Sunday, April 5, 2026

Three Memorial plaques stolen from Caulfield Park

Three plaques, of historic significance, were stolen from Caulfield Park on Good Friday (April 3, 2026). This report comes from the Facebook post of Robert Littlewood (1).

These war memorials were vandalised, removed and stolen on Good Friday: Just in time for ANZAC Day

Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial
The Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial features a plaque that faces Hawthorn Road. Unveiled on 25 April 1995, it commemorates the Light Horse Charge of Beer-Sheba in 1917, during World War I. This was the last triumphant cavalry charge in world history. (2)



The Beer-Sheba Israel Memorial, April 2026
Image: https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39


Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque
The Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque commemorates the planting of a tree (directly behind the plaque) in honour of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jewish lives in Hungary during World War II.


Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Plaque, April 2026
Image: https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39

Memorial Stone
Adjacent to the new Lone Pine, the Memorial Stone lists the names of 298 people from the Caulfield district who died in World War I. In 2015, we moved the stone from near the rose garden to its current position on the site of the former conservatory, in front of the new Lone Pine.


The Caulfield World War One Memorial, 2015
Image: https://dossier48.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/caulfield-park-memorials/


The Caulfield World War One Memorial, April 2026
Image: https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39

Coming only a few weeks before ANZAC Day, this is an insult to the memory of those Australians who fought and died in the Great War and to the millions of Jewish people murdered in World War Two.  Even worse, it is likely they were just stolen for their scrap value.

Contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au, if you have any information on this atrocious act of vandalism. 

Footnotes
(1) Robert Littlewood's report is the first I can find on the incident. It was posted on his Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/robert.littlewood.39 on 5/4/2026. However, his description of the monuments comes from the City of Glen Eira website here https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/our-city/history-and-heritage/our-monuments-and-sites/war-memorials
(2) The Beer-Sheba charge took place of October 31, 1917 and you can read more about it here 
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-charge-of-the-4th-light-horse-brigade-at-beersheba  There was a later Cavalry Charge  in World War One, at the Battle of Haifa on September 23, 1918, when Indian and British troops captured the city of Haifa from the Ottoman Army. You can read about this here https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/battle-of-haifa-1918-a-saga-of-indian-valour/

Sources
on No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Fallen Fruit Scuplture - twice vanished

The Herald Sun of April 2, 2026 reported on the Fallen Fruit sculpture, created by Adam Stone, which once graced the corner of Rose Street and Brunswick Street in Fitzroy.

The short article, written by Craig Dunlop, is reproduced here. The punny headline - was

Vandalised Sculpture still has ap-peal....and this time there will be no slip-ups

The City of Yarra has bought an $8000 miniature replica of a controversial sculpture of a carved banana that was almost beheaded in a vandalism attack in 2021. The new version of artist Adam Stone’s sculpture, Fallen Fruit, has been placed on display behind security glass outside the staff toilets on the top floor of the Fitzroy North Library.

A City of Yarra spokeswoman confirmed the sculpture was purchased with some of the proceeds from the insurance payout the council received when the original sculpture was vandalised on the corner of Rose and Brunswick streets in Fitzroy.

The original sculpture cost the council $22,000, and was funded by a TAC grant to “activate” the street. “Since the original artwork was vandalised and damaged, council has been working with the artist to find a way to re-imagine the artwork in a cost effective way,” the spokeswoman said.

“Unfortunately, the sculpture was damaged beyond repair when vandalised.” The spokeswoman said there were no plans to move the sculpture to a more prominent location.

The new sculpture is 60cm in height, and is described in a curator’s statement as celebrating the “creative character of the neighbourhood”. “Conceptually, the sculpture reflects on the excesses of Western hubris and late capitalism, where over consumption and greed foster imbalance and inequality,” the description says. “By enlarging the banana and transforming it into a weighty, art historically resonant object on a plinth, the outdoor sculpture became a surreal monument to our cultural fixation on performance, ambition and spectacle."

"Today, the smaller version of Fallen Fruit remains, preserving the story and history of the original while continuing to evoke the themes it first explored.”

The vandal who tried to behead the original has never been identified or brought to justice.


Original report
Vandalised Sculpture still has ap-peal....and this time there will be no slip-ups by Craig Dunlop
Herald-Sun, April 2, 2026, page 11.

