Sigrid Thornton’s subtle dig at Queensland Government

Aussie acting royalty Sigrid Thornton has opened up to her I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! cast about a promise made by the Queensland premier.

Acclaimed Australian actor Sigrid Thornton has expressed her hope that the newly elected Queensland government will follow through on a commitment to honour her late mother, feminist pioneer Merle Thornton, with a statue outside Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel.

Thornton, currently appearing on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Australia, reflected on the promise during Sunday night’s episode of the reality series.

Sigrid and Merle Thornton.

Discussing her mother’s legacy with fellow contestants comedian Geraldine Hickey and Tiktoker Max Balegde, she spoke of a pledge made by former premier Steven Miles to erect a statue recognising Merle’s impact on Queensland’s history.

“A lovely thing that’s happened is that the state Premier, who’s now he’s actually not the state premier anymore – are going to put a statue of my mum outside the regatta pub. I’m actually incredibly chuffed,” Thornston said with much pride.

Geraldine Hickey and Sigrid Thornton on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Australia'. Photo: Network 10.

She then gently expressed her wish that Premier David Crisafulli’s new government would carry out the pledge.

“I hope the new government takes this up,” she said.

Merle Thornton, who passed away in August 2024 at the age of 93, cemented her place in Australian history in 1965 when she and fellow activist Rosalie Bogner chained themselves to the bar of Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel to protest the ban on women drinking in public bars. Their bold act of defiance led to significant reforms, including the repeal of section 59A of the Queensland Liquor Act five years later.

She also successfully campaigned for the removal of the “marriage bar,” which had forced women to leave public service jobs after marriage, and founded Australia’s first women’s studies course at the University of Queensland in 1972.

Merle Thornton enjoying a beer in the front bar of the Regatta Hotel. Pic Peter Wallis

Speaking with her fellow contestants in the African jungle, Thornton reflected on her mother’s bold activism.

“Mum was a radical feminist from early days, so she and a couple of friends of hers, particularly one, went into a pub in Brisbane called the Regatta Hotel, which is a very famous pub. And in those days, women couldn’t drink in bars. They could only drink in the ladies lounge but they went into the into the pub, and they chained themselves, like the suffragettes, to the railing,” she said.

“The public bar in those days was a kind of centre for social activity for men. And a lot of the social discourse happened in the bar, and women were excluded from that because they were, you know, regarded as the tender sex, the fairer sex.

“They did that a couple of times in a row. And they were refused service. The police arrived. It was huge. And it actually made the national news … and it was scandalous.

“So they succeeded, but Mum was an incredible role model.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles made the pledge. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

Thornton also acknowledged the significance of the planned statue, calling it “a lovely tribute” that would serve as a powerful recognition of her mother’s impact.

The statue was first announced by Steven Miles in parliament on August 22, 2024, shortly after Merle Thornton’s passing.

“Our state is poorer for Merle’s passing. In her honour, my government will build a statue near the iconic Regatta Hotel,” Miles said at the time.

Former Treasurer Cameron Dick also praised the activist’s contributions, describing the statue as “a great symbol of a woman who expressed great strength and determination in her life and career.”

Originally published as Sigrid Thornton’s subtle dig at Queensland Government