NSW Police have deemed an alleged act of vandalism against a century-old marble Anzac soldier at a War Memorial in Walgett as “accidental”.
In a statement, Police said they have spoken to several teenagers alleged to have been involved in the incident which occurred at Walgett’s Anzac Memorial earlier this month.
Officers attached to Central North Police District were called to Walgett Memorial Park on Fox Street about 11.30pm on Wednesday 14 January after a group of teenagers were allegedly trespassing in the park.
At the scene, Police discovered the statue of an Anzac soldier had been badly damaged (pictured).
Following extensive inquiries, Police say five boys – aged between 13 and 15 – and a 13-year-old girl will now be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act, Central North Police District Commander, Superintendent Gerard Lawson confirmed.
Commander Lawson said Central North Police were committed to finding answers for the community.
“I know members of the community were distressed by the incident and my officers spent many hours examining CCTV and tracking down those involved,” he said.
“Following inquiries, police established the teenagers had no intent to damage the statue, and that the incident appeared accidental.
“While this matter has been resolved, I want to reassure the community that all matters reported to police will be investigated.”
The ‘Man on the Monument’ was imported from France and officially dedicated in 1922, erected to commemorate the end of the First World War and to record the names of local men who volunteered to serve. For decades it stood in the centre of Walgett’s main street, a constant and visible reminder of duty, loss, and community pride, before later being relocated to the Memorial Park precinct.
At the time of the incident, Mayor of Walgett Shire Council, Jasen Ramien said the destruction was “sickening” and demanded accountability.
“The people who did this have not just smashed marble, they have tried to smash a symbol of respect that belongs to every one of us,” Mayor Ramien said.
“For a century, that soldier stood at the heart of Walgett. It watched as local men and women answered the call of service across generations, in the Second World War, Korea, Malaya and Borneo, Vietnam, the Gulf, peacekeeping deployments, Afghanistan and Iraq, and in contemporary service that continues today.
“It watched the sons and daughters of this district, Aboriginal and non Aboriginal, 3rd and 4th generation Australians, the sons and daughters of immigrants, and immigrants themselves who called Australia, and Walgett, home, step forward to serve, and in too many cases, never return.
“It stood as a permanent reminder that sacrifice is not a distant concept for Walgett, it has names, faces, families, and lasting grief,” he said.
Last year, the same memorial was vandalised, the soldier’s arm damaged and rifle stolen in that incident.
“Now it has been destroyed entirely. I am angry, and I am heartbroken. Walgett deserves better than this, and we will not accept it as normal.”
Council has also called for an urgent review of security arrangements for the Memorial Park and surrounding precinct.
Places of remembrance must be protected as community assets and treated with the respect they deserve, it said in a statement.
