Captain Cook statue vandalized in Sydney ahead of Australia Day

Australian police are investigating after a statue of Captain James Cook was covered in red paint and defaced, ahead of the Australia Day weekend.

This is the second time in 12 months that the Sydney statue has been vandalized.

Australia Day is a national holiday which falls each year on January 26 – the anniversary of the first British fleet landing at Sydney Cove in 1788. Many indigenous Australians say the date brings them pain.

The local council in Randwick – the suburb where the statue is located – described the vandalism as “a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation”.

Councilor Carolyn Martin told Sydney Radio Station 2GB the vandals knocked off a hand and parts of a face and nose.

The statue – which was first unveiled in 1874 – was previously targeted in February last year, when it was covered in red paint and damaged by parts of its sandstone. The repair and restoration work was completed a month later.

There are several Captain Cook statues across Australia, and others were also vandalized on or around January 26.

In 2024, one in Melbourne was shot On the eve of the holiday, while its base was spray painted with the words “The Colony Will Fall”. Two years earlier, the same statue was splashed with red paint, while in 2018 it was graffitied with the words “no pride” and had an Indigenous flag placed next to it.

Cook charted the east coast of Australia in 1770, laying the foundations for the final decision to send the First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip.

Australia Day is a contentious holiday for some, particularly among those in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who see it as a reminder of the dispossession and displacement of their people.

For many Australians, it is celebrated as a day of nation building and achievement. The poll suggests a majority of people support keeping the holiday, despite suggestions it should be changed to a different date.