‘It was a hasty decision’: Nicky Winmar statue sculptor speaks out over removal

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook ordered the removal of the statue of Nicky Winmar just days after the former AFL star was found guilty of assaulting a woman in northern Victoria last year.

Melbourne-based artist and sculptor of the famous bronze statue Louis Laumen told 3AW Mornings host Heidi Murphy the statue held a broader meaning.

Press PLAY to hear the compromise Laumen suggests for the statue

“It was to portray a certain action, a gesture that was made spontaneously on a particular day in response to racial abuse and it became a powerful, iconic symbol of defiance and pride,” he said.

Heidi Murphy’s conflicting feelings on the removal of Nicky Winmar statue

Image: Paul Kane/GettyImages