Daylesford will no longer just be known as the spa capital of Victoria - it is also set to become home to the Big Rainbow, Australia's first large-scale structure celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride in a regional location. Daylesford was up against three other regional towns: Broome in Western Australia, Katherine in the Northern Territory and Hay in New South Wales - but came out on top after approximately 16,000 votes were cast.
Tim Drylie, the mayor of Hepburn Shire Council, has said that securing the Big Rainbow, "a joyous symbol we all associate with hope", is a "fantastic opportunity" for Daylesford to continue its legacy of celebrating diversity. Included in this history is the ChillOut Festival, regional Australia's largest country queer pride event, which has called Daylesford home since 1997.
The Big Rainbow will measure 12 metres wide and six metres tall, and its precise location - to be informed by a community survey - will be set by next year's Chillout Festival.
We think a Big Rainbow is the perfect addition to Victoria's mixed bag of 'big' attractions which Australians just can't seem to get enough of - have you checked out the Giant Murray Cod in Swan Hill? The Big Strawberry in Koonoomoo? Or how about the Big Wine Bottle in Rutherglen?