FOLLOWING an eight-year campaign, a statue of a world-famous boxer from Nottingham will soon be a reality. The Bendigo Heritage Project was set up in 2016 to celebrate the life of William Thompson, better known as Bendigo, Nottingham’s first sporting superstar. The undefeated All-England Champion fought 21 times between 1831 and 1850.
He is credited with introducing the ‘southpaw’ boxing stance and is recognised in the British and the International Boxing Hall of Fame as a pioneer of the sport. The project has drawn together the Bendigo story and presented it to a new and wider audience, hosting events and tours. It has also established a collection of images and items for a small exhibition, The Bendigo Gallery, which has been shown at various venues across the city.
“We have been working for the last ten years to raise funds for a statue in the centre of Nottingham,” said Jevon Patrick, a trustee for the ‘Bendigo Heritage Project’. “For years we have had a lot in place, the sculptor, the maquette, the location, etc. But now we have the funds and the ball is officially rolling. We hope that next year we have the statue installed in Nottingham.”
The project has now raised the money necessary to commission a new bronze statue that will take pride of place in Nottingham City Centre and finally put Bendigo on the map. The sculptor chosen to create this public monument is Andy Edwards, a renowned British sculptor who has supported the project from the beginning, having created a maquette of Bendigo to help promote the project at events.
“I can’t wait for the city to embrace the Bendigo story,” added Jevon Patrick. “The statue will mean so much to so many people in Nottingham. Bendigo was a true underdog and his story still inspires many of us in the ‘rebel city’.”
