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2w ago

City of Yarra Removes Captain Cook Memorial After Years of Vandalism

The Melbourne monument has been de-accessioned following repeated damage, high maintenance costs, and debates over its significance.

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 voted unanimously on May 13, 2025, to permanently remove the Captain Cook memorial from Edinburgh Gardens in Melbourne.
  • The granite and bronze monument had been repeatedly vandalized since 2020, including being toppled and spray-painted with 'cook the colony' in January 2024.
  • A council report highlighted over A$100,000 in maintenance costs over 25 years and deemed the memorial of 'little or no significance' to the park.
  • Mayor Stephen Jolly emphasized that the decision was driven by economic considerations, rejecting claims that the council was yielding to vandals.
  • The bronze plaques from the memorial have been offered to the Captain Cook Society for temporary custodianship, with discussions ongoing about a potential new display location.