HAWICK’S common good fund committee has agreed to help replace a bronze memorial to Borders poet WH Ogilvie after it was stolen three years ago.

The common good fund will chip in £2,000 to build a cairn for the bronze statue, which has been replicated thanks to the efforts of a WH Ogilvie community group.

The William H Ogilvie Memorial Trust, which is a charitable organisation that promotes the work of the famous poet, has been working to replace a bronze sculpture which sat alongside the Hawick to Roberton hill road ever since it was stolen in August 2016.

The sculpture, of a book inscribed with his poems and travels in Australia, was never recovered, but luckily an exact copy had been made by WH Ogilvie’s antipodean fans.

Using 3D modelling software, a copy has now been made of the Australian sculpture and is due to be unveiled just after the 150th anniversary of the poet’s birth on August 16.

The group has already raised the £5,600 needed for the sculpture, but need a further £3,600 for the cairn on which it will be placed.

Appearing at a meeting of the Hawick common good committee on Tuesday May 28, the group’s chairman Ian Landles, who is related to the original creator of the sculpture, told councillors: “It will soon be the 150th anniversary of the poet’s birth, and we’re hoping to unveil the memorial as part of his birthday celebrations.

“We’re a small group that has been working to further the works of WH Ogilvie for some time now.

“Everything was going along well until the memorial at Roberton was destroyed. Fortunately, WH Ogilvie appears to be much more popular in Australia than he is in his homeland, and he has a large following there who have helped us to reproduce the memorial.

“The new bronze will cost over £5,000 and the cairn will cost over £3,000, and we’re in the position at the moment where one of our own committee members has had to put their hand in their own pocket and help us out. So we’re financially challenged to say the least.

“I hope you can support our application, and hopefully the cairn will attract visitors to the Borders and the Ogilvie trail.”

Mr Landles also confirmed that the memorial sculpture will be insured, meaning if anything untoward happens to the sculpture again the trust will not be out of pocket.

The chair of the committee, Hawick and Hermitage councillor George Turnbull, said: “It’s very unfortunate, obviously, that it was stolen in the first place.

“I think you have to be commended for all of the work that’s involved here, and I’m very supportive of your application.”

Hawick and Denholm councillor Clair Ramage was full of praise: “I think this is just amazing, and will enhance education, and the arts, culture and heritage of the town.

“I fully support this, £2,000 for what you’re offering is amazing.”

Fellow Hawick and Denholm councillor Watson McAteer also commented: “I’m exactly the same as councillor Ramage.

“This will bring visitors to the town, and will also celebrate this fantastic poet, who’s works continue to be raised and praised to this day.

“I think it would be remiss of us to not support this. We need to get this memorial back.”

The replacing of the memorial cairn near Roberton will not be the only event taking place in the Borders to mark the 150th anniversary of Ogilvie’s birth, as the the Ex-Kelso Laddies Club is also planning a tribute.

The organisation is planning on marking the 150th of his birth by erecting a memorial stone at Holefield, near Kelso, where he was born.