In a significant act of protest, two monuments commemorating Australia's colonial history have been targeted and vandalised in Melbourne's Flagstaff Gardens overnight. The incident comes as the nation approaches Australia Day on 26 January, a date that has historically served as a flashpoint for tensions surrounding colonial history and Indigenous rights.
Monuments Destroyed and Defaced
Victoria Police have confirmed that machinery was likely used to pull down the Pioneer Monument, a sandstone obelisk erected in 1871 to mark the first European burial ground on the site. The monument was found smashed into pieces beside its plinth on Thursday morning, with the words "land back" and "death to Australia" daubed across it in red paint.
An inverted red triangle was also painted on the damaged structure. While this symbol appears in the Palestinian flag at a different angle and has been interpreted by some as a marker of resistance, it has also been associated with Hamas in certain contexts.
Second Monument Targeted
A nearby monument, the Separation Memorial, was also vandalised with red paint during the same incident. This memorial was erected in 1950 to commemorate the centenary of the formal separation of the Port Phillip colony, now known as Victoria, from New South Wales.
Police believe the vandalism occurred between 10pm on Wednesday night and 6am on Thursday morning. By Thursday morning, workers had largely washed the paint from the monuments and were removing the smashed masonry from the Flagstaff Gardens site.
Political and Community Response
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen described the incident as "a disgrace" and called for those responsible to face the full force of the law. "Victoria Police will investigate and I'm asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers," she stated.
Melbourne's Lord Mayor, Nick Reece, expressed strong condemnation of the vandalism during an interview with 774 ABC Radio Melbourne. "This sort of behaviour will not and cannot be tolerated in Melbourne," he declared, describing the perpetrators as "idiots."
Reece particularly criticised the "death to Australia" message, noting the irony of defacing a monument that commemorated Victoria becoming a colony and the democratic rights that followed. "To deface and say 'death to Australia' across a monument which was actually celebrating a great step forward for democracy and giving people the right to a vote, and all these other great rights and benefits [that] came from Victoria becoming a colony, is just moronic," he remarked.
Increased Security Measures
The Lord Mayor confirmed that Melbourne City Council had increased security at statues and monuments across the city in the lead-up to Australia Day, implementing measures such as cyclone fencing and cameras in some areas. However, these protections were not present at the Flagstaff monuments on Wednesday night.
"We'll obviously be reviewing arrangements across the remainder of our collection and we'll be stepping things up in the days ahead," Reece assured the public, indicating that security would be enhanced following this incident.
Historical Context of Monument Vandalism
Statues commemorating Australia's colonial history have repeatedly become targets for vandalism in Melbourne, with Australia Day serving as a particular focal point for such protests. This latest incident follows a pattern of similar actions in recent years.
On 24 January 2024, a statue of Captain Cook in St Kilda's foreshore gardens was sawn off at the ankles, with the plinth spray-painted with the slogan: "The colony will fall." These acts of vandalism reflect ongoing debates about how Australia commemorates its colonial past and addresses historical injustices against Indigenous peoples.
Timing Amid National Mourning
The vandalism occurred on Thursday 22 January, which had been marked as a national day of mourning for the 15 people killed in the December terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach. Premier Allen noted the unfortunate timing, stating, "Even on a day about love and unity, these people can't help but introduce hate and destruction."
Police have established a crime scene around both vandalised monuments in Flagstaff Gardens and continue their investigation into the incident. The community awaits further developments as authorities work to identify those responsible for this act of destruction against Melbourne's historical monuments.
