The Big Thermometer

The Big Thermometer was the result of more than 20 years of community advocacy, finally unveiled on 4 September 2018. Local builders Albert Piper and Peter Ingall crafted its intricate stone facade, and inside the structure sits an advanced weather-reading machine that feeds the bright neon temperature display at the top, so you can always check exactly how cold (or occasionally warm) the Granite Belt is being. The monument's angular, textured design makes it one of Australia's more architecturally interesting 'big things'.

The setting in Lions Park is well suited to families. Picnic tables, public toilets, coach parking, and generous lawns surround the site, while Quart Pot Creek's leafy walking paths extend in both directions along the bank. A short stroll west across the creek leads to the historic Red Bridge, one of Stanthorpe's most photographed heritage structures. The park is pram-friendly and accessible.

Stanthorpe regularly earns national attention during cold snaps, and the thermometer's glowing read-out has become a social media staple every winter. If you visit between June and August, pack layers, as frosts are common and the surrounding Granite Belt landscape takes on a crisp, magical quality that draws photographers and weekend escapees from Brisbane and the Gold Coast.