Police say they are investigating incident which saw statue’s hand and nose knocked off. A statue of British explorer Captain James Cook in a suburb of Sydney has been vandalised ahead of Australia Day, the second such incident in as many years. New South Wales Police said they were investigating.
![[A statue of Captain James Cook is covered in red paint after being vandalized, in Randwick, Sydney]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/05/11848891.jpg)
The vandals threw red paint, sprayed graffiti, knocked off a hand, its nose and part of the face of the statue on Belmore Road in Randwick on Friday. Australia Day, celebrated on 26 January, is a contentious holiday in the country as it is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, establishing the first permanent European settlement on the continent.
While for many Indigenous Australians the date marks the beginning of the colonisation and dispossession of their lands, for others it is a celebration of the nation’s history, culture and achievements. Randwick mayor Dylan Parker condemned the attack. He said the heritage statue would be restored but it would take weeks to do it, lamenting that ratepayer money could have been put to better use.
“Randwick City Council condemns this act of vandalism of the heritage Captain Cook statue,” he said. "Vandalism has no place in public discussion. It is an illegal act that does a disservice to progressing your cause, a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation.".