This was an interesting sculpture that created much conversation, and it is a shame that it was destroyed by wanton vandalism. However, whilst Vanished Victoria understands why a full-scale replica was not created, the location of the replacement on the top floor of the North Fitzroy Library in St Georges Road, further north than the Edinburgh Gardens, seems a bizarre decision. If the original purpose of the sculpture was to "activate'' the street, then this new location fails to do this. If the only suitable location was indeed the North Fitzroy Library, surely it could have been installed at street level.

The Fallen Fruit sculpture has now vanished twice - once when then originally sculpture was vandalised and removed and now when the replacement was installed in an obscure location. 

Source: 
Dunlop, Craig Vandalised Sculpture still has ap-peal....and this time there will be no slip-ups 
Herald-Sun, April 2, 2026, page 11.

Other references:
Reports of the original vandalism - 
Sun, Michael Dramatically vandalised’: publicly funded $22,000 banana splits opinion in Melbourne. The Guardian November 26, 2021  https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/nov/26/dramatically-vandalised-publicly-funded-22000-banana-splits-opinion-in-melbourne

Adam Stone website https://www.adam-stone.com.au/
on No comments:
Labels: ,

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Federation Pathways Project 2001 - historic bench and plaque

In early 2026, the City of Port Phillip removed a bench and its plaque, which was situated at Point Ormond Reserve by the canal mouth. The seat was in poor condition, which was the reason for the Council's action.


The Federation Pathways Project 2001, bench and plaque.
Image: © VanishedVictoria

The bench was one of the five which marked sections of the Federation Pathways Project 2001. Historian, Meyer Eidelson, explains the project and the significance of the benches -
The Federation Pathways Project 2001 developed trails on historic and cultural themes in the City of Port Phillip. Benches made of native Australian timbers mark the five trails that connect to the foreshore. Look for the benches at the start of the Foreshore, Waterways, Aboriginal, Working People and Immigrant Trails. 

Bill Henshall made these benches. He built them on his muddy work site by the Yarra River under Westgate Bridge. A shipping container housed his tools and provided the only shelter in a very wet year. The benches were built in the open air in the winter and spring of 2000. They range from ten to fifteen feet in length and are made from massive Australian timbers such as grey box, yellow box and redgum. Much of the timber was in the form of tree trunks that had been pier supports at Victoria Dock. The rest was salvaged from repairs at Station Pier. 

Despite their size, the benches were built with few bolts. The parts are designed to slot into and support each other. The wood was milled and sanded to enhance the water-worn grain, and then oiled. The benches were transported and set into place in consultation with the many community groups who worked on the trails and who chose the bench locations. 

In 2001 the design for these benches won the Traditional Furniture Prize and the Recycle Prize at the Australian Wood Design Exhibition.

The bench and plaque marked the start of the Canal or Waterways trail, and the inscription read -
Federation 2001 Canal Trail. This bench, made from historic river timbers, celebrates the waterways and wetlands of the City of Port Phillip that have shaped our patterns of settlement, wildlife habitats, parks and public works.


The Plaque
Image: © VanishedVictoria

Vanished Victoria understands the reasoning behind the removal of the bench and we hope that the Council realises the historical significance of the bench and restores it in a sympathetic manner. We also hope that, in the interim, the plaque be installed on a plinth at the location, so that the Canal Trail and its relationship to the rest of the Federation 2001 Trail is not lost. 


The empty site where the bench was located. 
Image: © VanishedVictoria

Source 
Eidelson, Meyer Walks in Port Phillip: A guide to the cultural landscapes of a City, published by the City of Port Phillip, in 2001, on-line here 
on No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Not without Chomley sculpture at Gasworks Art Park - Part 2

The City of Port Phillip reported on their Facebook page on March 5, 2026 that part of the 'Not Without Chomley' sculpture was recently stolen from the Gasworks Art Park in South Melbourne.  The figure of the person with the dog on their shoulders was cut off at the ankles.


'Not without Chomley' sculpture in happier times.
Image: Gasworks https://gasworks.org.au/visit-us/public-sculptures/

'Not without Chomley' was created by Anne Ross in 1991. It was vandalised  soon after, and was recast in bronze. In November 2023 the freestanding dog was stolen and replaced with  a replica by the City of Port Phillip in September 2025. Thus, this is the third senseless attack on a well loved sculpture, representing the bond between people and their pet dogs.  You can read more about the sculpture in our previous post, here.   


