Three Queensland war memorials have been vandalised in separate incidents just days before Remembrance Day, with police arresting two men over attacks in Cleveland and Hervey Bay.
The damage included a 106-year-old sandstone cenotaph being toppled in Cleveland, a flagpole repeatedly rammed by a ute in Hervey Bay and tyre tracks cut across a memorial site near Bundaberg.
Queensland Police Service Superintendent Jon Kent condemned the incidents as “cowardly and disgraceful”, while Premier David Crisafulli said tougher penalties could be considered if court outcomes were insufficient.
Arrests over Queensland war memorial attacks
At Anzac Memorial Park in Cleveland, the sandstone cenotaph was found shattered on the ground after being knocked from its base overnight between Saturday and Sunday.
Footage showed young men laughing as the column fell. A 20-year-old man has handed himself in and been charged with wilful damage. He is due to appear in court next month, while police are seeking three others who were reportedly in the area.
In Hervey Bay, CCTV recorded a black Nissan Navara driving across the grounds of Freedom Park shortly before 7am on Monday, November 9.
The driver had placed a mattress over the bonnet and windscreen before repeatedly striking a large metal flagpole, hitting it three times. A 38-year-old man was arrested nearby and charged with wilful damage, possessing a knife in a public place and drug-related offences.
Police allege a bladed weapon, drugs and drug utensils were found inside the vehicle.
Brad Gray, president of the Hervey Bay RSL sub-branch, said the memorial was a sacred place for veterans.
“I’ve got no idea what the hell they get out of it,” he said. “To us, to all veterans, this is a sacred area.”
A separate vehicle attack was reported at an RSL memorial site at Moore Park near Bundaberg, where tyre tracks were left across the grounds and memorial displays were damaged.
Rob Wilson, president of the Redlands RSL sub-branch, questioned whether those responsible would come forward.
“I wonder if they’ve got the guts to come forward and say, ‘we did it and we’re sorry’,” he said.
Calls for tougher penalties
Wilful damage carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison in Queensland, while interference with a war memorial carries a maximum one-year penalty.
Mr Crisafulli said the Government would monitor the court proceedings and consider tougher laws if necessary.
“We will watch the outcome very closely if it progresses through court, and if tougher laws are needed, they will be considered,” he said.
RSL Queensland state secretary Iain Carty said education was important in preventing further attacks.
“Ignorance is what leads to a lot of these things, unfortunately. So if we continue to educate, then hopefully these things won’t happen in the future,” he said.
Despite the damage, the RSL has urged the community to attend Remembrance Day commemorations on Wednesday, November 11, as a show of respect.
