The Big Shell in Tewantin

The Magnificent Story of The Big Shell

Many Big Things of Australia are either roadside attractions or found in public facilities such as parks, visitors’ information centres, hotels, etc. However, The Big Shell is different. It graces the front yard of a regular house, making it more reserved than most famous Big Things.

The beautiful, oversized shell was built in the 1960s as an attraction to a Hawaiian lifestyle store located in Tewantin in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland. The store sold shells and treasures while playing Hawaiian music to entertain visitors. 

This large shell stood right at the entrance, where people walked through its curved walls to access the building. Unfortunately, the store closed down after many years of business. It’s now privately owned, having been converted into a residential home. 

The fairly populated town of Tewantin was originally a timber town before becoming the river port of the Noosa area in the mid-1800s. Beaches and harbours conveniently surround the entire Noosa area, creating the perfect source for the sea treasures sold at the old Hawaiian store.

The Big Shell proudly celebrates about six decades of life in Tewantin. But, unfortunately, its close companion, the Big Stubby, House of Bottles in the same town, didn’t make it this far. Also built in the 1960s, the magnificent bottle-shaped structure was demolished. 
On the brighter side, the Noosa area is also home to the Big Pelican located in Noosaville. Initially built as a float for the Festival of the Waters Parade, the pelican-shaped structure spends its later years sitting in a small garden on Noosa River’s foreshore.