A determined group of activists continues to challenge Australia’s colonial legacy. Check out some of what they created—one recently spent a day painting these powerful messages all over public spaces before convening to share this interview with us. Their actions signal an emerging, powerful movement to remove every symbol that the activists believe is a manifestation or continuation of an historical, pernicious evil. The group is increasingly escalating and attracting this attention. They are particularly focusing on the statues of colonial figures during key moments on dates such as the King’s Birthday and Australia Day.
Liam, one of the group’s founding members, reiterated the urgency of their mission. “We feel that it’s essential that this king no longer has a head,” he stated, referring to their recent acts of defacement and vandalism aimed at statues. The group has developed a strategy with a clear hierarchy of actions: “There’s a list of priorities. Topple is pretty clearly number one and then decap, which is number two, and graffiti, which is number three,” Liam said.
Most notably, they recently overthrew Queen Victoria statue in Geelong. In February they similarly removed the Captain Cook statue in St Kilda, Melbourne. The coalition says it has the backing of the community, despite their own lack of Indigenous identity. As they have pointed out, actions like these reveal the deep-rooted racism that has existed in Australia since colonization.
Lewis, the fourth member of the quartet, reflected on the larger significance of their work. “I think racism in this country has been here from day dot, and maybe something like the toppling of a statue, maybe it flares it up, but maybe it’s just exposing what’s always around us.” He emphasized that these statues symbolize “the legacy of white discovery” and the institutional challenges that Indigenous communities encounter.
In the face of backlash and an active police investigation into their actions, the collective has pledged to stay the course with their campaign. Nathan, another activist, stated, “If we don’t escalate in some regard, it’ll be business as normal.” This decision shows the group’s desire to disrupt traditional narratives and push for transformative change.
Many of these most contentious statues line Hyde Park in Sydney’s Central Business District. One of the major attractions in Sydney’s Hyde Park is a bronze Captain Cook statue, established in 1879. His statue’s inscription states boldly that he “discovered this territory.” This narrative is particularly toxic given Australia’s colonial past.
Yvonne Weldon, City of Sydney Councillor and for Indigenous Australians, calls for a better, more collaborative approach. This represents a dramatic departure from the group’s hostile position. She said she feels a conversation needs to be had about these statues. “Walking around Sydney, you’d be forgiven for thinking that no one was here before the British arrived,” she noted. Weldon asserts that the underrepresentation of First Nations people in spaces of public commemoration is a fundamental problem. Regrettably, this public domain erasure of First Nations history, culture and perspectives reflects the broader public landscape. There is not one publicly funded statue celebrating a First Nations person in the City of Sydney. This imbalanced representation in Congress is not fair or right!” she continued.
Weldon noted that council members unanimously passed her original motion 18 months ago. This motion moved for the reassessment of the plaques affixed to 25 colonial statues around Sydney. She continued to bemoan that “not much progress has been made” since then.
The British Australia Community has been pressuring state and local governments to save these statues, claiming the historical contributions of these figures should be acknowledged. The community’s efforts bring attention to the growing divide over how Australia should confront its colonial past.
As controversy escalates around these statues, local councils find themselves in an uncomfortable position. The City of Sydney’s councillors voted earlier this year to consider replacing the plaques on colonial era statues. These days, activist groups are lobbying hard for faster action.
