Statue of Captain Cook will not be restored to its location in Melbourne park following ongoing acts of vandalism | Victoria

The City of Yarra has decided to scrap a contentious Captain Cook memorial in Melbourne’s inner-north Edinburgh Gardens, which has been repeatedly damaged by vandalism. The granite monument, which stood at the entrance of the gardens, was toppled and graffitied during the Australia Day long weekend and is currently in council storage. The council report found it would cost approximately $15,000 to repair and reinstate the memorial, which has seen over $100,000 spent on maintenance over the past 25 years. The report stated that the memorial holds “little or no significance” and recommended prioritizing conservation work elsewhere. The memorial’s condition and structural integrity were also noted as concerns. The decision to remove the memorial aims to eliminate yearly maintenance costs, saving ratepayers’ money, according to the city’s mayor, Stephen Jolly. The memorial has been vandalized multiple times since 2018.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/14/captain-cook-memorial-yarra-permanently-removed-edinburgh-gardens-melbourne-park