Victoria premier cancels Daniel Andrews statue project
Victoria Premier Ben Carroll has cancelled the planned installation of a bronze statue of his predecessor Daniel Andrews. Instead, he instructed an independent bipartisan panel to review the state's approach to honoring former officeholders with state awards and statues.
As ABC News reports, Andrews served as premier of Victoria from 2014 to 2023. The idea of installing his monument was discussed after he exceeded 3,000 days in office, a criterion previously used to honor state leaders.
Contract will remain in force
Carroll said the existing contract related to the Andrews statue would not be cancelled in order to avoid unnecessary costs for taxpayers. The panel, which is expected to begin work soon, has been tasked with proposing another person and location for the already commissioned sculpture.
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In his statement, Carroll did not name Andrews, referring to him as Victoria's 48th premier. He stressed that gratitude to former state leaders for their service does not necessarily have to be expressed through a statue funded by taxpayers.
Tradition of statues in Melbourne
In the late 1990s, bronze statues of four former premiers of Victoria were installed at Treasury Place in Melbourne. This was an initiative of the government of former premier Jeff Kennett. Sculptor Peter Corlett created monuments to Albert Dunstan, Henry Bolte, Rupert Hamer and John Cain Jr.
Andrews previously said that he did not seek to have a permanent bronze monument. Opposition leader Jess Wilson also pledged to cancel the project should the Coalition win the Victoria state election scheduled for November 28.