All that remains of the human figure from 'Not without Chomley' sculpture in March 2026.
Image: City of Port Phillip Facebook post of 5/3/2026.

The City of Port Phillip is requesting that community members who saw something suspicious or have any information, to report this directly to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or at crimestoppersvic.com.au

on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 23, 2026

Lebanese Immigrant statue stolen from Preston

In November 2024, the Lebanese Immigrant statue was stolen from the  Ray Bramham Gardens in Preston. The 2.5 metre high bronze statue was cut off at the ankles, and was likely sold for its metal value. 

The statue was erected by the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) State Council of Victoria and officially unveiled on November 19, 2011, by the Mayor of the City of Darebin. The WLCU invitation to the unveiling said that this will be the greatest event for the Lebanese Community in Melbourne Australia, as the statue represents 150 years of Lebanese presence in this blessed country. 


The Lebanese Immigrant statue
Image: https://melbourneartcritic.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/preston-public-sculpture/ 


The remains of the statue.
Image: William Coenik, posted on the 
Preston, Thornbury & Northcote and The Spine that Binds Us Facebook page on 20/2/2024

The WLCU statement on this theft noted that the act of stealing this statue is not merely an offense against a piece of art, but a violation of the identity, history, and culture of an entire community and an insult to the sacrifices of thousands of Lebanese who were compelled to emigrate.

We currently have no information as to whether the statue has been replaced. 


The remains of the statue.
Image: William Coenik, posted on the 
Preston, Thornbury & Northcote and The Spine that Binds Us Facebook page on 20/2/2024


Should you have any information about the Lebanese Migrant statue, contact the police or please leave a comment below or see 'Contact us' tab for anonymous emailing.

Should you actually possess the item and wish to return it its rightful owners or custodians, please contact us.

Note on name:  On the plinth the statue is called the Lebanese Immigrant; on the 2011 invitation to the official unveiling it is called the Lebanese Migrant statue

Sources:

on No comments:
Labels: , ,

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Mission to Seafarers Weather Vane stolen

On Sunday,  March 6, 2022 it was discovered that the  elaborate weather vane on the Mission to  Seafarers building in Flinders Street had been stolen.  A few days earlier a hacksaw had been spotted on the roof and an examination revealed a small cut on the supporting rod of the weather vane. Security measures were stepped up, but the thieves returned and sadly, completed the job.


The weather vane. 
Image:  Mission to Seafarers from the Australian Society of Marine Artists Facebook page.

The Mission to Seafarers building, originally known as the Mission to Seamen, was officially opened by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Arthur Stanley,  on September 11, 1917. It was designed by Architect Walter Butler in Spanish Mission style. The Mission provides practical and spiritual support to sailors from all over the world whilst they are in port.

The copper weather vane, which weighed 30 kilograms, was designed by Henry Alfred Saw. It was fully restored in 2020 through donations and a Victorian Heritage Restoration Fund.

This is a tragic loss both historically and artistically, made even worse that it was likely stolen only for its copper value. 


The weather vane can be seen on the right on the Mission to Seafarers building.  
Flinders Street extension, Melbourne, c. 1972. Photographer: K.J. Halla. 
State Library of Victoria image H36133/581

Sources:

on No comments:
Labels: ,

The White Lady Statue at the Riverview Tea Gardens, Maribyrnong

The Riverview Tea Gardens were established in 1910 by Daniel Hicks on his property overlooking the Maribyrnong River, on Canning Street, Maribyrnong (the area is now known as Avondale Heights).  The gardens were popular with picnic parties who arrived by boat. One of the attractions was the White Lady statue - a woman standing on a plinth with a  kangaroo, half her height, beside her.


The Riverview Tea Gardens. You can see the White Lady statue to the left of the Tea  Rooms.
Maribyrnong River, Maribyrnong, c. 1910-1930. Photographer: Robert Macedon O'Brien. 
State Library of Victoria image  H84.461/388 https://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/52190


Detail of the image above, with the statue in the bottom left.
Image:  https://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/52190

Daniel Hicks owned the Tea Gardens until the 1940s. The statue remained there until 1976 when it was moved to the grounds of Flemington High School, in Epsom Road. Around 1980, Leanne White wrote an article on the statue for the Flemington Express - 
An Historic Statue
Staff and students at Flemington High School erected an historic statue at the school recently. Although the monument has now turned a pale green with age it has a fascinating history.

