Port Macquarie’s historic reckoning over calls to rip down statue of ‘racist’ PM Edmund Barton

Controversy has consumed a NSW town amid a push to tear down a statue of the nation’s first prime minister over his ‘racism’.

The statue of Edmund Barton in Port Macquarie. Picture: Nathan Edwards

A push to tear down a statue of the nation’s first prime minister over his legacy of “racism” because of his role in orchestrating the White Australia policy has forced a NSW regional city to grapple with historical controversy.

The statue of Edmund Barton in Port Macquarie has drawn criticism for creating an “unsafe space” due to his role in formulating the Constitution which didn’t recognise Indigenous Australians and in the now-abolished Immigration Restriction Act.

Birrbay woman Arlene Mehan, who has been campaigning for the statue to be moved since 2020, said the bronze replica of Barton positioned in Port Macquarie’s Town Green was inappropriate as it was near a Birrbay/Birpai burial ground.

“He co-authored the White Australia policy and said there are inferior races, so he is in favour of segregation due to race,” she said.

“Walking past the statue in quite a public space, it doesn’t feel inclusive. It feels like Australia is divided and as a community we are saying certain people are celebrated and others from diverse backgrounds aren’t celebrated or permitted.”

The statue is life-size and shows Barton, who once held the now dissolved seat of Hastings and Manning, sitting on a bench overlooking the water.

Ms Mehan said the monument’s prominence in the public meeting place had been opposed by her community since it was ­installed for the anniversary of federation.

“It’s an unsafe place for us as the Birrbay people, we want to be able to go there,” she said.

”It’s a burial site, we want to go there and show our respects. But it’s a blatant disrespect. There’s also the power play ­between the statue, as it’s quite big, and the memorial for the burial sites for the bones is much smaller.”

Ms Mehan is optimistic that this time her push will lead to ­action, with Port Macquarie Hastings Council former staffer Janet Cohen developing a discussion paper outlining alternative proposals of what to do with the statue, which will eventually be put before councillors.

It comes amid a wave of historical reckoning which has seen critics call for the removal of statues around the world. The statues have included figures such as British imperialist Cecil Rhodes, slave trader Edward Colston, King Leopold II of Belgium and Confederate general Robert E. Lee. In Australia calls have been made for statues of James Cook to be ­removed and the Hobart City Council voted to tear down a statue of former premier William Crowther, who in 1869 was ­accused of dismembering an ­Aboriginal corpse.

“To those who say this is erasing history I would respond: there is a place for history and putting a figure of a racist man next to a burial site isn’t the place,” Ms Mehan said. “And many people are in agreement. I’m just one of them.”

Port Macquarie Hastings Mayor Peta Pinson said she looked forward to hearing the views of the community, indicating she was open to the proposal as sentiment had shifted since the statue was erected in 2001.

“Since that time, much has changed,” she said. “As the mayor of a diverse and growing community I recognise that we have a long way to go to understand the many layers and perspectives.

“I look forward to hearing the views of our community as we walk together to ensure that our beautiful town centre is a place that celebrates the many traditional and modern histories of our locality and region while also providing some guidance for our future.”