A STATUE of the only prime minister from North East Victoria is set to be unveiled in Canberra later this year, but not everyone is happy with the recognition.
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Chiltern-born John McEwen, who was the caretaker leader of the country after the disappearance of prime minister Harold Holt in 1967, is being honoured for his service to regional Australia.
He was trade minister in the Menzies government, Country Party leader from 1958 to 1971 and first person to be deputy prime minister after his successor as PM, John Gorton, formally created that title.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the statue would depict McEwen standing over two bags of wheat.
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It is being made by Victorian sculptor Lis Johnson who produced the statute of Victoria Cross recipient Alby Lowerson which was installed at Myrtleford in 2015.
Her statues of sportsmen John Coleman, Neil Harvey, Norm Smith and Jim Stynes can be found near the MCG.
The McEwen project will cost $500,000 with statue contract $130,000.
Australian National University cultural consultant David Headon is not impressed with the honouring.
"Even though he was a significant leader of the Country Party, and in the parliament for close to 40 years, neither of these facts justifies the placing of the statue at such extraordinary expense in the parliamentary zone of the nation's capital," Dr Headon told The Canberra Times.
Fellow ANU academic and former journalist Mark Kenny suggested female and Aboriginal trailblazers should be cast in bronze rather than McEwen.
Member for Indi Helen Haines supports her predecessor in the Federation seat being honoured.
"He was a passionate exponent of farmers and farming and worked hard to advocate the aspirations of country people and their contribution to Australia," Dr Haines said.
"I was proud to acknowledge him and his long service to the country in my first speech.
"A statue would be a rare honour."
McEwen represented Indi from 1937 to 1949 before the seat's boundaries were changed and he continued in parliament as the member for Murray.
Indigo Shire mayor Jenny O'Connor is pleased that the former Chiltern boy, who attended primary school Wangaratta, is being saltuted.
"It's great, it's an honour that one of our citizens was a prime minister of the country and honouring him in that way, I expect most people would welcome that," Cr O'Connor said.
McEwen, who died in Melbourne in 1980, named his property Chilgala in recognition of his birthplace Chiltern and Tongala, the Goulburn Valley town where his wife Anne was born.
A wing of the Chiltern Athenaeum is named the John McEwen Annexe and includes memorabilia related to the man nicknamed Black Jack because of his appearance and demeanour.
The statue is due to be unveiled near Old Parliament House in Canberra in December.
