Captain Cook Statue in Melbourne Targeted by Vandals Again

Vandals attempted to behead the statue and defaced Cook's Cottage with graffiti before being deterred by security measures early Tuesday morning.

The Captain Cook statue and Cook's Cottage in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens were vandalized around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, just weeks after the statue was reinstalled following prior damage.
Offenders spray-painted anti-Captain Cook messages on the cottage and attempted to decapitate the statue using tools, but fled after security measures activated.
Security measures included a light and an audio warning that played multiple times, alerting the vandals they were being recorded on CCTV.
The City of Melbourne recently spent $13,000 on repairs to the statue after it was previously vandalized and removed from its plinth last year.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage and have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.