Statues of British colonial figures Captain James Cook and Queen Victoria were damaged in Melbourne today, as annual Australia Day celebrations were again marked by division and protest.
On the eve of the country’s national holiday, a now-traditional row over Australia’s often brutal past re-erupted.
In the southern city of Melbourne, a statue of the British explorer was felled — apparently cut off at the shins — and its plinth sprayed with the words “The colony will fall”.
Meanwhile, a nearby likeness of British monarch Queen Victoria was daubed with red paint.
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