A statue of Captain Cook in Sydney has been covered in red paint and damaged as tensions rise ahead of Australia Day on Sunday.
The statue, which stands on Belmore Road in Randwick, had its hand ripped off and parts of its face destroyed during the attack.
The attack has been condemned by Randwick councilor Andrew Hay.
“The Captain Cook statue has been vandalized again,” he said in a statement.
'They broke the sandstone and cut off his hand and nose.
'Low lives in Randwick know no boundaries, have no respect for great people of history, and will trash him to make a political point he is not directly concerned with.'
Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker also reported the vandalism.
A statue of Captain Cook in Sydney has been covered in red paint and damaged as tensions rise ahead of Australia Day
“Vandalism has no place in the public discussion,” he said.
“Vandalism is an illegal act that is a disservice to the advancement of your cause, a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation.
'The municipality will clean and restore the statue.
'The statue was cleaned and restored last year following a similar incident in February 2024.'
In 2020, the statue was defaced with black spray paint, which was used to write the phrase 'no pride in genocide' and to draw the outline of the Aboriginal flag on the monument.
Australia Day, celebrated every year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first Governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove.
But for many First Nations people it is considered 'Invasion Day' or the 'Day of Mourning' because it marks the beginning of the colonization of Australia.
