UPDATE 11am: THE Bendigo RSL has stepped in to remove a traffic cone placed overnight on a statue erected in tribute of Australian servicemen.
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The two men used a ladder to knock the cone off the soldier’s head.
EARLIER: A PRANK in which a traffic cone was placed on a statue commemorating Bendigo soldiers who served in the Boer War has been labelled “absolutely disgraceful”.
The traffic cone appeared overnight on the head of a statue, mounted on a pedestal, depicting a soldier who fought in the South African war.
The memorial recognises the the 67 Bendigo servicemen who fought in the war, seven of whom were killed.
Donna Allan, who is a visitor to Bendigo, spotted the act of vandalism at 6am this morning.
She said while some might regard the act as “a bit of hijinks”, she did not agree.
“I just think it’s absolutely disgraceful,” she said. “People are walking by smiling and laughing.”
Ms Allan said she has contacted the City of Greater Bendigo at 9am to report the incident.
The statue was sculptured by John Walker and unveiled by Brigadier General Gordon on November 11, 1904.
The inscription reads: Bendigo’s tribute – To the memory of the Australian soldiers who in the South African War of 1899-1902 gave their lives for Queen and Empire.