The statue was originally situated in the Tea Gardens next to Canning Reserve. In 1910, a boatman named Hicks brought 112 acres and transformed it into an enjoyable area for residents. He established the famous Tea Rooms, tennis courts, a dining hall and also a miniature zoo. In 1934 the Hicks family built a large paddle steamer to carry 209 passengers form Princes Bridge and Studley Park.

The War put an end to these beautiful Gardens and for years the buildings have been a target for vandals. Students from Flemington found the statue in 1976 lying headless in the undergrowth and the teachers supervised bringing it back to school. Weeks late the head was found and years later Mr. Gerald Tighe decided that this unique statue which had once played a large role in the history of Essendon should stand once more. (1)


An Historic Statue by Leanne White, c. 1980
Image: Leanne White, from Lost Melbourne Facebook page.

Flemington High School closed at the end of  1992 and the site was sold to Harness Racing Victoria, the buildings are now the headquarters of the Victorian Racing Club. Leanne said that the statue was still there for a number of years but apparently, it ended up out the back of the building (lying as rubble) for a while. (2)

A report in the Mail of September 18, 2002 noted that the damaged, headless statue was taken to the former Keilor Council depot in Keilor Road to await restoration funds, but disappeared before anything was done. (3)  It is thought that the last time the statue was seen was the mid-1990s, after the Council amalgamations in 1994. (4)  If so, it is only one of many historic records or artefacts which disappeared during those times.

In 2002, the Moonee Valley Council commissioned  a replica of the statue. The sculptor, Weining Ling, created the statue based on photographs supplied by the Hicks family. It was unveiled in Canning Reserve, Avondale Heights in November 2002. (5)

Acknowledgements
The photograph of the Riverview Tea Gardens, as seen at the top of the page, was posted on the Lost Melbourne Facebook page on January 21, 2020. In response to the image, Leanne White posted a number of comments and newspaper articles on the White Lady statue, including the one above from the Flemington Express. Some of Leanne's other material has also been used in this post. 
When contacted by Vanished Victoria, some years ago, Moonee Valley Council officer Russell Beer, Coordinator Horticulture & Public Space, supplied us with copies of seven articles on the White Lady statue, dating from 2002, which were used for this post.

Footnotes
(1) White, Leanne An Historic Statue, published in the Flemington Express, c. 1980.
(2) White, Leanne - comment on Lost Melbourne Facebook page, January 21, 2020.
(3) O'Toole, Lara  White Lady Reborn  from the Mail, September 18, 2002
(4) Taylor, Peter After 20 years, welcome the White Lady from the Monee Valley Leader, November 11, 2002.
(5) O'Toole, Lara  White Lady Reborn  from the Mail, September 18, 2002
on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Thursday, February 19, 2026

The plaque from the Sali Cleve Drinking Fountain in St Kilda

The plaque from the Sali Cleve drinking fountain in the Catani Gardens in St Kilda  has recently been stolen. The plaque was inscribed with - This drinking fountain is a gift to the public from Sali Cleve, Esq., April 1911.


The Sali Cleve Drinking Fountain
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sali_Cleve_Drinking_Fountain_in_Catani_Gardens,_St_Kilda.jpg

The fountain, was donated by St Kilda resident, Mr Sali Cleve and  was officially unveiled on May 23, 1911.  The Malvern Standard reported -
Judging by the number of street monuments - drinking fountains in the majority - that are being erected within the boundaries of St. Kilda, that city is particularly fortunate in having many generous and noble minded citizens, who, in the practical way indicated, show their devotion and interest in the community's welfare. Mr Sali Cleve, a retired Melbourne merchant and local resident, is the latest to make a presentation of a drinking fountain to the city. It is of very handsome design; it is erected on the Lower Esplanade, opposite the pier, the cost being about £250. The fountain was designed by the late Mr C. A. Irwin, and was constructed by Mr J. P. O'Rourke, of the Adamant Monumental Works, Dandenong road, who has successfully undertaken many similar classes of work. The ceremony of unveiling the fountain was performed on Tuesday afternoon by Mr Watt, Acting Premier, who was accompanied by Mr Edgar, Minister for Public Works. (1) 

In 1916, Mr Cleve had a park in St Kilda named in his honour. Cleve Gardens, on the corner of  Beaconsfield Parade and Fitzroy Street, was so named as for many years he had  most generously paid for the improving and beautifying of that reserve. Sali Cleve died at the age of 88 on November 2, 1919. (2) 
 

The Plaque. 
Image: St Kilda Historical Society https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/603efb1a092fbbe37f3e95f9


The plaque was located above the pink granite block. 
Image: © Vanished Victoria

This is  a senseless theft from an historic and decorative drinking fountain, and an insult to the memory of the philanthropic and generous Mr Sali Cleve. The City of Port Phillip intends to replace the plaque. 


