Taking down the Nicky Winmar statue points to a troubling double standard in our public spaces | Paul Daley
News Source
β’Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:52 GMT
π° What Happened
The Western Australian government quickly removed a statue of AFL player Nicky Winmar. The statue honored his famous stand against racism in 1993 when he lifted his jersey and pointed to his skin. But Winmar was later convicted of domestic violence. The government took the statue down without much public debate. Columnist Paul Daley argues this shows a double standard. He points out that many statues of men who killed and hurt Aboriginal people still stand across Australia. He asks why one is removed quickly while others stay.
π The Backstory
The Nicky Winmar statue was at Perth Stadium. It marked a powerful moment in Australian sport when a Noongar man stood up to racist abuse from Collingwood fans. But the question of how to handle statues of living people who later do bad things is tricky. Should the statue be changed? Should a plaque be added? Or should it be taken down? Daley argues that governments act without clear rules. Meanwhile, monuments to colonial figures who harmed Aboriginal people remain in place. This raises hard questions about who gets remembered and how.
π― Why It Matters
Statues in public spaces tell us what we value as a society. When we remove one statue but keep others that honor harmful figures, it looks like the rules are not the same for everyone.
The Western Australian government quickly removed a statue of AFL player Nicky Winmar. The statue honored his famous stand against racism in 1993 when he lifted his jersey and pointed to his skin. But Winmar was later convicted of domestic violence. The government took the statue down without much public debate. Columnist Paul Daley argues this shows a double standard. He points out that many statues of men who killed and hurt Aboriginal people still stand across Australia. He asks why one is removed quickly while others stay.
The Nicky Winmar statue was at Perth Stadium. It marked a powerful moment in Australian sport when a Noongar man stood up to racist abuse from Collingwood fans. But the question of how to handle statues of living people who later do bad things is tricky. Should the statue be changed? Should a plaque be added? Or should it be taken down? Daley argues that governments act without clear rules. Meanwhile, monuments to colonial figures who harmed Aboriginal people remain in place. This raises hard questions about who gets remembered and how.
Statues in public spaces tell us what we value as a society. When we remove one statue but keep others that honor harmful figures, it looks like the rules are not the same for everyone.