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City of Yarra Votes to Permanently Remove Captain Cook Memorial

The decision follows years of vandalism, high maintenance costs, and debates over colonial monuments, with bronze plaques to be preserved by the Captain Cook Society.

People walk near a traffic cone where a monument of British explorer Capt. James Cook once stood before it was removed following continued vandalism at a park Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)
A traffic cone sits where a monument of British explorer Capt. James Cook once stood before it was removed following continued vandalism at a park Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)
A person jogs near a traffic cone where a monument of British explorer Capt. James Cook once stood before it was removed following continued vandalism at a park Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)
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Overview

  • The City of Yarra council unanimously voted on May 13, 2025, to permanently de-accession the Captain Cook memorial from Edinburgh Gardens in Melbourne.
  • The granite monument, repeatedly vandalized since 2018, suffered catastrophic damage in January 2025, with repairs estimated at $15,000.
  • Over $100,000 has been spent on maintaining the memorial over the past 25 years, prompting concerns about its cost-effectiveness.
  • A council report deemed the memorial of 'little or no significance' to the park and rejected a $250,000 proposal to refabricate and reinstall it.
  • The bronze plaques from the memorial will be transferred to the Captain Cook Society for preservation, with no plans for reinstallation in the park.