The Western Victorian town of Daylesford will soon be home to Australia's first big icon that celebrates LGBTIQA+ pride in a regional location.
About 16,000 votes were cast, with Daylesford triumphing over three other shortlisted towns: Broome in Western Australia, Hay in New South Wales, and Katherine in the Northern Territory.
Mayor of Hepburn Shire Council Tim Drylie described Daylesford's victory in securing the symbol as "a fantastic opportunity" for the town to continue its history of celebrating diversity.
"The rainbow icon is a beacon for inclusion," Cr Drylie said.
"It's a joyous symbol we all associate with hope."
The vibrant landmark, which is sponsored by a major dating app, measures 12 metres wide and six metres tall. It made its debut in Sydney earlier this year to mark the start of the search for its future home.
Since 1997, the town has played host to Chillout Festival, which is regional Australia's largest country queer pride event.
In March, the council appointed its first LGBTIQA+ committee.
Cr Drylie encouraged other rural and regional communities to also platform "progressive, inclusive voices".
"Everyone benefits. It lifts people up, they feel more involved in their communities and are more likely to get involved," he said.
"There's lots of reasons to be supporting these sorts of initiatives."
Community invited to have their say
The exact location of the Big Rainbow in Daylesford will be decided following a community survey and will be in place by next year's Chillout Festival.
Four options are on the table, including Lake Daylesford.
"We need to consider things like heritage, environment, and get the social license right so that it's located somewhere that we can be really proud of," Cr Drylie said.
The survey closes at the end of this month.
