Captain Cook Statue Vandalized Ahead of Australia Day
A statue of Captain James Cook in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has been defaced with red paint and had its hand removed, just days before Australia Day, a controversial national holiday celebrated on Sunday, Al Jazeera reports.
New South Wales police confirmed they received reports of the vandalism at a statue in Randwick on Friday morning. Officers have seized “a number of items” from the scene. The statue had recently undergone restoration work following a similar incident in February of last year
Captain James Cook’s arrival at Sydney Cove in 1770 is considered a pivotal moment in Australian history, marking the beginning of British colonization of the continent. However, his legacy is deeply contested by Indigenous Australians who view him as a symbol of colonial dispossession. Cook was killed by Indigenous people in Hawaii in 1779 during an attempt to kidnap a local chief.
Australia Day, celebrated annually on January 26, commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. This day is met with significant protests from Indigenous groups and their supporters, who refer to it as “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day.” They argue that the date marks the beginning of violent European colonization, which led to immense grief, loss, and trauma for First Nations peoples.
Indigenous Australians, who have inhabited the continent for at least 60,000 years, had established over 500 distinct groups and languages prior to European arrival. Their displacement, dispossession, and violence experienced as a result of colonization is what motivates the annual protests on Australia Day. Calls to change the date or recognize the day’s significance for Indigenous Australians have faced opposition. Conservatives and nationalists, including former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, have rejected what they call a “black armband view” of history, favoring an emphasis on shared national experiences and overcoming adversity.
