The Big Kilt – a giant statue of a kilt symbolising Glen Innes – may yet happen.
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The travel company behind the idea has narrowed its “Next Big Thing” competition down to four, and Glen Innes is on that short-list.
If it wins, the kilt will be built. What’s under it remains undecided.
The runners are (as the publicity company describes them):
- The Big Melon, Chinchilla (Qld): famous for its melon production and home of the popular Melon Fest, Chinchilla looks for a Big Melon to celebrate the region’s produce
- The Big Kilt, Glen Innes Highlands (NSW): featuring Glen Innes’ own signature tartan, the Big Kilt would highlight the towns early Scottish settlers and Celtic history
- The Big Peanut, Kingaroy (Qld): known as the “Peanut Capital of Australia”, Kingaroy’s unique soil makes it one of the world’s most ideal places to grow peanuts and houses Australia’s largest peanut processing plant, making the Big Peanut a natural fit for the area
- The Big Tulip, Mittagong (NSW): gateway to one of Australia’s oldest floral festivals, Tulip Time, which results in the planting of over 100,000 tulips in the area each spring, Mittagong and its neighbouring tulip towns rally for the Big Tulip to commemorate their efforts.
The Big Chiko Roll in Bendigo and the Big Choccy Milk in Newcastle were ruled out.
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The managing director of Wotif, the company behind the promotion, Daniel Finch said: “Collectively, the submissions reflect what makes Australian culture so unique.
“From the quirky, to the humorous, to the patriotic, to the bold – with so many brilliant submissions, the Wotif team had the near-impossible task of choosing only a handful of entries to be shortlisted for public voting.”
Glen Innes Severn Council economic development manager Margot Davis said tourism was a big part of the economy – “especially in times when agriculture is suffering, like it is for many rural towns right now”.
“With the Big Kilt, we’ll have another reason for people to stop and experience what our quirky town has to offer, as well as support local businesses.”
The Wotif company has now opened voting on its website, enticing people with the chance to win $2000 towards their next Wotif holiday.
The town with the most votes by October 9 wins.
