Picture: Dylan Parker Instagram
A statue of Captain James Cook – who claimed Australia for the British Empire – has been damaged.
The monument the explorer has been daubed in a red paint and physically damage.
It has stood in Sydney since 1874 and is the second time it has been vandalised in the last year.
Local councillor Carolyn Martin said:
“It’s an absolute mess.
“They have splattered paint all over it, then they have managed to get to the top of the statue and they’ve knocked his hand off and also part of his face and nose.”
The attack comes two days before Australia’s national day.
Many indigenous Australians call Australia Day as Invasion Day, symbolising the destruction of their cultures by European settlers.
Cook was born in 1728 in the Yorkshire village of Marton.
He went to sea at the age of 18, working on coal ships in the North Sea.
By night, he studied mathematics.
He is recognized as one of Britain’s greatest sailors, navigators, and explorers.
However, his recent reputation has been called into question.
It’s claimed he created the pathway for generations of Europeans to head for Australia.
Many indigenous people are the most disadvantaged people in the country.
Captain Cook was killed in 1779 in a fight with natives Hawaiians.
