The Ballandean Pyramid is a man-made stone
pyramid
A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...
near the small village of
Ballandean,
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The pyramid is approximately 15 metres in height and built from blocks of the local granite. (It should not be confused with the nearby natural rock formations known as the Pyramids in the
Girraween National Park.) It is on private property belonging to a local vineyard (Henty Estate) and is approximately 25 metres from the nearest road.
History
The pyramid was built after a local resident, Peter Watters (Watters Vine Management Service), asked the land owner Stewart Morland what was to be done with the surplus amount of granite rocks that were excavated for land tillage, humorously suggesting that a pyramid could be constructed.
Four hours later Morland decided to build the pyramid and contracted the work to Ken Stubberfield at a cost of more than $100,000.
The pyramid base was to be 30 metres wide. Landscaping of the base was completed early and the rocks were collected by a dump truck and brought to the site. The first three levels of rocks were laid first by a large excavator and then manoeuvred appropriately into place by a smaller excavator. As the pyramid rose, a makeshift dirt ramp was built to negotiate the height and the construction vehicles used this access ramp to complete the pyramid. At the end of construction, the ramp was removed by the excavator.
The pyramid, which weighs approximately 7500 tonnes, took eight months to build.
Regulations and maintenance
It is currently forbidden for public to climb the pyramid for any reason. The pyramid is on private property where public entry is prohibited, but it is visible from the road.
As considerable amounts of earth from the construction ramp ended up inside the pyramid, weeds and
blackberry
BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...
bushes have appeared on the pyramid. A small tree even germinated at the very top of the pyramid which could be seen from a distance, causing annoyance to passers-by. This was removed by hand by a vineyard worker in mid-January 2013, restoring the pyramid to its original symmetrical look.
Services
An
Anzac Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and ...
service was held at the site. The
Last Post
The "Last Post" is a British and Commonwealth bugle call used at military funerals, and at ceremonies commemorating those who have died in war.
Versions
The "Last Post" is either an A or a B♭ bugle call, primarily within British infan ...
was played from midway up the pyramid and a flag was posted at the top.
See also
*
Gympie Pyramid
References
External links
{{commons category-inline, Ballandean Pyramid
Ballandean, Queensland
Pyramids in Australia