A DEDICATED group, including Dubbo councillor Rod Towney, is pushing to raise $65,000 to erect a statue of Aboriginal activist William Ferguson in Dubbo.
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The aim is for the statue to be erected in Church Street near the rotunda in 2017 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the referendum that gave recognition to Aboriginal people.
Cr Towney said the statue of William Ferguson was "something for Dubbo to be proud of".
"He was one of the fellas, along with a number of other national representatives, he represented Aboriginal people in calling for better conditions for our peoples across the nation," Cr Towney said.
"He was one of the people who took on the referendum to give Aboriginal people the same rights as everyone else in the country.
"He was a significant man in our area, he lived here, he was buried here."
People from all across Australia would support the statue, Cr Towney said.
Mr Ferguson founded the Aborigines' Progressive Association at Dubbo on June 27, 1937, drafted farsighted resolutions, lobbied government for Indigenous citizen rights and organised a day of mourning conference in Sydney on January 26, 1938 - the 150th anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet in Australia.
The day of mourning led to the formation of the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and the establishment of NAIDOC Week.
Mr Ferguson was a very strong man and very well represented by Aboriginal people, Cr Towney said.
His grandson, Willie Ferguson has also thrown his support behind the statue, and is determined to see the project come to fruition.
"If only I had more education I would have followed in his footsteps. I have always wanted to help Aboriginal peoples to achieve in life," he said.
Donations to the William Ferguson Memorial Trust Fund can be made at Orana Mutual Credit Union.
"It's a lot of money but a dollar is a dollar, if anyone can contribute that would be great," Cr Towney said.
William Ferguson died of hypertensive heart disease on January 4, 1950.