Cairns' gigantic Captain Cook statue purchased by demolition company owner

Cairns's infamous Captain Cook statue will soon be waving hello from a new location — if it stays in one piece. (ABC Far North: Holly Richardson)

The future of Cairns' controversial Captain Cook statue has been decided, months after James Cook University purchased the land on which it stands.

The eight-metre statue of James Cook, which has stood beside Sheridan Street for 50 years, will soon disappear from the site.

Its new custodian is Martin Anton, the owner of a Far North Queensland demolition company.

"I just didn't want it bulldozed by somebody," he said.

"For every one person you find that says they don't like it or what it represents, you'll find another nine that say they do like it.

"I respect everyone's opinions and I just hope that everyone respects mine."

Controversial colossus, innocent icon

There have been calls for the statue to be removed or demolished in recent years and it has been the centre of political protests more than once.

Mr Anton said he had more innocent memories of the statue from when it was erected in 1972.

"All the kids that I knew that lived in Mareeba and in all the outlying areas, they always knew they were in Cairns when they saw Captain Cook waving at them," he said.

It is hoped the ageing statue will survive the removal process but no guarantees have been made. (ABC Far North: Holly Richardson)

Mr Anton did not want to disclose how much the statue cost, but he said the terms of the sale were clear.

The statue comes as is and there will be no refund if it crumbles during the removal process.

"It's not really sight unseen but I didn't really get up close and personal and look under his waistcoat," Mr Anton said.

"It's caveat emptor — let the buyer beware."

The statue would have celebrated its 50th anniversary on the Sheridan Street site in July. (ABC Far North: Holly Richardson)

Endeavour to find a new home

Mr Anton said he would like to return the statue to a public space if its integrity allowed and he could find a suitable location, but at this stage he had no concrete plans.

"The poor guy's been standing very resolutely for the last 50 years," he said.

In a statement, James Cook University's Cairns campus director David Craig said the removal of the ageing statue would pave the way for the university's planned expansion.

"Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the often passionate discussion over the statue's future," he said.

"We recognise there's a range of strongly held views and we have sought an outcome that is respectful of those differences."