Heads of Prime Minister statues are severed, stolen by vandals during spree in Ballarat Botanical Gardens
The heads of two Australian prime minister statues have been decapitated among 20 sculptures damaged as police hunt for the vandals responsible.
Police were told the busts were vandalised on the Prime Ministers Avenue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens between 2am and 5am on Thursday.
The heads of two statues, reportedly of former Labor prime ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd, were removed and stolen, police said.
The name plates of the 18 remaining statues have been covered in spray paint.
Ballarat Botanical Garden Foundation said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by the vandalism.
‘The avenue is a source of pride for the local community and has been a site of national significance since it was opened by the Governor of Victoria in 1940,’ the group said on Instagram.
‘This blatant violation of this vital part of their story and heritage is a severe blow to not only the community but to all who work and care for the gardens.’
Police asked anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area to come forward.
Dozens of sculptures displayed at the Prime Ministers Avenue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens (pictured) were damaged by vandals during the early hours of Thursday morning
The heads of two statues, one of which reportedly includes the sculpture of former Labor prime minister Paul Keating were removed and stolen (pictured the sculptures vandalised)
A City of Ballarat spokesperson also condemned the act, saying ‘this type of senseless damage is completely unacceptable’.
‘It is not only extremely costly to our ratepayers and will divert money away from critical council services, but it detracts from Ballarat as a city,’ they said.
The avenue contains a collection of busts of the first 29 prime ministers of Australia, each featuring a bronze cast mounted on a polished granite pedestal.
The exhibit has long been the site of vandalism attempts, with Tony Abbott and John Howard’s busts sprayed with red paint in 2021.
Vandals also covered the name plates of the 18 remaining in spray paint as police hunt for the those responsible for the act (pictured one of the sculptures vandalised)
A Captain Cook statue in Sydney has been covered in red paint and damaged (pictured) as tensions rise ahead of Australia Day on Sunday
It comes as a Captain Cook statue in Sydney has been covered in red paint and damaged as tensions rise ahead of Australia Day on Sunday.
The statue, which sits on Belmore Road in Randwick, had its hand ripped off in the attack and parts of its face destroyed.
It’s the second time the sandstone statue has been vandalised in 12 months and the attack has been condemned by Randwick councilor Andrew Hay.
Randwick City councillor Dr Carolyn Martin told 2GB vandals scaled the fence around the statue using a stepladder and left it in an ‘absolute mess’.
‘It’s absolutely disgraceful behaviour. We’re all absolutely horrified,’ she said.
