Captain Cook Statue Damaged In Randwick Ahead Of January 26
Image: dylanjparker/Instagram
A statue of Captain Cook has been splashed with red paint and had the sandstone damaged overnight in Randwick.
NSW Police arrived the scene on the corner of Belmore Road and Avoca Street at about 8:30am, and are investigating the incident.
“The sandstone hand has been completely removed and the statue has been covered in red paint,” said Randwick City Council Mayor Dylan Parker.
“Vandalism has no place in our public discussion. It is an illegal act that does a disservice to progressing your cause, a disservice to the community and sets back reconciliation.”
Parker said that the council were actioning plans to clean and restore the statue, but repairs would take weeks.
Liberal Randwick City councillor, Dr Carolyn Martin, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham that the statue was an “absolute mess”.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful behaviour; we’re all absolutely horrified,” she said.
Community not surprised
The statue, located on the lands of the Gadigal and Bidjigal peoples, received similar damage last February. In 2020, it was also spray painted with the words “no pride in genocide” and the outline of an Aboriginal flag.
Randwick City Council posted about the incident on social media, with many commenters questioning the need for a statue of Cook.
“If we are serious about honouring Aboriginal people in Randwick and practical action towards reconciliation, the statue of someone who denied Aboriginal sovereignty over their land will be removed from the centre of our community and placed indoors somewhere like a museum,” said one commenter.
Another asked “what can the council do to address the concerns of many in the community who believe this isn’t the right place for the statue?”
This comes only days before January 26, the anniversary of British colonisation of these lands, which has been celebrated as a public holiday for 30 years.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to rally around the country on Sunday to mark what Indigenous peoples call Invasion Day or Survival Day.
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