‘The colony will fall’: Australia Day vandalism ignites backlash—where do you stand?
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Acts of vandalism can spark controversy, especially when they target historical monuments.
What began as a single incident has now escalated into a series of targeted attacks, with recent events raising questions about motive and impact.
What followed was a display that has reignited debate over Australia’s colonial past and the symbolism of its statues.
Vandals set fire to the decapitated head of a King George V statue in a protest against the monarchy on Australia Day.
The statue stood in Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne.
It was beheaded on 10 June during the King's Birthday holiday by offenders who dedicated the act to King Charles.
Since then, the missing head remained unaccounted for until footage surfaced on social media, showing it burning on a barbecue with an Australian flag in the background.
The video was shared by activist groups Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance and Disrupt Wars.
It was accompanied by a caption that read: 'Cooking with king. Hot tips for roasting #invasionday #notourking #cooking #cookingwithlove.'
A Disrupt Wars spokesperson shared that the video was sent to them anonymously.
It included a note stating: 'We will BBQ a monarch every year on January 26 until Australia (Day) is abolished #NotMyKing the colony will fall.'
Following the statue's decapitation, a police spokesperson said, 'It appears the head of the statue has been removed and red paint thrown at the monument.'
Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nick Reece confirmed that the council was working with police to locate the missing head, emphasising that vandalism comes at a cost to ratepayers.
'The damage to the King George V statue was extensive, and it is not a simple restoration. Ways to restore this statue are still being investigated.
'When a monument is damaged, we engage specialists to restore them and lend our support to Victoria Police – valuable council resources that could be better used to deliver for our community,' he said.
This incident follows another act of vandalism in which a masked individual posed with the stolen head of a Paul Keating statue while kneeling on the bust of Kevin Rudd.
Dressed entirely in black, the vandal held a sledgehammer in one hand and placed a foot on the Australian flag.
A caption accompanying the image read: 'Victoria Police say return the heads? We say return the land to its rightful owners! The colony is falling.'
The statues of Keating and Rudd were among 20 bronze busts targeted in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in Victoria on 23 January.
The other 18 statues, also depicting former prime ministers, were defaced with paint, with the total damage estimated at $140,000.
Authorities estimated that the stolen heads of Keating and Rudd were worth approximately $50,000 each.
The attack was part of an ongoing pattern of statue vandalism in the lead-up to Australia Day, with figures such as Captain Cook frequently targeted.
Police believe an angle grinder was used to remove the busts and are seeking four individuals seen in a silver ute captured on CCTV.
The statue of King George V remains standing in Kings Domain, headless.
Disrupt Wars and the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance have been contacted for comment.
Watch the full video below.
In a previous story, a historic monument was defaced and beheaded on the King’s Birthday, sparking outrage and calls for action.
Could these incidents be directly connected, revealing a pattern of targeted vandalism?
Read on!
Vandalism of historical monuments continues to spark debate, with opinions divided on whether these acts are protest or destruction.
Do you think such incidents prompt necessary conversations? Are they simply acts of defacement?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
What began as a single incident has now escalated into a series of targeted attacks, with recent events raising questions about motive and impact.
What followed was a display that has reignited debate over Australia’s colonial past and the symbolism of its statues.
Vandals set fire to the decapitated head of a King George V statue in a protest against the monarchy on Australia Day.
The statue stood in Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne.
It was beheaded on 10 June during the King's Birthday holiday by offenders who dedicated the act to King Charles.
Vandals torch King George V statue’s severed head. Image source: Instagram/unitedstrugglecombatwombat
Since then, the missing head remained unaccounted for until footage surfaced on social media, showing it burning on a barbecue with an Australian flag in the background.
The video was shared by activist groups Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance and Disrupt Wars.
It was accompanied by a caption that read: 'Cooking with king. Hot tips for roasting #invasionday #notourking #cooking #cookingwithlove.'
A Disrupt Wars spokesperson shared that the video was sent to them anonymously.
It included a note stating: 'We will BBQ a monarch every year on January 26 until Australia (Day) is abolished #NotMyKing the colony will fall.'
Following the statue's decapitation, a police spokesperson said, 'It appears the head of the statue has been removed and red paint thrown at the monument.'
Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nick Reece confirmed that the council was working with police to locate the missing head, emphasising that vandalism comes at a cost to ratepayers.
'The damage to the King George V statue was extensive, and it is not a simple restoration. Ways to restore this statue are still being investigated.
'When a monument is damaged, we engage specialists to restore them and lend our support to Victoria Police – valuable council resources that could be better used to deliver for our community,' he said.
This incident follows another act of vandalism in which a masked individual posed with the stolen head of a Paul Keating statue while kneeling on the bust of Kevin Rudd.
Dressed entirely in black, the vandal held a sledgehammer in one hand and placed a foot on the Australian flag.
A caption accompanying the image read: 'Victoria Police say return the heads? We say return the land to its rightful owners! The colony is falling.'
The statues of Keating and Rudd were among 20 bronze busts targeted in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens in Victoria on 23 January.
The other 18 statues, also depicting former prime ministers, were defaced with paint, with the total damage estimated at $140,000.
Authorities estimated that the stolen heads of Keating and Rudd were worth approximately $50,000 each.
The attack was part of an ongoing pattern of statue vandalism in the lead-up to Australia Day, with figures such as Captain Cook frequently targeted.
Police believe an angle grinder was used to remove the busts and are seeking four individuals seen in a silver ute captured on CCTV.
The statue of King George V remains standing in Kings Domain, headless.
Disrupt Wars and the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance have been contacted for comment.
Watch the full video below.
In a previous story, a historic monument was defaced and beheaded on the King’s Birthday, sparking outrage and calls for action.
Could these incidents be directly connected, revealing a pattern of targeted vandalism?
Read on!
Vandalism of historical monuments continues to spark debate, with opinions divided on whether these acts are protest or destruction.
Do you think such incidents prompt necessary conversations? Are they simply acts of defacement?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
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