July 16, 2026 — 5:00amAfter 10 years gathering dust in storage in Melbourne, controversial bronze statues of four of Australia’s most beloved entertainers will finally see the light of day.John Farnham, Kylie Minogue, Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage, and Graham Kennedy were rendered in statue form by renowned artist Peter Corlett, along with Dame Nellie Melba. The bronze Farnham and Kennedy were unveiled in 2006 for the Entertainers of the Century walk in Docklands.The Kylie Minogue statue in Docklands before it was put in storage in 2016.RexnessMinogue’s statue joined them in 2007, and Dame Edna finally joined the throng in 2009.But in 2016 the famous five were evicted from their Docklands plinths, wrapped in plastic and unceremoniously warehoused to make way for an 18-storey building on the site where they stood.While Dame Nellie’s statue was moved to Coombe Estate in the Yarra Valley, where she once lived, in 2022, the other four remained in lock-up, something of which Humphries was supportive.Not to my liking, possums: Barry Humphries wasn’t a fan of the Dame Edna statue.Joe ArmaoHe famously loathed “the hideous” depiction of the giant-sized Edna and publicly celebrated it being “removed and impounded in a warehouse” to make way for the tower as being the “one act by Melbourne developers which I applaud.” Ouch!Now, after a decade of storage, many assurances that a site was being sourced, a couple of false starts, and even a call last year to release the Minogue statue as a way to boost the number of statues of “real women” in Melbourne, Development Victoria has confirmed to CBD that it has finally found somewhere to put Farnham, Kylie and co. We should be so lucky, indeed.“The four remaining Entertainers of the Century sculptures have been gifted to Deakin University for permanent display at the Burwood campus performing arts precinct,” a Development Victoria spokesperson told CBD.“This is a great outcome for the artworks and artists, and we’re pleased they will be showcased in settings where they can be appreciated by the community. Both the City of Melbourne and the artists have been consulted and support the move.”Installation of the statues in Burwood, which is certainly off Broadway compared with their original Docklands placement and fair hike for keen fans, is expected to start within a month.For the sculptor, Corlett, the re-emergence of his four much-discussed works is a long-awaited relief.“I’m absolutely delighted. I was deeply pained by their removal from the original site and the fact that they’ve lingered so long in storage,” he said.To quote one of Farnham’s biggest hits, “That’s freedom.”Senator’s Roman holidayThe days of parliament missed by Nationals senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie late last month appeared to be the last thing on her mind this week as she traipsed the streets of Rome, making the most of the midwinter break.Imagine our envy on learning the senator had managed to trade our dreary winter for some downtime in the European sun. McKenzie was seen touring St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Tuesday (AEST). She caught the attention of a nearby CBD spy while talking on the phone. “I could recognise that voice anywhere,” our spy said, after furnishing us with a photo.Senator Bridget McKenzie outside St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.McKenzie is in Italy on a private holiday, CBD hears, and ended up in Rome after completing a leg of the Via Francigena, a 3200-kilometre pilgrimage from England to Italy via France. And we don’t begrudge her. We’re just pleased to see the jet-setting senator out in the world while parliament isn’t sitting.It was only a few weeks ago that CBD brought word that McKenzie and her former Nationals colleague-turned-One Nation defector Barnaby Joyce had decided to snub parliament during a sitting week for the right-wing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship event in London.The three-day event, co-founded by controversial right-wing psychologist Jordan Peterson, hosted McKenzie as a speaker. Surely, we thought, the European trip would also give McKenzie a chance to reunite with her former Nationals colleague Keith Pitt, who moved to Rome this year as Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See. CBD checked in with McKenzie’s office on her travel plans and was told the senator had managed to squeeze in meetings with the Australian embassies to Italy and the Holy See during her annual leave.Rushdie cancels book tourSir Salman Rushdie, author of books including The Satanic Verses, Midnight’s Children and the memoir Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, has cancelled his Australian tour owing to the need for urgent eye surgery.Rushdie, who survived a frenzied stabbing attack at an event in New York in 2022 where he was preparing to speak on writer safety, was scheduled to appear at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne and the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney in August. He was blinded in one eye in the horrific attack.Salman Rushdie pictured in January.AP“It is with real regret that I must cancel my upcoming appearances in Melbourne and Sydney,” Rushdie said in message to ticket holders this week.“I need urgent eye surgery and my surgeon has advised me against long-distance travel while I recover. With only one functioning eye, I have no choice but to prioritise this essential surgery.“I am deeply sorry to disappoint the readers and audiences. I hope to make the journey to Australia before too long.”The New York-based writer, who was to speak in Australia on the fight for artistic freedom, spent several years in hiding after the publication of The Satanic Verses in 1988 because of threats against his life.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.From our partners