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UPDATE 11am Monday:
The giant statue of silver screen legend Marilyn Monroe is coming down.
The Bendigo Advertiser is there to livestream the event:
EARLIER:
It is time to say goodbye, Norma Jeane.
A steady flow of people passed through Rosalind Park’s southern corner on Sunday to farewell the eight-metre tall statue of screen siren Marilyn Monroe – real name Norma Jeane Baker – that has called Bendigo home for the past five and a half months.
Seward Johnson’s Forever Marilyn is due to be removed from the park on Monday and plenty of people took advantage of the clear weather to take one final photo with the Hollywood icon.
Sisters Linda and Andi Devereaux, from Bendigo, said the area had been busy every time they had passed, but they thought yesterday would be an opportune time to take their selfies with the star.
“She’s fantastic, it’s a really brilliant statue,” Linda said.
“It’s been marvellous for Bendigo, it really has,” Andi said.
Georgie Shannon and her mother-in-law Julie took the kids for one final look at who they call “the lady”, with young Pippa a strong admirer.
“They like playing around her feet,” Georgie said.
Cathy, Caitlin and Gemma Ritchie also came to say their goodbyes.
“It’s going to look so bare without her,” Gemma said.
Other Marilyn admirers came from much further afield.
Annie Hassan is visiting Bendigo from Malaysia with friends and family, and they went to Rosalind Park specifically to get some photos with the timeless actress.
Visitors snapping away at the statue yesterday also came from Taiwan, South Korea and Denmark.
For some out-of-towners, catching Marilyn on her last day in the city was simply a stroke of luck.
Stephanie Lake and Jan Forrest were visiting Bendigo for the Australian Sheep and Wool show and were “thrilled” to discover Marilyn was still in town.
Local business owners have also expressed some sadness at Marilyn’s impending departure.
“It’s always good to see people out there taking photos,” Boris Murger’s Connor Beven said.
Mr Beven said the statue and accompanying exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery had brought a lot of business to the restaurant and he would like to see an art installation in the same space regularly.
The idea was echoed by Borchelli owner Simon Lock, who said he would put foward a suggestion to council that a new sculpture fill the space every six to 12 months, to capitalise on the fame of Forever Marilyn and bring more tourism to the town.
Mr Lock said Marilyn’s departure was bittersweet – he had enjoyed the diverse range of visitors she had attracted, but he was looking forward to a rest, having been twice as busy as usual in the time she had been in Bendigo.
Cafe El Beso barista Eva Marchingo said there was some concern about a potential downturn in business once Marilyn left town, adding that she would miss the people the star had brought to Bendigo.
Curiouser and Curiouser antiques shop owner Chris Corris said his business had not seen an increase in sales but it had seen a lot of traffic through the door.
He admitted he would be relieved when it quietened down, but said Marilyn had been good for Bendigo and putting it on the map.