Hunt for vandals who defaced Ballarat statues continues
Police are still hunting for vandals who defaced monuments to Australia’s former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott while a historian has slammed the attacks, saying they reveal a limited knowledge of history.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Vandals who defaced monuments honouring Australia’s prime ministers are still being hunted by detectives as an acclaimed historian decries the “shortsighted” attack.
Victoria Police confirmed it’s still investigating the incident, which left busts of John Howard and Tony Abbott at Ballarat’s Prime Ministers Ave daubed with hate-filled obscenities.
Security has been ramped up.
Leading historian Geoffrey Blainey, who attended high school in Ballarat and was the founding chancellor of its university, told the Sunday Herald Sun the vandalism was not only senseless but misdirected.
It occurred in the midst of similar attacks overseas as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I was utterly surprised,’’ Mr Blainey said.
“I couldn’t see why they would pick on Mr Abbott and Mr Howard — they’ve had nothing to do with the episodes in the United States.
“If they were interested in history they might have picked on a prime minister who was prominent in the days of the White Australia policy.
“But I assume that they had very little knowledge of history and Mr Abbott and Mr Howard were the only prime ministers they could recognise.”
Mr Blainey said more monuments honouring indigenous Australians were needed.
But there was no excuse for attacking those already erected.
“Once one statue goes it becomes a copycat game,’’ he said.
“I think it’s very shortsighted.
“People put up statues because they believed at the time that the person they were honouring was worthy.
“Another generation comes along and has different views and decides some of the things done by that person were unworthy.
“But ever life is full of the worthy and the unworthy.
“We can’t live without making mistakes. Opinion changes and somebody who does one heroic deed in one generation is not seen as heroic in the next.
“Ballarat should be very proud it’s got that sense of history. It’s one of the great tourist sites in Australia. That makes it doubly sad that people should thoughtlessly damage statutes in that city. It was a very, very sad day.”
Ballarat City Council confirmed it had ramped up security patrols around the botanical gardens in the wake of the June 13 attack with temporary cyclone fencing installed.
The busts were restored and information provided to police.
CCTV is likely to be key in the investigation with it unclear whether the vandals were adults or teens.
Their actions appear politically motivated given two recent Liberal prime ministers were singled out.
There have been no further attacks on monuments in Prime Ministers Ave or the nearby area.
Information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
MORE NEWS
PORSCHE, ITALIAN RESTAURANT SPRAYED WITH BULLETS
PUBS PUSH FOR CHANGE TO PATRON LIMIT AMID VIRUS SPIKE