The Story of The Big Gun
The Big Gun on Logan Road, Underwood, Queensland, is difficult to miss. It’s mounted on top of a two-storey fruit shop and shares its name with a well known wholesale butchery.
The massive gun is a 155 millimetre field gun believed to have a range of about 30 kilometres. Initially, the Big Gun was stationed at a scrap metal yard in the 1960s.
It was then mounted onto the building after the yard was developed into office spaces and shops in the 1970s.
The gun was believed to have been used in 1942 during World War II. Although several myths have been told about what happened to the ammunition after the war, there’s proof that the Big Gun is among other heavy guns auctioned to the public in Moorebank in 1958.
During the auction, Bernie Smallwood bought five of the guns and used four of them for scrap. The only gun left of the five is what now sits atop the storey building.
The building was redeveloped in 2004 to accommodate the weight of the 7-ton gun.
Although the history of this artillery field gun may be difficult to trace, it currently serves a different purpose—the Big Gun Butchery located in front of the huge gun benefits from the icon’s fame. Other than assorted meat, the butchery is a wholesale market for vegetables, fruits and pantry items. There’s also a Chinese restaurant in the area that goes with the same name.
Other Big Things in Queensland
Guns aside, Queensland is home to many more Big Things of different shapes and types. Examples include:
- The Big Captain Cook in Cairns
- The Big Cockatoo in Moosman
- The Big Pumpkin in Gumlu
The Big Rum Bottle in Bundaberg
