Two monuments in the Flagstaff Gardens in Melbourne were vandalised on January 21, 2026. They were the Pioneer Monument and the Separation Monument. The Pioneer Monument, which was designed by Samuel Craven, bears the inscription - Erected in 1871 to the memory of some of the earliest of the pioneers of this colony whose remains were interred near this spot. A reference to the fact that Flagstaff Hill was the site of Melbourne's first European Cemetery, until it was replaced in 1837 by the Old Melbourne Cemetery, on what is now the site of the Queen Victoria Market.
The sandstone monument was toppled and daubed with 'death to Australia' and other slogans, as well as the inverted red triangle, which is linked to terrorist organization Hamas.
The Pioneer Monument
"Defacing or damaging city assets in Melbourne will not - and cannot - be tolerated," he said in a statement. "While there are a range of views on statues and memorials, each time a monument is damaged it's ultimately the ratepayer footing the bill - and that is unacceptable. We can have a debate about the future of statues and memorials, but we will never tolerate or reward vandalism."
Speaking further to ABC Radio Melbourne, Cr Reece said the monuments would be repaired, noting the Separation Memorial marked an important event in Australia's democratic history. "The Separation Memorial actually memorialises Separation Day, the day that Victoria became a colony in its own right," he said. "It was actually a great step forward for democracy for the people of the state."
He described the vandals as "idiots". "These are low-IQ individuals who don't actually understand the historic significance of the monuments that they are attacking," he said.
Sources
eMelbourne - Pioneer Monument: https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM02108b.htm; Separation Monument - https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM02113b.htm
City of Melbourne - https://citycollection.melbourne.vic.gov.au/separation-memorial/
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