Maclean mural of Uncle Ron Heron vandalised in ‘disgusting’ act

A mural commissioned for NAIDOC Week celebrations of an respected indigenous elder and academic has been vandalised in Maclean, sparking outrage in the community.

A Maclean mural of respected Yaegl man Uncle Ron Heron has been defaced, sparking outrage across the community.

The artwork on the corner of Howard and River St was discovered by Indigenous youth on Sunday morning with white paint rolled over the top.

The work, created by Indigenous street artist Austin Nitsua, was only completed less than a month ago as part of NAIDOC Week.

“It was a passion project of mine to positively inspire the beautiful town of Maclean to acknowledge and pay respect to the rightful custodians of the land”, he said on Facebook.

Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation CEO Aneika Kapeen described the vandalism as “pretty upsetting for everyone involved” with Uncle Ron “really saddened” by the act.

A Maclean mural of Yaegl elder Uncle Ron Heron has been defaced.

Mr Heron, or Uncle Ron, is a celebrated historian, anthropologist and academic that has contributed to ethnographic research in the Northern Rivers for decades.

Clarence Valley councillor Debrah Novak made a strongly-worded statement on Facebook in response to the defacing of the mural, calling the vandal “a low life dog with no care for the feelings of others”.

Local indigenous elders met on Wednesday to discuss repainting the mural in a collaborative effort between Mr Nitsua and Yaegl man Gareth Charlton. Up to $15,000 worth of modifications would be added to the mural to prevent future vandalism.

The Examiner understands the costs involved would be donated by a Maclean business, who wish to remain anonymous.

Uncle Ron’s niece Kahlua Charlton confirmed there were multiple offers of sponsorship from the community to cover the costs of repainting.

“The local community have been fantastic, it truly has been a blessing,” she said.

A formal report had not been made to authorities at the time of publication, with Chief Inspector Joanne Reed stating police were only made aware of the incident when contacted by media on Monday.

Uncle Ron Heron continues to serve the Northern Rivers community, taking tourists around the Clarence River and leading Dreamtime Storytelling events in Yamba and Maclean.