Footnotes
(1) Malvern Standard, May 27, 1911, see here. There is another report of the unveiling in the Prahran Telegraph of May 27, 1911, here. 
(2) Prahran Chronicle, February 19, 1916, see here; The Argus, November 4, 1919,see here;  Jewish Herald, November 14, 1919, see here.  
on No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Plaques stolen from children's graves at Altona Memorial Park

On March 15, 2024 Wyndham TV News published the following short report -

Shocking Theft: Heartless Thieves Steal Children’s Memorial Plaques from Cemetery
The Hobsons Bay Crime Investigation Unit is looking into a despicable theft at Altona Memorial Park in Altona North, where 80 memorial plaques were stolen between Tuesday, March 12, and Wednesday, March 13. These plaques, dedicated to children, were located in the “Garden of Little Angels.”

Following the incident, relatives and friends have been visiting the cemetery to check if their loved ones’ plaques are missing. The cemetery is in the process of contacting those impacted by the theft and has taken steps to improve security, including installing cameras.

Police are investigating and have asked for the public’s assistance. They are also advising scrap metal dealers to be alert for anyone trying to sell the plaques and to report any suspicious activities.

If anyone has information or relevant video footage, they are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

The theft has understandably caused concern among those affected, and efforts are underway to address the situation and prevent future incidents.


Some of the graves after their plaques were stolen. 

This was a shocking theft from grieving families, who are left to bear the cost of replacing their plaques. This theft, and others like it, is enabled by unscrupulous scrap metal merchants, who turn a blind eye to the source of material offered to them.

Plaques were stolen in 1951 from the Fawkner Cemetery, but they were later found. Read about this here.

on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

The St Kilda Post Office Clock

The clock on the old St Kilda Post Office, on the corner of St Kilda Road and Inkerman Street, has disappeared. But it is not really the clock that is significant, it is the fact  Post Offices, as we knew them, have also disappeared. Once a focal point in every suburb and town they employed the Post Master or Mistress, a number of postal assistants, telegraph office staff and telephone exchange operators, who were all employed by the Postmaster-General's Department and later Australia Post.

The St Kilda Post Office opened in 1876, and on the other side of Inkerman Street was the Buck's Head Hotel, built in 1871 but, which in April 1892, changed its name to the Post Office Club Hotel. (1) The Post Office, served the community, with the clock prominent from the 1890s when the three centre archways were filled in, as shown in the photographs below.

 

St. Kilda Post and Telegraphic office, c. 1880s.
State Library of Victoria image H2000.2/4. This image has been cropped see full image here https://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/358947


St. Kilda Post Office, c. 1897-1899. 
Photographer: Sands and McDougall. 
State Library of Victoria image H27288/1f  

In the days past, public clocks such as those at the Post Office were essential, as not everyone had a watch. The clock also helped to keep local council workers on time as they made their way to the Council Depot in Inkerman Street - which has also vanished. In fact, the clock was so important that in 1929, the St Kilda Council had a complaint about the clock, which was often not working and the Council resolved to ask the officer in charge to have it repaired. (2)

However, from the late 1990s the days of the Government owning Post Offices were over and many were advertised for sale, with a lease back deal to Australia Post. For the St Kilda, Albert Park and Balaclava Post Offices, this happened in March 2000. This was just the precursor to many Post Offices being closed completely and / or the actual postal business sold to private enterprise.  These were operated as a Licenced Post Office, either as a stand-alone business or in conjunction with, for instance, a news agency (another vanishing business) or a convenience store. Hard to image the local hotel would change its name to the Convenience Store Club Hotel.


