Captain Cook memorial vandalised ahead of January 26th
A memorial honouring Captain Cook in Catani Gardens, St Kilda has been vandalised ahead of Australia Day.
The statue of the British colonialist was cleanly sawn off from its stone base, which was also defaced with red graffiti and the chilling message: “The colony will fall”.
The memorial is believed to have been cut down around 3:30 am on Thursday, after members of the public alerted police.
“Several people were seen loitering in the area around the time of the incident,” police said.
Liberal MP Angus Taylor called the incident an “egregious act of vandalism" and said that it is one of the acts that "everyone should condemn.”
“Captain Cook was a man of the enlightenment. Why would they do this to I think a great human being,” he said on Today.
Port Phillip councillor Marcus Pearl described the incident as “disheartening” and called for the vandal to be held accountable for their actions.
“This is not a solitary act of mischief,” he said.
“It’s a repeated pattern of disrespect, especially evident around Australia Day for the past six years. Such acts blatantly disregard our community’s hard-fought principles of debate and democratic expression.”
The Captain Cook statue has been a target of multiple vandalism attempts, with vandals covering it in bright coloured paint, both in 2018 and 2022.
The Port Phillip councillor has urged people not to let this incident “fuel division” but instead drive “constructive, inclusive conversations."
“Our community’s strength lies in its ability to engage in respectful and open discussions,” he said.
Images: Today