In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, and the appropriateness of certain statues around the world being questioned - and in some cases, torn down - some see the Little Black Boy as racist.

The issue even found its way onto ABC Radio this week and prompted a call to Maitland and District Historical Society President Kevin Short.

Mr Short, an occasional columnist for the Mercury, said while he understands the international anger over the Black Lives Matter protests, he feels the Little Black Boy is being wrongly portrayed.

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"It arrived in Maitland a bit over 150 years ago as a gift to a local tobacconist," he said.

"It is supposedly a representation of an American Negro boy who held George Washington's horses while he crossed the Delaware.

"The boy was the son of a free man who fought in the revolutionary army.

"The story goes that the boy froze to death while waiting for Washington to return, so while I understand people's objection, it's a story of courage rather than a representation of slavery."

However there were others who disagreed

Host Paul Turton read out a couple of letters from people - some who felt the Little Black Boy has no place, and others who disagreed.

"Jocko the Little Black Boy Statue is inherently racist. It's meant to commemorate a small boy war hero. Why is it defined by skin? Skin shouldn't even be mentioned. Why not dignify it with the boy's actual name, birth date, death date and say what he did that was great? It's a stylistically denigrating way to remember someone who was a war hero."

And another who clearly had a different view: "It's a landmark. I would think the majority would see it with affection."

Mr Short acknowledged that "from time to time" there had been discussion about the appropriateness of the High Street statue.

"The fact that it's called the Black Boy, I think, is the part that people see as denigrating," he said.

"I take the point that he should be called by his name. He has a name, Jocko Graves. I can see no point why that shouldn't happen.

"But I might point out too that the story is not supported by history. It came from a children's book written in America in around 1963, so the history behind it is possibly fictitional, although more often than not these stories are based on some sort of fact. I certainly look at it with some sort of affection and I don't see as a figure of racism."

The crossing of the Delaware occurred in December 1776 and it is believed that the boy was 12 years old at the time.

The current statue is not the original. The original Black Boy was knocked down in a traffic accident as its replacement that is on the street today is made if fibreglass.

It is a replica of lawn jockey statues seen in the United States and, as a nod to that, for years it was painted in the colours of the Melbourne Cup winner, and also the colours of local premiership winning football teams.