On the eve of Australian Day, statue toppled as Australians reckon with bloody past

MELBOURNE: Statues of British colonial figures Captain James Cook and Queen Victoria were damaged in Melbourne on Thursday, as annual Australia Day celebrations were again marked by division and protest. On the eve of the country’s national holiday, a now-traditional row over Australia’s often brutal past re-erupted. Click here to get exclusive content with Gulf News WhatsApp channel In the southern city of Melbourne, a statue of the British explorer was felled – apparently cut off at the shins – and its plinth sprayed with the words “The colony will fall.” Meanwhile, a nearby likeness of British monarch Queen Victoria was daubed with red paint. “This sort of vandalism has no place in our community,” said Victoria state premier Jacinta…