Location/Site: Captain James Cook monument, corner of Belmore Road and Avoca Street, Randwick NSW.
Project: Vandalism paint removal.
Scope of Works: To remove the red paint that had been splattered on the Captain Cook statue in Randwick, Sydney, after it was targeted by vandals in February 2024.
The vandalism, which made news headlines, was met with mixed reactions online, with some, including Randwick City Council Mayor Philipa Veitch, calling for the 149-year-old monument to be removed due to it being “a symbol and reminder of colonial oppression.” “It remains my personal view that statues such as these are better placed in a museum where they can be displayed with other material that will give that full historical context,” said Mayor Veitch.
Ultimately, the decision was made to restore the historic monument (the first of Cook to be erected in New South Wales, possibly Australia), and we were called in to remove the paint that had been splattered on parts of the sandstone statue.
Method: We used our proprietary Heritage No.1 Paint Removal Poultice to remove the paint, with the process carefully handled by our expert paint stripping technician, Graeme.
Outcome: Successful removal of the red paint that covered parts of the Captain Cook monument was achieved, with paint stripping works completed in early April 2024.
