Now it’s a non-existent statue of Henry Lawson that should be pulled down

A Blue Mountains resident has started an online petition calling for the statues of the three Europeans to first cross the area to be removed - but there’s only one problem.

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A petition calling for statues of three famous white explorers to be pulled down has embarrassingly included famed bush poet Henry Lawson.

Artist Ailie Banks started the online petition calling for Blue Mountains City Council to tear down bronze busts of William Wentworth, Gregory Blaxland and Lawson to honour the first successful European crossing of the Blue Mountains.

The petition names explorers Wentworth and Blaxland but, instead of William Lawson, the third statue is wrongly identified as Henry Lawson — author of classics Faces In The Street and Andy’s Gone With Cattle.

Legendary bush poet Henry Lawson, pictured in 1905.

William Wentworth, who made the first crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813 with Gregory Blaxland and William Lawson.

“I would like to call for all glorified imagery such as ‘statues’, ‘busts’ and the like of William Wentworth, Gregory Blaxland and Henry Lawson to be removed from public spaces,” the petition reads.

“I would suggest that they be replaced with imagery of Aboriginal elders who have been part of our community for decades. I would also suggest we replace this imagery with local indigenous artworks, commissioned and paid for by the council.”

Lawson and Banjo Paterson are regarded as early Australia’s greatest poets. Lawson featured on the $10 note and is honoured with an actual statue in The Domain, accompanied by a swagman and a dog.

The Scenic Skyway cabin at Scenic World Katoomba passing over the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains. Picture: Destination NSW

Ailie Banks started the online petition calling for Blue Mountains City Council to tear down bronze busts of three explorers installed in 2015 to mark the first successful European crossing of the Blue Mountains.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine called the petition “racist” to Aboriginal people and said the embarrassing Lawson mix-up was evidence the petition was “total madness”.

“It’s racist, quite frankly, they think they have to talk for us, we can talk for ourselves and make our own decisions,” Mr Mundine said.

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“I laugh at some of these white people making these apologies, bowing and carrying on.

“People say they’re pulling statues down because they’re racist but these people need to learn the facts and the history before they start running around … do not pretend you speak for Aboriginal people. We don’t need you to speak for us.”

The move to destroy the explorer busts has been slammed by former Blue Mountains Council mayor Daniel Myles, who was at the helm during collaboration talks between the council and local Dharug and Gundungurra communities about the statues.

Ms Banks did not respond for comment.