‘Absolute mess’: Captain Cook statute vandalised ahead of Australia Day
A statue of Captain Cook in Sydney’s east has been splashed with red paint and had its hand and nose knocked off in the leadup to the Australia Day weekend, the second time it has been vandalised in 12 months.
The statue on Belmore Road, Randwick, is an “absolute mess”, Randwick City councillor Dr Carolyn Martin told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Friday morning.
A statue of Captain Cook has been vandalised for the second time in 12 months.Credit: 2GB via listener
“They’ve splattered paint all over it … and they’ve knocked his hand off and part of his face and nose,” she said.
“The vandals scaled the fence using a stepladder they left behind.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful behaviour; we’re all absolutely horrified.”
NSW Police arrived at the scene about 8.30am. Randwick Council workers are working to fix the damage.
Last February, the same statue was splattered with red paint, and the council engaged heritage stone specialists to repair it.
The statue was also defaced in 2020, with black spray paint used to write “no pride in genocide” and draw the outline of an Aboriginal flag on the monument.
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