Captain Cook statue toppled in St Kilda on eve of 26 January

Bronze figure sawn off at the ankles, with ‘The colony will fall’ spraypainted on the plinth, in apparent protest at Australia Day date

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Victorian police are investigating “criminal damage” to a century-old Captain Cook statue in St Kilda in an apparent protest over the Australia Day public holiday.

Police said members of the public reported that the Captain Cook memorial near Jacka Boulevard had been vandalised about 3.30am on Thursday morning.

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