Vandals have caused $140,000 damage to several bronze statues of prime ministers in Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

In short:

Police are investigating a vandalism attack on 20 bronze statues of Australian prime ministers in Ballarat.

The heads from the busts of former Labor leaders Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating were severed and stolen.

What’s next?

The sculptor who created the busts says plaster moulds are available to recreate the statues.

    • Norah (pup/it/she)@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      1·
      10 days ago

      Definitely not. Invasion day is tomorrow, and the term “the colony/commonwealth will fall” is used by first nations activists. Recall back to last year when the Captain Cook statue was toppled in St. Kilda.

      • Gorgritch_Umie_Killa@aussie.zoneEnglish
        0·
        10 days ago

        Yeah, maybe if it was the words on its own, but also knocking off Rudds head? That doesn’t make much sense.

        My first thought was aussie day related, but Rudd is a PM who actually did something meaningful, symbolic, but still meaningful.

        • tau@aussie.zoneEnglish
          0·
          10 days ago

          but also knocking off Rudds head? That doesn’t make much sense.

          We are talking about the sort of people who both think vandalism like this will reflect well upon their cause and continue to attack a statue of Cook around Australia Day when there’s a much more relevant statue of Arthur Phillip just a bit further down the road. I think you’re giving them too much credit to expect they’d differentiate Rudd for doing the National Apology.

          • Gorgritch_Umie_Killa@aussie.zoneEnglish
            0·
            10 days ago

            Yeah, i don’t understand that. Pretty sure Phillip was the terra nulious proponent, so it boggles the mind why you’d go after a Cook statue before the Phillip statue if you’re indigenous Australian. Which means you’re probably right.

            • Norah (pup/it/she)@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
              2·
              9 days ago

              I really think that your and @Tau@aussie.zone’s have some really outdated beliefs here. At what point, after trying “respectably” to have their voices heard, are indigenous mob supposed to rise up?

              As well, do you even know about your own history, and the history of this so-called country? Invasion Day celebrates the anniversary of Cook’s invasion of these lands. That is why his statues have been targeted around this date, because that is what is being celebrated on this day.

              As a trans woman, I am always going to stand in solidarity with other minority groups. Always was, always will be.

              • tau@aussie.zoneEnglish
                0·
                9 days ago

                do you even know about your own history, and the history of this so-called country? Invasion Day celebrates the anniversary of Cook’s invasion of these lands.

                My irony meter just overloaded…