The sale of the St Kilda, Albert Park and Balaclava Post Offices.
The Age, March 1, 2000. p. 33 from newspapers.com

The clock had been removed by December 2007, the date of the earliest images on Google Street View but it appears the Post Office was possibly still operating at that time and until around 2009. In November 2009 the St Kilda  Post Office and adjoining building, were put up for sale again and were sold for $4.75 million to a developer, who has since built units around the historic building. (3)


The St Kilda Post Office, without the clock, but with a For Sale sign in November 2009.
Google Street View google.com/maps

The clock and the public coin-operated scales (a story for another day) which were also outside the St Kilda Post Office, are remembered fondly by a Vanished Victoria team member who grew up just up the street from the Post Office.  The loss of the clock is symbolic of the loss of Government service and services  - there are often no longer convenient Post Offices, which these days could be a hub for helping people navigate the on-line world which they need to survive such as using a MyGov account for Centrelink, Medicare and the Taxation Office. For people with poor or non-existent computer skills and without a family member to help them, trying to access useful information on-line is a nightmare.


Footnotes
(1) Port Phillip Heritage Study - https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/media/fdnnxqvn/vol-1-section-6-part-1.pdf; ots, Punks and Punters: A History of the Hotels in St Kilda and South Melbourne by Becky Aizen.(St Kilda Historical Society, 2004) - on-line here https://skhs.org.au/hotels.htm; name change of the Hotel - The Argus, April 7, 1892, read here.
(2) The Herald, July 2, 1929, see here.
(3) St Kilda's former Post Office sells https://www.realestatesource.com.au/st-kildas-former-post-office-sells-for-475-million-to-asian-apartment-developer/
on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 16, 2026

Theft of plaques worth £4,306 stolen from Fawkner Cemetery in 1961

The fate of many stolen plaques and sculptures is the scrap yard where they are sold for their metal value. This case comes from 1961 when 1376 bronze plaques were stolen from the Fawkner Cemetery; the value of the plaques was  £4,306. To put that in perspective, you could actually buy a house in Fawkner at the time for around the same amount of money.

The Age newspaper of July 3, 1961 reported on the theft. The plaques had been jemmied from the wall niches which held cremated remains, but interestingly they left the plaques belonging to ex-servicemen. The plaques were either ten inches square of five and a half inches square. The article also notes that two weeks previously, 400 brass flower urns, worth  £600 were taken from the Melbourne General Cemetery. The Police were of the opinion that the plaques would be melted down.


Plaque stolen from Fawkner Cemetery.
The Age, July 3, 1961, p. 14.

The Police were correct in their assumption as the plaques were indeed sold to a scrap merchant, but thankfully recovered before they were melted down. The £4,306 worth of plaques were sold to a Brunswick dealer for £207 and the £600 worth of brass urns were sold to a Preston dealer for £53. The Police were following a lead that the gang responsible for similar thefts at Ballarat and Geelong may have been involved in these thefts.


Plaques recovered
The Age, July 15 1961, p. 3 

What we can learn from this is that the theft of community assets is nothing new; that thieves are prepared to sell their loot cheaply and that some scrap merchants, then and now, are prepared to turn a blind eye to the source of some of the material they accept.  And therein lies the cause of many of the recent thefts of statues, such as those from Parkdale, Frankston, Hoppers Crossing and Rowville - treasured community art works, stolen for their metal value. 

More recently, 80 plaques were stolen from the Altona Memorial Park, read about this here.

Sources
  • The Age, July 3, 1961, p. 14 from newspapers.com
  • The Age, July 15 1961, p. 3 from newspapers.com
  • Sale advertisements for houses in The Age in 1961

on No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Captain Cook Statue in the Fitzroy Gardens vandalised

The statue of Captain Cook in the Fitzroy Gardens was cut down, in an act of vandalism, on February 26,  2024.  This follows the destruction of the Captain Cook statue in the Catani Gardens in St Kilda, just before Australia Day the same year and and the toppling of a Captain Cook commemorative plinth in the Edinburgh Gardens, North Fitzroy.  Police have still made no arrests


The statue before the vandalism
Photographer: Bloomberg/Getty Images
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/27/captain-cook-statue-toppled-melbourne-cooks-cottage-fitzroy-gardens

The Age of February 27, 2024, published the following report -
A bronze statue of Captain James Cook has been hacked off its plinth in a Melbourne park, prompting a police investigation. The sculpture of the British explorer at Cooks' Cottage in East Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens was cut off between 5pm on Sunday and 7am on Monday. A video posted to an anonymous social media account shows masked vandals using an angle grinder to saw the statue off at its ankles, before pushing it over. The words '' the colony will fall'' were painted beside the fallen statue, according to the account.

