Big Pear Joins Australia’s Supersized Attractions

Move over, Big Banana—a giant pear is coming to put one Australian town on the Big Things map.

An artist's impression of the giant pear planned for Shepparton. Courtesy of Bruce Mactier Building Designs

It may be the world’s most expensive pear, but it’s not one you can eat.

Plans are well underway for the $1.3 million (US$850,000) Shepparton Big Pear project, a towering tribute to the Victorian region responsible for around 90 percent of Australia’s pear production.

Spearheaded by the Shepparton Big Pear Steering Group—chaired by retired fruit grower Rocky Varapodio—the project is expected to bring both pride and profit to the Goulburn Valley community.

And while $1.3 million might seem like a lot of money, the community of Goulburn believes the investment will pay dividends for the region.

A report commissioned by the group found the project will attract around 63,000 visitors annually, bringing a fresh million dollars to the town every year.

“It’s not just about pears,” Varapodio said.

“We settled on the pear concept because our region is ideal for pear growing.”

The design features a three-storey interactive experience housed inside the giant fruit, to be placed at Emerald Bank near the town’s Museum of Vehicle Evolution.

Destination Goulburn Valley Chair Eugenie Stragalinos sees the project as a celebration of regional farming.

“It’s a new asset that not only grows our visitor economy but also pays tribute to the many growers in our region and the history of the Goulburn Valley,” he said.

State Member for Shepparton Kim O'Keeffe described the project as something “special and different.”

It won’t be the nation’s first big pear, however.

The town of Parkes in the Australian Capital Territory boasts a plate of seven big pears, though they stand no taller than a man.

The Shepparton region is home to many fruit crops, including stone fruit, cherries, kiwi fruit, avocados and nashis.

More than 50 percent of the nation’s summer fruits are grown in Shepparton, with crops generating hundreds of millions in revenue annually.

Pear Not the Only Big Thing

Shepparton is also no stranger to going big. The giant pear will follow in the footsteps of the region’s giant 16-metre Murray cod.

The massive fish was constructed in 2024 at the Arcadia Native Fish Hatchery.

Real Murray cods are big fish, with the largest so far measuring 1.83 metres in length and weighing in at a whopping 113 kilograms.

The giant cod has become a tourism drawcard, while educating on the importance of the native fish species.

Then there’s Ernie, Shepparton’s giant fiberglass tractor salesman.

Australians Love Big Things

The big pear will follow in the footsteps of many other giant drawcards across the nation.

Queensland’s Sunshine Coast boasts the Big Pineapple, while Helensvale, also in Queensland, features the Big Wheelie Bin.

A trip to Queensland’s Gumlu or Chinchilla will reveal the Big Watermelon Slice, while Bowen is home to the Big Mango.

New South Wales has its own Big Murray Cod at Tocumwal and a Big Beaver at Wilberforce.

Trafalgar in Victoria has a giant sculpture of forks in potatoes, while Yarragon has a very cute giant dog named Pat.

The Australian Capital Territory keeps it quirky with big moths in Acton and big coins in Deakin.

Tasmania, of course, has a big Tasmanian devil, which is actually a native, carnivorous marsupial.

The Northern Territory went real big on its native animal theme with the Crocodile Hotel at Jabiru, and a boxing crocodile at Humpty Doo.

In South Australia you'll find big olives at Tailem Bend, big cherries at Pages Flat and Larry the Lobster at Kingston.

Of course, it’s not an exhaustive list of every big item across the country, because that would simply be far too ... big.