Police are investigating the vandalism and theft of several ANZAC war memorials in Melbourne’s Caulfield Park, prompting renewed calls for stronger protections and penalties for those who deface sites of national remembrance.
David Southwick MP described the damage as “nothing short of disgraceful”, saying memorials recognising sacrifice and service had been deliberately targeted.
The affected sites include the Beer-Sheba Memorial, the Raoul Wallenberg plaque and the Avenue of Honour Memorial Stone, which bears the names of 298 local residents who died in the First World War.
Southwick said the incident went beyond simple vandalism, characterising it as “a deliberate act of disrespect toward those who served, those who sacrificed, and the values we honour as a nation”.
He confirmed Victoria Police had been notified and an investigation was underway, urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. He added that discussions had taken place with the local council to restore the damaged plaques and that those responsible “must be held accountable”.
The incident follows similar concerns raised earlier this year by the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) after the vandalism of a cenotaph in Eltham, in Melbourne’s north-east. The organisation condemned that attack and called for coordinated action by state and federal governments to better protect war memorials.
RSL national president Peter Tinley said at the time that such acts were “shameful and disrespectful to all veterans”, stressing that memorials “are not political props” but symbols of unity and remembrance. He warned that desecrating them in the name of protest undermines the very freedoms they represent, including the right to peaceful assembly and expression.
Tinley also pointed to the broader context in which such incidents occur, noting they can deepen community divisions during periods of national grief or crisis. He called for increased security and surveillance at memorial sites, particularly around significant national dates, alongside stronger penalties for offenders and national education efforts to reinforce the significance of these monuments.
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