Big Banana. Coffs Harbour. Looking South, and showing more clearly the scope of the development.

Was originally begun by Stella (Proto)Psaltis and her husband John Enevoldson.
The site grew from a road stall selling ripe bananas. Later the Enevoldson's became partners with John Landi.

From:

http://www.bigbanana.com

The Big Banana History

The Big Banana, first among Australias giant tourist landmarks, opened in December, 1964. It was the brainchild of John Landi who had come here from the United States of America to study the insects, which attack commercial banana plantations.

John Landi knew of the famous Big Pineapple, which overlooked the Dole Pineapple Cannery in Hawaii ("We eat what we can, we can what we cant" was their equally famous company slogan). He decided to use a " big banana" to promote his roadside fruit sales.

The Banana Growers Federation welcomed his idea and provided half the funds for the project. A local engineer, Alan Chapman, designed the giant sculpture by taking precise measurements of the prize-winning banana from the 1964 Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show!

The Big Banana is constructed of ferrous concrete. It is 11 metres long, 5 metres high and 2.4 metres wide. Visitors can walk through The Big Banana and see in photographic form, how a bunch of bananas is grown.

When it was first built The Big Banana stood in splendid isolation with only a banana plantation backdrop. There were no buildings or urban development near it and so it appeared to be huge. Many people now visiting The Big Banana ask if it is the original "Big Banana" because it no longer seems to be as large as they remember it. It is the original BIG BANANA but because of the development around it and the realignment of the Pacific Highway it has been somewhat dwarfed by progress.

By the mid 1960s John Landi had opened a milk bar and his banana milk shakes made Coffs Harbour famous. The Big Banana became a favourite rest stop for travellers on the Pacific Highway.

John Landi had a dream of turning The Big Banana into a Disney-style theme park but sadly this was not to be. He sold his half interest in The Big Banana to John Enavoldsen, a local banana grower, who became the sole proprietor.

In 1988 The Big Banana was sold to Horticultural World, partly owned by a local accountant and entrepreneur, Bob Johnson, who set about transforming The Big Banana into a fun-filled education showcase for horticulture.

Adjoining properties were acquired and the 43-acre site on the slopes surrounding CoffsHarbours famous landmark went through a nine-month intensive redevelopment project with a $30 million budget. The grand opening was on 25 June 1989.

Sadly this coincided with the "recession we had to have" and The Big Banana went into receivership. In 1993 it was bought and is still owned by a small Australian owned family Company. It is slowly winning back the place it held in the affection of so many Australians who remember it nostalgically.

Since 1993 there have been gradual changes made at The Big Banana. First was the installation of the Wiegand Family Toboggan Ride which has proven very popular with the locals as well as holidaymakers and those just passing through.

Then the Coffs Coast Lookout - just above the Hilltop Centre with fabulous views over the city and suburbs, the beaches and coastline and the mountainous hinterland to the west.

For those with limited time a covered skywalk has been built over the top of the bananas giving access to the Hilltop Centre and the Lookout - a great way for travellers to brush away the cobwebs and stretch bodies and legs weary from driving.

In 1999 The Big Banana Ice Rink opened and has been very well received. It is great to see so many people enjoying themselves and learning new skills at the same time.

In 2003 the Big Banana Souvenir & Gift Shop underwent extensive refurbishment and remodeling.

Map showing position of Coffs Harbour on the mid-north coast of NSW