The Rationalist Society of Australia has questioned a New South Wales council about how much public money was spent on installing a six-metre, five-tonne marble statue of Mother Mary in a local park.

Earlier this month, the Liverpool City Council – in Sydney’s south-western suburbs – celebrated the inauguration of the Mother Mary statue in Bigge Park near the Liverpool Public Hospital, with the council’s social media posts describing the statue as providing “a place of reflection, comfort and hope in the heart of Liverpool”.

At the unveiling of the statue, Mayor Ned Mannoun told a crowd that the statue of “our Mother Mary” was as a “symbol of the Christian faith” and was hopeful that “she can protect us” in times of difficulty and danger.

Catholic Bishop of Sydney Tony Percy blessed the statue.

An accompanying plaque says the statue is “in honour of the Holy Mother Mother” and includes the names of all councillors. 

The RSA has been unable to find publicly available information about how much of ratepayers’ money was spent on the statue.

This week, RSA Executive Director Si Gladman has written to Liverpool council Mayor Mannoun and Chief Executive Officer Jason Breton, seeking details on how much was spent on the project.

The minutes of council meetings show that councillors voted in favour of a motion by Mayor Mannoun in February this year to reinstate the project for delivery within the 2025/26 and 2026/27 budget cycles. 

The motion passed also provided the council’s CEO with “delegation for project delivery, over budget cycles, as required”.

It was also agreed that the statue would be unveiled in August to coincide with the annual observation of the Assumption of Mother Mary.

According to the meeting’s minutes, Mayor Mannoun said the project had been an existing project that had previously been deferred.

“As part of Council delivery plan, Council has made a commitment to deliver, through Council’s Public Art program, a statue to tribute Mother Mary in Bigge Park, Liverpool,” he said. 

“The Holy Mother Mary plays a vital, supportive role in Lent and Easter as a model of faith and a companion in suffering. 

“During Lent, she is honoured as ‘Our Lady of Sorrows’, representing endurance through the Passion, while the Annunciation … often falls during this season. She represents the perfect disciple, encouraging [the] faithful through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.”

Council engaged Sydney-based company European Monuments, which, according to its website, specialises in the “design, manufacture, and installation of premium headstones, memorials, and monuments”. 

Speaking today, Mr Gladman said Liverpool ratepayers would be rightly concerned if their rates had been used to pay for a religious statue.

The council’s own policy guiding public art projects says that “projects, exhibitions or programs must develop community pride and a sense of belonging”.

In the letter to council, the RSA also asked for other details, such as whether there had been any expression of interest or tender process for the project, and whether any locally based artists or sculpture were invited to submit a proposal.

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Si Gladman is Executive Director at the Rationalist Society of Australia. He also hosts ‘The Secular Agenda’ podcast.

Images: Liverpool City Council Australia (Facebook)