacon that we really push."

More than two thirds of bacon sold in Australia is made from imported pork, and while majority of Aussies would prefer to consume homegrown bacon, Australian Pork Limited Marketing and Communications Manager Mitch Edwards said most people have no idea.

"While all fresh pork is proudly Australian, smallgoods like ham and bacon are often made using imported pork," he said.

Alongside it's important message, the Big Bacon will also idealistically bring more tourism to the region.

Since the Big Banana, Australia's first 'Big Thing', was built in 1963, small towns have also been following suit to bring in tourism and put themselves on the map. The Big Bacon would be the latest in what has become a world famous Aussie tradition, alongside Goulburn's Big Merino, Nambour's Big Pineapple, Ballina's Big Prawn, and the Big Bundaberg Barrel.

Originally published as