Overview

• A statue of Captain James Cook in Randwick, Sydney, was vandalized with red paint and had its hand and parts of its face damaged two days before Australia Day.
• This is the second consecutive year the statue has been defaced; similar incidents have targeted other Cook statues across Australia in recent years.
• Australia Day, observed on January 26, is divisive, with Indigenous groups referring to it as 'Invasion Day' and holding protests to highlight the impacts of colonization.
• Randwick City Council plans to restore the heritage-listed statue, although repairs are expected to take weeks and will involve significant costs to ratepayers.
• Police are investigating the incident, having seized items at the scene, and are urging the public to report suspicious behavior around monuments during the long weekend.