'' Yet another monument to the imperialist James Cook has been felled in so-called Melbourne. Rumour has it that this was the last remaining Cook statue in the city,'' the post on Instagram says. '' Monuments such as this only serve to prop up the narrative that enables so-called Australia's continuing theft and desecration of land and life, and to legitimise its ongoing violence. '' This narrative is as hollow as a monument to a long dead coloniser who met his just fate, being speared by first nations warriors in Hawaii.''

According to the Captain Cook Society, the statue was sculpted by Marc Clark in 1973, and was owned privately before it was gifted to the City of Melbourne in 1996. The sculpture was moved into the garden at Cooks' Cottage the following year. Built in 1755, Cooks' Cottage was the Yorkshire home of Captain Cook's parents, with the two-storey brick house and its adjoining stable taken apart and shipped from England to be rebuilt in Melbourne. The attraction opened in 1934.

In February 2025, the City of Melbourne reported that the Fitzroy Gardens statue had been restored. The statue in the Catani Gardens has also been restored by the City of Port Phillip; the Edinburgh Gardens monument has been permanently removed from display by the City of Yarra.

Sources:
Crowe, Alex Cooks’ Cottage statue toppled in latest attack on Melbourne monuments
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/captain-cook-statue-toppled-in-latest-attack-on-melbourne-monuments-20240227-p5f81r.html
(may be behind a paywall)

Captain Cook statue outside Melbourne’s Cook’s Cottage toppled amid spate of attacks
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/27/captain-cook-statue-toppled-melbourne-cooks-cottage-fitzroy-gardens

The Fitzroy Gardens statue was initially installed in Endeavour Hills. You can read a history of the statue here - https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-endeavour-hills-captain-cook-statue.html

Information about the vandalism of the Cook statue in St Kilda and the Cook monument in North Fitzroy
http://www.vanishedvictoria.org.au/2024/01/the-vandalism-of-captain-cook-statue-st.html
on No comments:
Labels: , ,

Friday, February 13, 2026

Houdini Monument in Digger Rest - vandalised again

In January 2025 the Diggers Rest Community Web Links site reported on the Houdini memorial - 
The Houdini monument along Holden Road, erected in 1990 to celebrate “80 Years of Flight,” lies in disrepair, a shadow of its former glory. This marker commemorates Harry Houdini’s historic 1910 powered flight, a moment that placed Diggers Rest at the heart of Australian aviation history. More than a memorial, it symbolised the community’s connection to innovation and progress, holding deep cultural value for both Diggers Rest and the wider Melton municipality.

Recently, the monument has fallen into ruin, with its plaque now toppled and surrounded by overgrown grass and rubble. The cause of the damage remains unclear, raising concerns about the preservation of local heritage in a municipality undergoing rapid growth. As Diggers Rest transforms, the importance of maintaining landmarks like the Houdini monument grows, ensuring the community retains its ties to history.

Restoration efforts could include repairing and re-erecting the plaque, adding protective measures, and introducing educational signage to honour Houdini’s achievement. Preserving this site is not only a tribute to the past but also an investment in the community’s future identity. The current state of the monument serves as a reminder of what can be lost when cultural heritage is overlooked.

The report made some valid points about heritage vanishing in growth areas such as Melton - it is an issue in other outer suburban municipalities such as Cardinia, Casey, Whittlesea and Wyndham. But the City of Melton did rebuild the monument, which was originally installed by the Lions Club, in March 2025. They used the original plans which were supplied by the Melton Historical Society and they were also able to reinstall one of the original plaques.


The monument after restoration
Image: https://www.diggersrest.com/home/an-historic-tribute-restored/

But sadly, this good news of the restoration has turned into bad news as on November 9, 2025 a local resident found the monument destroyed again under what is believed to be the same circumstances as before - vandalism caused by hooning cars. The local newspaper reported that both the Lions Club and the local residents want the monument restored. The local councillor, Cr Verdon was reported as saying that he will be asking council to investigate what additional measures can be considered to protect this important part of Diggers Rest history.


Local residents and the destroyed monument in December 2025
Photographer: Damjan Janevski. 
Image: https://sunburymacedonranges.starweekly.com.au/news/vanishing-act-on-houdini-monument/

This is just another example of wanton destructive vandalism by people who have no respect for their community assets or their local history. We hope the City of Melton will restore the monument again.

Sources - 
on No comments:
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)