In the wash-up from the 2016 Northern Territory election, the Northern Territory Library asked the public to donate any spare election paraphernalia.

A search of their archives unearthed flyers, corflutes and how to vote cards from years gone by, including a poster saying "Save Our Bacon — Vote 1 Chookie".

Unable to determine the origin of the poster, Brian Hubber, manager of collection development, asked the public to help.

"We don't have much context about this; we just think it might've come from an Alice Springs local council election, but we don't have any other information," Mr Hubber told 783 ABC Alice Springs.

Locals quickly informed him the poster was a reference to a pig named Chookie, who was in a stoush with the local council in 1996.

"Save our bacon: Vote 1 Chookie" sign was found in the NT Library. ( ABC News: Katrina Beavan )

The Berkshire-Tamworth cross belonged to Danny and Kay Kilgariff, and grew to weigh more than 400 kilograms, with some more generous estimates clocking him closer to half a tonne.

Danny's sister Fran Kilgariff was a new alderman on the town council.

Ms Kilgariff said council decided Chookie was not a proper domestic animal to have in town — but were eventually overruled.

"In the end the decision was taken out of council's hands," she said.

Ms Kilgariff went on to be Mayor of Alice Springs, and said there was nothing to squeal about when the issue come before council.

"The chief medical officer of the Northern Territory decreed that a pig was an acceptable domestic animal," she said.

"Round one to Chookie!"

"As far as animals go, he was very clean and very intelligent too," she said, adding he was much loved in Central Australia.

"The local baker used to feed him all his excess buns — possibly why he lived to be so fat."

Chookie was an object of affection for many in Alice Springs and was often given free food. ( Supplied: Kay Kilagriff )

Chookie: The Sequel

He may have been unique, but he was not original.

According to former owner Kay Kilgariff, Chookie was not the first of his name.

"He was actually Chookie number two," she explained.

Chookie number one earned his name as a piglet, when he was swapped for a cooked chook.

"Chookie number two is the one everybody remembers," Ms Kilgariff said, adding the pig was a town favourite, and would walk around the streets with the family dog and cat.

According to Kay Kilgariff, Chookie followed the family dog everywhere. ( Supplied: Kay Kilgariff )

"The pig tended to follow this dog everywhere ... the blue heeler used to go down and get on the school bus ... the pig started getting on the school bus as well."

She said the driver would get halfway on his journey before realising the pig was there.

"I don't think he was all that impressed, but the kids loved it," Ms Kilgariff said.

It did stun a few people, she admitted, to see a giant pig sticking is head out the window of the car when they drove around town.

But thanks to the film Babe, Ms Kilgariff said everyone — especially children — had become "pig aware".

Hollywood and high office beckons

Chookie even starred in a movie himself: Welcome to Woop Woop.

He received a hefty sum of $3,000 for his efforts, which was promptly donated to the RSPCA.

Chookie the pig, with family friends Val and Earl Bradbury. ( Supplied: Kay Kilgariff )

"Chookie became an absolute star in his own right. Because of his popularity in town at the time, we thought of actually running him for Mayor. We thought he'd shoo it in for sure."

Ms Kilgariff said the family went as far to look up the Act.

"Needless to say, the Act doesn't specify that anybody running for Mayor has to be human."

In a town that is used to pork-barrelling, she still decided against the move, feeling Chookie would have won in a landslide, but he had already caused enough trouble.

Although she said the poster was familiar, she was unsure who made it.

Chookie lived until 2003 in the Kilgariff's home in Alice Springs. ( Supplied: Kay Kilgariff )

"'Save our Bacon' rings a bell with me, but I couldn't tell you where it comes from," she said.

Chookie lived out the end of his days in peace, passing away in 2003.

But his memory still lives on, especially for those in Alice Springs.