The Story of The Big Boomerangs
The Big Boomerangs in Nindigully featured Hugh Jackman’s first Australian romantic comedy film, Paperback Hero, completely changing the town’s story.
The story of the Big Boomerangs is a reminder of an intriguing Australian romantic film loved by many. You’ll find these three giant boomerangs at Nindigully, a rural town in the locality of Thallon, the Shire of Balonne, Queensland.
The 3-metre-high boomerangs were designed in 1989 by Jon Dowding, later becoming the perfect choice for 1999’s Paperback Hero film, starring Hugh Jackman and Claudia Karvan. Right there, where the boomerangs remain standing, a diner was built on-site for the film.
How the Paperback Hero Film Impacted Nindigully
Nindigully and its surrounding regions are well known for harsh droughts and extremely low population density. According to multiple reports, the town has a population of nine people.
However, despite the low population and harsh weather, the town became quite popular following the release of the Paperback Hero film.
Facts About Paperback Hero and the Big Boomerangs
- Paperback Hero was the first Australian feature film for the award-winning actor Hugh Jackman, making him an instant sensation for his role as Jack Willis.
- Following the film’s success that brought a little fame to the sparsely populated town, the Nindigully Film and Music Festival was created to celebrate the art, music and history of the region, all centred around the three boomerangs.
- For this reason, the huge boomerangs were renovated by a group of local artists before the launch of the festival in 2019.
- The local artists had received a grant worth AUD 19,900 from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal to facilitate the renovation.
