154-Year-Old Statue Destroyed and Sprayed With Hamas Symbol

A 154-year-old monument in Victoria has been destroyed and vandalised with the words, “death to Australia” and “land back,” accompanied by the red triangle symbol for terror group Hamas.

A a second statue was also defaced with red paint.

The inverted red triangle has become synonymous with Hamas and was used to mark Israeli targets in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Victoria Police say they are investigating the destruction of the monuments in Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne’s oldest park.

“It is believed machinery was used to pull down the Pioneer monument which was then vandalised between 10pm on Wednesday, 21 January and 6am Thursday, 22 January,” a police statement said.

Police have declared the area a crime scene while investigations are carried out.

The Pioneer Memorial was erected in 1871 and marks the location of the city’s first burial site.

Police say the second statue, the 1950s Separation Memorial commemorating the founding of the Victorian colony in 1851, was sprayed with red paint.

“This sort of behaviour will not and cannot be tolerated in Melbourne,” Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece told ABC Radio.

Reece said the statues would be reinstated, though it was unclear so far what the repairs would cost.

“We cannot allow it to be the case that when statutes (and) memorials are destroyed … that is rewarded by allowing it to continue,” he said.

The incident comes in the lead-up to Australia Day on Jan. 26, and follows previous attacks on colonial era monuments in the state.

The incident also comes after vandals in the New South Wales (NSW) town of Walgett targeted an Anzac memorial on Jan. 14.

Police say the 100-year statue of an Anzac soldier in Walgett Memorial Park was knocked over and broken into several pieces.

“CCTV footage was checked and showed a group of teenage boys allegedly climbing the statue about 11.25 p.m., shortly before it fell,” police said.

Officers said they had spoken to some boys in relation to the NSW incident and investigations are ongoing.

About Flagstaff Gardens

Flagstaff Gardens is a historically significant location in Melbourne.

From 1836 to 1837, the hilltop was used as the capital’s first burial ground.

The park gets its name from its use as a flagstaff from 1840 to 1857 when it was part of a signalling system between Melbourne and ships sailing into the port at Williamstown.

From 1857 to 1862, the park was used as a meteorological and magnetic observatory before becoming the site of a “great bonfire” in 1850 to celebrate the state’s separation from NSW.

Today, the park includes lawn areas, native trees and a high vantage point overlooking the city.