Photo: from left: John Mills Director Club Mudgee, Chris Stephens Rotary Club holding the maquette of the statue, Des Dowdy Rotary Club, Michael Shepperd Director Club Mudgee, Emma Best Junior Vice President Club Mudgee
Mudgee’s Louisa Lawson statue is becoming a reality with the latest donation of $5000 by Club Mudgee fulfilling the fundraising requirements.
The Board of Club Mudgee recognised the importance of the work that Louisa Lawson did for women’s welfare, including their enfranchisement. They also see that having a statue of her in Bill Cox Square is a very positive tourism attraction and an inspiring role model for the people of Mudgee, especially the younger ones.
“What really impressed us is that all bar $11,000 came from the Mudgee community. The response has been fabulous,” Chris Stephens from Rotary said.
Once the clay model of Lawson is complete it will be sent to a foundry to to be cast before it is shipped to Mudgee where it will forever have pride of place in Bill Cox Square on Market Street.
“It’s a great feeling that the Rotary Club could do something that will last such a long time and Mudgee such a lot of good,” Chris said. “It’s a big deal. And the fact that Mudgee had a sculptor [Margot Stephens], that was ready to go and is well capable of doing the job – that’s a pretty, it’s a pretty big task. So that was really good.”
Sculptor Margot Stephens is well into rendering the clay sculpture and Club Mudgee’s donation has ensured that money is available to complete the molding and casting process.
The Rotary Club of Mudgee is pleased to reveal that 90% of the money required for this statue came from the Mudgee Community and the remaining 10% from the Minister for Women’s Affairs via Duigald Saunders. “The support of the community has been inspiring” says Chris Stephens, Rotary Club Director of the project.