One of Bankstown’s most recognisable landmarks has a new home.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the statue named The Spirit of Botany has been moved from the southern courtyard of the old Town Hall to the south-western corner of Paul Keating Park.

“With work expected to start next month on the Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre, it was important we protected such an important piece of our history,” Mayor Asfour said.

The Spirit of Botany was designed and constructed by Sydney sculptor Alan Ingram to commemorate Sir Joseph Banks’ lifelong interest in Botany. It consists of a symbolic figure of a woman representing Botany, seated in an informal arrangement of natural rocks, holding a plant aloft.

The figure, which is made of cast aluminium, is 3.15 metres high and weighs approx 386 kilograms, was unveiled on 7 April 1967.

Mayor Asfour said The Spirit of Botany is identifying feature of Bankstown and was incorporated in the Council logo which replaced the Council crest in the 1990s.

“The Spirit of Botany is now positioned in a native garden setting at the pedestrian junction in The Mall directly opposite Featherstone Street,” Mayor Asfour said.

“This location is a busy pedestrian route between the Bankstown Plaza, transport interchange, the new Library and Knowledge Centre site, TAFE and school facilities.

“It also provides a visual connection to the Sir Joseph Banks sculpture located on the corner of Chapel Road.”