A masked Vandal has published a hair -raising message while holding the stolen head of a statue of a former Australian Prime Minister – while he knelt on the bust of another.
Like holding the beheaded statue of Paul Keating and kneeling on Kevin Rudd, the thief, who was completely dressed in black – held a front hammer in their right hand and had a foot on the Australian flag.
A caption with the shocking photo was: 'Victoria Police says he returns to the heads? We say that the country returns to its rightful owners! The colony falls. '
The images of the two former Labor Premiers were among the 20 bronze bustes that were damaged in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in the early hours of January 23.
Of the other 18 images – which are also from former prime ministers – name plates were covered with paint, with the claims estimated at $ 140,000, the courier reported.
The stolen heads of Mr Keating and Mr Rudd are each appreciated at around $ 50,000.
The incident was part of what an annual show of crime has become in the run -up to Australia Day on January 26, often aimed at images of Captain Cook.
The police say that a corner mill was used to remove the busts from the two former leaders, and they want to talk to four people who have been seen in a silver ute who was caught on CCTV.
In addition to holding the head of Paul Keating and kneeling on Kevin Rudd, the Hoodlum (photo) held a front hammer in their right hand and had a foot on the Australian flag
Ballarat Police Acting Inspector Brad Hall said that it was “disappointing to see that someone has paid so little attention to the well -being of the Ballarat community.”
“It is very disappointing to know the emotions that have created their actions to have a full contempt for that,” he said.
Peter Nicholson, the sculptor of various busts, including those of the Lord Keating and Mr. Rudd, was desperately through vandalism.
“It's very disturbing … especially for the people of Ballarat,” he told ABC Radio when the crime was reported.
'(Premier Avenue is) very popular. It has every prime minister since Federation, and it is the only one of his kind in Australia.
“It's just a shameful thing that it was destroyed in this way.”
He said that the statue of Paul Keating was previously damaged and was strengthened with steel through his neck.
“I don't know how (the criminals) did it. There have been several pieces of vandalism on them, so they are very strongly made and very strongly protected, “he said.
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is depicted on the unveiling of his bust in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens on Friday, November 4, 2022
Images of former prime ministers in Ballarat Botanical Gardens are covered after being damaged by Vandals
“It's hard to be able to get into the mindset of someone who is going to do something so brainless.”
Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said that the attack was 'completely unacceptable'.
“It is not only extremely expensive for our Ratepayers and will deduce money from critical council services, but it detracts from Ballarat like a city,” she said.
The police handle the damage to the images as a 'political statement' and believed that the photo was legitimate.
The exhibition has long been the place of vandalism attempts, in which the busts of former liberal prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott were sprayed with red paint in 2020, the age reported.
“The gardens are a beloved community location for everyone,” said Inspector Hall.
'It is only a matter of time before you are arrested and placed before the courts. I would recommend that you speed up that and bring the heads back to where they should be. '
He said that although it is possible that there will be further attacks on the images, at the moment 'there is nothing that suggests that this will be a constant'.
He added that the police were still revising CCTV to vandalism.
