From early next year Parkes will not only boast a Premier, but also a King! A statue of Elvis will go on permanent display in Cooke Park to ensure his legacy will forever live on in Parkes. Council has partnered with the Elvis Revival Inc (ERI) committee to commission a statue.
To tie in with the theme of existing public art, Terrance Plowright has been commissioned to construct the new statue – the same artist who sculpted Henry Parkes. Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith said: “The statue will be a fitting dedication to our hard-working Elvis Festival volunteer committee, and serve as a lasting legacy and recognition of their work to make the Parkes Elvis Festival what it is today.”
This project has been a long time in planning, with the ERI and Council working together for a number of years to bring Elvis to life. The President of ERI Nola Short said: “We are excited to see this project come to fruition as a thank you to our community for its support of the festival over the last 25 years.”
“We hope the statue will itself become a tourist attraction for Parkes, drawing visitors into the Cooke Park precinct not just during the Elvis Festival, but all year round.” Terrance has begun sculpting the statue in bronze, with the Elvis Revival Inc planning to hold the official unveiling during the 2018 Parkes Elvis Festival.