Big Bogan no gee-up

The design has not yet been finalised but a proposal of a 3.6 metre tall "bogan", spruiking a singlet, shorts, esky and a fishing rod to be installed at Nyngan has been submitted to Bogan Shire Council.

Bogan Shire Council's manager of engineering services Graeme Bourke lodged a proposal to build and install the steel figure bearing a fishing rod in one hand and an esky by its side so visitors could sit and have photos taken with the iconic Australian "bogan".

The Big Bogan was the brainchild of Reverend Graham McLeod from Nyngan's St Mark's Anglican Church, who suggested it to Mr Bourke.

"He knew I worked at the shire and I agreed it was a good idea to promote the shire and attract tourists," Mr Bourke said.

"I drew a few sketches and for a while couldn't quite get it right, but as it was coming up to budget estimates I thought, right, I'm going to submit this."

Despite community concerns the Big Bogan would attract negative connotations, he said councillors were enthusiastic about the idea.

Reverend McLeod said given Australia's fascination with so-called "big things", Bogan Shire Council could miss out on a big opportunity if it did not act sooner rather than later.

"Fascinatingly none of them objected. They were very much of the opinion 'let's give this a go'," he said.

"I thought, we better latch onto The Big Bogan. What would happen if Logan in Queensland decided they wanted to build the 'Bogan from Logan' and beat us to it?"

He said it was hoped tourists, including international visitors, would be attracted to and be encouraged to stop in Nyngan.

Bogan Shire Mayor Ray Donald said while some people viewed the term "bogan" in a negative way, efforts to promote the "more attractive" aspects of the bogan identity had the potential to boost tourism in the Shire.

"There is obviously also a historical aspect to the word, there are Indigenous connections with the Bogan tribe and there is a lot of interest, a lot of people take photos of signs showing things like Bogan Gate, Bogan Way and there was even a Bogan Place on Sydney's North Shore."

The statue's location, and other aspects of the proposal, would be up for discussion, although Mr Bourke hoped it would be at the Peter Sinclair Bridge on the Bogan River.

"In the plan he has a fishing rod, so it would be good to tie it in with the theme of the river," he said.

"Of course, we didn't want Nyngan to be thought of as 'a town full of bogans' but the term is a frequently used one, and where better in Australia could we have The Big Bogan than on the banks of the Bogan River, in Bogan Shire?"