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A $186,000 sculpture of Coalition prime minister John Gorton is the latest to commemorate a national leader in Canberra’s parliamentary zone The federal government funded the bronze sculpture, which was quietly unveiled on March 10 outside the public service building named after the former leader. Gorton was Australia’s 19th prime minister and held the role for three years until March 1971, when he was ousted and replaced with Billy McMahon. The new sculpture follows criticism of a government decision to fund a $500,000 statue of Gorton’s predecessor, National party caretaker prime minister John McEwen, in 2020. The National Capital Authority overseeing Commonwealth land in Canberra installed the statue of Gorton as it refurbished the John Gorton Building on behalf of the Finance Department. Both houses of Parliament supported the design and site of the sculpture in 2019. The statue depicts Gorton with his collie-kelpie, Suzie Q, and was developed in consultation with the Gorton family. Before entering politics, Gorton served in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II and suffered severe injuries in a crash landing at Bintan Island, Indonesia. He was minister for the navy, works, and education and science before the Liberal party elected him leader following Harold Holt’s disappearance and John McEwen’s interim prime ministership. Gorton was the only senator to become prime minister, and won Holt’s lower house seat in a by-election shortly after winning the leadership. His term coincided with increasing pressure for social change. READ MORE: In the party ballot ending his term in office, he voted against himself, making him the only prime minister to vote himself out of office. The Gorton statue, by Melbourne sculptor Lis Johnson, joins several other sculptures depicting Australian prime ministers around Canberra. Among other leaders commemorated with statues are Australia’s first and second prime ministers Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin, war time Labor leader John Curtin and his successor Ben Chifley, and Liberal party founder Robert Menzies, the nation’s longest-serving prime minister. The decision to install a statue of John McEwen on Queen Victoria Terrace last year drew criticism from commentators calling for better representation of Australia’s diversity and history in the parliamentary zone’s public art. The Nationals defended the McEwen statue, saying it represented regional Australia in the parliamentary zone. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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A $186,000 sculpture of Coalition prime minister John Gorton is the latest to commemorate a national leader in Canberra’s parliamentary zone
The federal government funded the bronze sculpture, which was quietly unveiled on March 10 outside the public service building named after the former leader.
Gorton was Australia’s 19th prime minister and held the role for three years until March 1971, when he was ousted and replaced with Billy McMahon.
The new sculpture follows criticism of a government decision to fund a $500,000 statue of Gorton’s predecessor, National party caretaker prime minister John McEwen, in 2020.
The National Capital Authority overseeing Commonwealth land in Canberra installed the statue of Gorton as it refurbished the John Gorton Building on behalf of the Finance Department.
Both houses of Parliament supported the design and site of the sculpture in 2019. The statue depicts Gorton with his collie-kelpie, Suzie Q, and was developed in consultation with the Gorton family.
Before entering politics, Gorton served in the Royal Australian Air Force in World War II and suffered severe injuries in a crash landing at Bintan Island, Indonesia.
He was minister for the navy, works, and education and science before the Liberal party elected him leader following Harold Holt’s disappearance and John McEwen’s interim prime ministership.
Gorton was the only senator to become prime minister, and won Holt’s lower house seat in a by-election shortly after winning the leadership. His term coincided with increasing pressure for social change.
In the party ballot ending his term in office, he voted against himself, making him the only prime minister to vote himself out of office.
The Gorton statue, by Melbourne sculptor Lis Johnson, joins several other sculptures depicting Australian prime ministers around Canberra.
Among other leaders commemorated with statues are Australia’s first and second prime ministers Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin, war time Labor leader John Curtin and his successor Ben Chifley, and Liberal party founder Robert Menzies, the nation’s longest-serving prime minister.
The decision to install a statue of John McEwen on Queen Victoria Terrace last year drew criticism from commentators calling for better representation of Australia’s diversity and history in the parliamentary zone’s public art.
The Nationals defended the McEwen statue, saying it represented regional Australia in the parliamentary zone.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
