Sydney’s Lord Mayor has referred concerns regarding statues of two historical figures to the City Council’s Indigenous advisory panel.
Earlier in the week, Wiradjuri broadcaster Stan Grant called for a statue of Captain James Cook to be better contextualised to reflect the truth – that he did not discover Australia.
The comment comes following fierce conflicts in the United States over the removal of monuments paying tribute to historically racist figures, particularly the removal of Confederate Army general Robert E. Lee’s statue in Charlottesville, which sparked a riot.
As Mr Grant’s criticism of the context given to Cook’s statue in Sydney’s Hyde Park was given prominence this week, concerns have also been raised regarding a statue of Governor Lachlan Macquarie.
While his statue pays tribute to his role as fifth and last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Macquarie also ordered and sanctioned the murder of Aboriginal people.
Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore referred concerns about the Cook and Macquarie statues to the Council’s Indigenous advisory panel, for their consideration and advice.
(IMAGE: Bentley Smith, Flickr)
