Graffiti on Captain Cook statue left to fade

It will be some time before the graffiti which defaced the Captain Cook statue in Christchurch's Victoria Square fades away.

People have been questioning why the graffiti hasn’t been removed.

The statue still bears the scars of the attacks in February, when the site was vandalised twice in a week on the anniversary of the British explorer’s death.

Graffiti painted on the Cook statue in February. Photo: Chris Barclay

Christchurch City Council spokesman Rupert Bool said advice from a heritage expert was to let the red pigments fade over time, alongside treatment, to cause the least amount of damage to the statue.

It is estimated it will cost up to $25,000 to repair the damage and pay for security, scaffolding, staff labour, a heritage conservator and materials.

Security has been increased in the area, and the city council is looking at additional measures to protect the statue on the anniversary of Cook’s death next year.

Citycare workers used a water-based paint stripping product to lift some of the graffiti. Photo: Geoff Sloan

Cook first set foot in New Zealand in 1769, leaving behind a legacy of scientific and geographical knowledge.

But the explorer has become a controversial figure for anti-colonists.

The first overnight attack saw slogans painted in red on three of the four sides of the granite base, and the Māori national flag painted on the other side.

The next night, the statue’s nose was ground off and his eyes gouged out.

- By Geoff Sloan, made with the support of NZ On Air