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Town considers erecting ‘Big Bogan’ statue

A new tourist attraction will join the big merino, the big prawn, big pineapple and other giant effigies of Australiana, but this one has a catch.

The Big Bogan will be built out of steel in the Central New South Wales town of Nyngan, in the Bogan Shire.

The 3.6 metre statue of a singletted man with a fishing rod, a fish and an esky is to be built from rusted steel on the western edge of town, before drivers cross the Bogan River.

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But the Bogan has already drawn criticisms in the community. The word has Indigenous roots which are separate to its common derogatory usage, but still refers to some Aboriginal people from the area.

The aboriginal community is currently discussing how to respond to the proposal, said Veneta Dutton, CEO of Nyngan Aboriginal Land Council.

“At the moment (feedback) has been a bit negative. They don’t want us to be perceived as bogans. We’re still discussing it and there are mixed feelings,” she said.

The community will release their views next week after consultations over the weekend.

Mayor Ray Donald told the ABC he expected tourists to sit with the $8000 Big Bogan and get photos taken.

The council is seeking community views before approving the construction.

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The site where the big bogan would go. Source: Google Maps.

One of the 3000 residents of Bogan Shire was against the proposal.

“I do not identify as a bogan – if you look up bogan, it’s very negative,” she said.

Nyngan Anglican Reverend Graeme McLeod suggested the statue to the town council, Fairfax Regional Media reported.

“Firstly I thanked the mayor for not pooh-poohing the idea straight away, fascinatingly none of them objected. They were very much of the opinion ‘let’s give this a go’,” he said.

“I thought, we better latch onto The Big Bogan. What would happen if Logan in Queensland decided they wanted to build the ‘Bogan from Logan’ and beat us to it?”

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