Anti-monarchy graffiti on King George V Memorial sparks anger and confusion

Anti-monarchist graffiti has remained on the King George V Memorial for weeks, with the National Capital Authority citing difficulties removing the paint from the site’s sandstone surface.

Old Parliament House, Canberra

Anti-monarchist graffiti defacing the King George V Memorial has remained in place for more than four weeks, prompting public concern and confusion about which authority is responsible for its removal.

The graffiti states “Land bak” [sic] and “Legal systems” do not equate “justice systems”.

The damage, which includes spray-painted slogans, is on the forecourt of the heritage-listed site.

Comments on social media show growing frustration, with Canberra residents questioning the inaction and pointing to ongoing issues with maintenance and vandalism across the capital.

Graffiti at the King George V memorial.

Others claimed contractors such as Citywide, which works with the National Capital Authority on site maintenance, should be addressing the issue.

The lingering graffiti has sparked dozens of online comments from frustrated residents, with many questioning why the damage has not yet been addressed.

The King George V Memorial has been located outside Old Parliament House, Canberra since the 1940s.

Another resident commented, tagging the official account of the NCA: “Since you increase parking fees in Russell but don’t actually provide better infrastructure, maybe you could spare the people’s hard-earned dollars to fix this mess.”

Others were more dismissive of the issue, with one person writing, “Who cares? The graffiti isn’t vulgar … it’s a political statement with some accuracy.”

Still, many voiced disappointment at the state of the site.

“There is graffiti everywhere around Canberra. Disgusting. What has happened to pride in ourselves and places?” one commenter wrote.

Image of graffiti after attempted cleans, supplied by National Capital Authority when contacted for comment.

Some expressed concern over the frequency of vandalism in the area, stating: “Why does everyone hate this particular statue? It gets damaged every month,” one anonymous poster said.

The NCA who is responsible for the condition of the memorial was contacted for comment and stated: “The National Capital Authority (NCA) maintains the memorials within the National Triangle including the King George V memorial.”

“The NCA is aware of the graffiti and has already arranged to remove it. This has proven challenging.

“The memorial is made of sandstone which is a porous material. As such it has not been possible to remove the graffiti completely.”

The NCA acknowledged the challenges involved in removing the spray paint from the porous sandstone surface, stating that conventional cleaning methods could cause further damage.

“It is not possible to apply pressure wash as it would cause damage to the stone.”

The NCA also shared that they are “ currently working with its contracted conservator exploring new ways to assist the cleaning of the memorials and better protection against graffiti.

The photo above demonstrates the attempted removals of the graffiti that has been supplied from the NCA.

“NCA’s contracted security provider performs regular patrols of the National Triangle.”

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