Constructed from fibro cement to mark the centenary of the proclamation of the township of Penguin. Unveiled in October 1975, it is one of Australia’s big things when it started being a big thing.
A plaque next to The Big Penguin reads:
The Penguin area was first settled in 1861 by Edward Joseph Beecraft.
Penguin took its name from the fairy penguin and was so named by Ronald C Gunn, a distinguished botanist of the era.
The municipality was established in 1908 (area 43185 ha).
The fibro cement penguin nearby was erected to celebrate the centenary of the proclamation of the Penguin township on the 25th October 1975.
Population 1975 – Municipality 5000 – Penguin 3000
In 2025, The Big Penguin was included as one of Australia’s Big Things in the Aussie Big Things 2 Collection, one of ten $1 coins