A couple of civic minded citizens of Cooktown decided they wanted to build a statue of a miner on a prime site to commemorate the glory of past miners. They got together a rough estimate of cost and raised the estimated $50,000 required. Now, where to start?
A cartoonist, one of the team, found a photograph of a soldier from the Vietnam war, complete with radio pack. With a bit of imagination by the group, the hat and gun were replaced with an old hat and a pick, a shovel was added to the radio pack, and a panning dish placed under the left arm.
Heigh presto, a miner was born.
A sculptor was engaged, and with the help of the council and a number of tradesmen, we have a magnificent monument to the men who pioneered the district.