A very modern family: Thomas the goose, Henrietta and Henry look after their brood

An inter-species love that lasted decades could now be immortalised in stone.

The 30-year relationship between Thomas the goose and Henry the swan could be commemorated in bronze and displayed on the Kāpiti Coast.

Waikanae Bird Tour operator Mik Peryer said the story of the feathered duo – who were joined by Henrietta, a female swan – deserved to be celebrated.

SUPPLIED A drawing of what the statue could look like. Eileen Thomas designed the concept.

"It was an iconic thing, Waikanae could even use the statue as a brand."

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Last year, Thomas' death spelled the end to the love affair that had delighted locals and visitors to the Waikanae estuary the pair called home.

SUPPLIED Mayor K Gurunathan speaks at the funeral of Thomas the goose at Waimanu Lagoon, Waikanae.

Thomas and Henry had spent 18 years together before Henry paired up with Henrietta; Thomas helped raise 68 cygnets over the years.

He finally fathered his own babies only to have them stolen by another goose, named George, who raised them as his own

The goose had been left heartbroken by Henry's 2009 death and had spent his later years in a Wellington bird sanctuary after he went blind and became a victim of swan attacks.

SUPPLIED Thomas the goose and Henry the swan with their babies. Their love affair is set to be immortalised with a statue at the Waikanae lagoon they called home.

Peryer recorded much of the relationship in books and newsletters and said it had captured people's imaginations.

"There's a love story there but it also goes across the boundaries and brings in the gay relationship which I think was wonderful."

A drawing by Waikanae woman Eileen Thomas provided the plan for the life-size sculpture which, if cast in bronze, could cost up to $80,000.

He was unsure what the next step was but wanted to test the community's reaction to the idea.

Kāpiti mayor K Gurunathan spoke at Thomas' funeral last year, something he described as one of the "most bizarrely memorable ones" he had attended.

"Complete with bagpipes, speeches and a poetry recitation by that famous raconteur, Pinky Agnew. The only funeral I have attended in my mayoral chains. The story of this funeral went global."

SUPPLIED Thomas' tiny casket is bagpiped to his resting place.

Peryer's stories had made Thomas a political ambassador for diversity but the project's supporters should think carefully about council money being involved, he said.

"That would involve responsibility for the artistic nature of the work and its placement going to the council's Art Panel. If they are happy with that, that's fine. Otherwise they can look to crowdfunding the project. I think Thomas has the pull to raise that kind of money.

"No matter the process, Thomas is a great and quirky Kāpiti story and we should be celebrating our stories through our art."