Twin statues of Melbourne's founding fathers have nowhere to call home with developers refusing to return them to a rebuilt and redesigned CBD plaza and the city council turning its back on them and the troubled civic history they represent.

A pair of sculptures of John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner stood side by side in front of the National Mutual building in Collins Street for almost 40 years.

Sculptor Michael Meszaros with a maquette of his 1978 sculpture of John Pascoe Fawkner. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Removed to make way for the $1 billion “pantscraper” project by property fund CBUS, the bronze sculptures are now gathering dust in storage.

The works were originally commissioned in 1978 by the City of Melbourne but they now belong to CBUS, which has told Melbourne sculptor Michael Meszaros – who cast the Fawkner sculpture – that it has no intention of returning them to their former home.