Statue of James Cook, St Kilda

A statue of James Cook, is located in the Royal Yacht Squadron Catani Gardens, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. It was erected in 1914. It was removed from its plinth in an act of vandalism in 2024, on the eve of Australia Day.

It was erected in 1914 by the St. Kilda Council to honour Cook who in 1770, led a voyage with the first Europeans to the east coast of Australia.

Since 2018, the statue has been physically targeted on dates near Australia Day in late January. In 2018, the statue was graffitied with the words "no pride". An Aboriginal Australian flag was placed next to the statue. In 2022, the statue was covered with red paint.

Description
The statue is a replica of the statue of Cook on the West Cliff area of Whitby, in the English county of North Yorkshire. Cook was a native of Whitby. The statue was sculpted by John Tweed. It is a life-sized sculpture of Cook. It is listed on the National Trust Database of Victoria.

The entry on the database of the describes the monument as "a good example of early twentieth century British Edwardian academic memorial sculpture" although less important than the equestrian statue of Edward VII by Edgar Bertram Mackennal at Queen Victoria Gardens.

2024 vandalism
In January 2024, on the eve of Australia Day, the statue was cut down at its ankles from its plinth in an act of vandalism. The words "The colony will fall" were written on the plinth of the statue. The statue of Queen Victoria in Queen Victoria Gardens was also covered with red paint. The Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan said that there was "no place in our community" for the vandalism of both monuments. The mayor of Port Phillip, Heather Cunsolo, said that she could not condone "the vandalism of a public asset where costs will be ultimately borne by ratepayers" but did understand the "diverse views surrounding Australia Day" the day which commemorates the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, not the voyages undertaken by Cook.