It's not easy getting recognition in this town. Just ask Andrew Johns.
A few years back, a concerted campaign to erect a likeness of the GOAT at McDonald Jones Stadium, immortalising the immortal's immortal sporting achievements in immortal bronze, gained some traction online and even caught the attention of Venues NSW which promised to consider it in late 2019.
That month, after local Joey support group organisers, Karlo Tychsen and Andrew Hughes, made their case for a bust of the best, Venues boss Paul Doorn acknowledged Johns was an "inspiration to many".
The campaign gathered just shy of 3000 signatures at the time, and raised a few thousand dollars toward the cause, but still to no avail. Even the halfback of the century has struggled to get a foothold in the annals of bust-worthy history in his own home city.
It seems instead that when it comes to immortalising anything around here, as a town and a region we tend to undercut the honour with a trademark Hunter wit and Newy wink.
To whom have we erected monuments in the past? To date, the list includes (but is not limited to) Constance the Camel outside the Newcastle Museum (famed among all camels, we're sure), a big kookaburra at Kurri, Charlie the Paparazzi Dog on Hunter Street (former Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy's cheeky nod to the journos loitering outside the Newcastle courthouse), and of course don't let us forget our recently decapitated big prawn.
A hallowed honour roll to be sure.
Now, that illustrious band includes two new names: outgoing Triple-J disc jockeys Lewis Hobba and Michael Hing.
Hobba and Hing are stepping away from Triple-J after three years on the radio, and have been sending themselves off with a national farewell tour that involved unveiling statues in their own honour at the Newcastle Museum during Wednesday's broadcast.
The busts, we're told by Michael Hing, were put on 48-hour express order from an artist called Tank they met as part of the show about 12 months ago.
"We met an artist in Shepparton about a year ago, when we went there to do a week of shows," Hing told Topics before the unveiling, "He mostly makes and paints fibreglass cows, so I'm guessing that making life-like regal style statues of us in 48 hours will be within his wheelhouse."
The head-and-shoulders busts, which were installed on Wednesday, will be on show at the Museum until, according to Hing, "they are eventually put in the National Film and Sound Archive (we haven't spoken to anyone there yet, but that feels fitting)."
Hing said yesterday, "We've loved the City of Newcastle ever since we realised our national radio show rated weirdly well there, and frankly, we love to reward loyalty with shoddy merchandise.
"A listener actually suggested we try and get the statues installed at the stadium, but we thought people would topple them in anger and confusion.
"It is incredible that we've got statues in Newcastle and Andrew Johns doesn't. If I were him, I'd be furious at us."
The pair announced they would leave the Triple-J studio in July, and kick started their farewell victory lap in venues at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Bendigo and Newcastle earlier this month. The tour is expected to wrap up in September, before they return to Newcastle and City Hall on September 23 for their "Last Live Show Ever".
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes appeared on the broadcast on Tuesday this week, where the statue honourees asked if they could have their busts installed at City Hall, "but because no one had seen the statues, including us, she wisely directed us towards the museum," Hing said.
Cr Nelmes returned to the show on Wednesday for the big moment when the busts were finally revealed and was ... stoked.
"They're unique," she said, "And kind of identical."
"Do you regret letting us put these statues in your wonderful museum?" Hing asked.
"I don't regret it because we love Triple-J and we are the greatest city in the world ... and this is going to be a pretty short-lived experience," Cr Nelmes replied.
While Hobba and Hing are stepping away from Triple-J, they will reportedly remain with the national broadcaster, launching a new podcast Silver Bullet, road testing gadgets, gizmos and get-healthy-quick schemes sworn to work by their array of celebrity guests.
Hobba and Hing's Last Show Ever will play at City Hall on September 23 from 6.30pm. Tickets are available via comedy.com.au.
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