Vandals attack Edinburgh Gardens Captain James Cook monument for second time in a month
The much-maligned Captain James Cook statue at Edinburgh Gardens has been vandalised for the second time in a month but this time with an eyebrow-raising statement about the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Captain James Cook statue at Edinburgh Gardens has been attacked by vandals for the second time in a month.
According to regular park users, the Fitzroy North monument was vandalised sometime on Friday night or Saturday morning.
In the latest attack vandals scrawled “Murderer” over the “Captain” engraving on the front of the monument.
Surprisingly, the term “COVID is a scam” was also scribbled on the front and back of the modest stone statue.
The much-maligned statue was one of many colonial monuments vandalised during the height of last months’ worldwide Black Lives Matter protests.
On that occasion, vandals spray-painted “Shame” on the front of the statue and a large “X” over Cook’s face.
The words “Destroy White Supremacy” were scrawled at the base.
The BLM protests sparked Yarra Council to undertake a comprehensive audit of monuments, statues and places following a motion put up by councillor Amanda Stone last month.
The Cook monument and places named after other colonial figures including politician William Burnley and even British navy officer Cuthbert Collingwood are likely be part of the council stocktake.
Cr Stone said last month the council was conducting a stocktake of monuments, statues and places after widespread community interest in symbols of oppression of Indigenous Australians.
“There are very mixed views about those both in the mainstream and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Cr Stone said.
“There are people that think these should stay and those who think that these should be taken down,” she said.
Cr Stone said there could be a need to employ a specialist to conduct an audit and review of the history, but was unsure of the cost to ratepayers.
She said the stocktake would be completed by December, with the audit to occur next year.
“The real issue here is that this is a sensitive issue about black deaths in custody, systemic racism and injustice,” Cr Stone said.
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