this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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145
Captain Cook statue sawn off at the ankles on eve of Australia Day (www.theage.com.au)
submitted 9 months ago by zero_gravitas@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone
27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The metal sculpture on Jacka Boulevard in St Kilda was sawn off at the ankles about 3.30am Thursday, with vandals also spray-painting “the colony will fall” on the statue’s granite plinth.

all 28 comments
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[–] DolphinLundgrin@aussie.zone 40 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Well done to whoever did this! I love it! 😁

[–] Zane@aussie.zone 33 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Shame the age didn't give this much attention to the regular defacement of the gorgeous mural just behind this statue that some knob kept painting bible verses over last year.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Whats the mural?

[–] Zane@aussie.zone 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

It was a gorgeous with bright oranges and yellows, filled with faces of people and hounds in a grotesque style. Whoever the vandal was took particular offence to the eyes and teeth, because that's what they covered in white roller. Unfortunately council has now painted the whole thing over with grey.

Here's a story on it

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

So, the artist 'mic' wanted someone to religiously challenge his work.

I don't mind that as art goes. Bit sensationalist. But i hope the artist didn't get paid a heap of money to beautify a grey cement wall only for the place to end up with a grey cement wall.

[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You hope the artist didn’t get paid because someone vandalised their work?

That is such a strange take.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

From the article linked it seemed like he went looking for someone to vandalise his work

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 1 points 9 months ago

If thats the case, then the wants of artists clashes with the wants of the payers to beautify the wall

[–] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 30 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Clean up any rough/sharp edges on the ankles, put a splash of something on the paint to preserve it and leave it there for (hopefully) generations to come.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Aussiemandias

[–] Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Mate of mates

[–] z00s@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Look on my beers all ye mighty and despair

[–] fiat_lux@kbin.social 17 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Ordinarily I'm more in favour of taking down colonialist statues and putting them in a museum, but this will do just fine for today.

[–] Nonameuser678@aussie.zone 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I think the whole thing as is (vandalised and all) should be put in a museum. History is not linear or static. We actively create and engage in history each day. Vandalising and pulling down these statues is not erasing history but rather contributing to it. If the statue gets cleaned and fixed then that is arguably an act of historical erasure.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 5 points 9 months ago

They're just helping to get it down off its plinth is all.

[–] Nonameuser678@aussie.zone 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm honestly surprised it lasted this long / hasn't been vandalised before.

[–] zero_gravitas@aussie.zone 3 points 9 months ago

It's been vandalised before. There's a gallery in the article with pictures from two prior incidents where it's been hit with paint.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 9 points 9 months ago

They should do a new statue of James Cook preparing for dinner in Tahiti.

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 8 points 9 months ago

Well, I supported indigenous people 100%, but this is just so rude that I have changed all of my beliefs.

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

miyazaki-laugh lol, lmao even

[–] Steve@startrek.website 5 points 9 months ago

Bart?

[–] mx_smith@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

I originally thought this was in Hawaii before looking at what community this was in. Well done on the protest.

[–] Custoslibera@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

Good work.

Even though some knob in that article says I am ‘outraged’ by this I most definitely am not.

My emotions aren’t regulated by what happens to a statue.

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 3 points 9 months ago

~~Based~~ Plinthed

[–] No1@aussie.zone 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Oh...