By Callum Ludwig
The damage done to the Seville War Memorial could have been caught on CCTV if a promised camera had been installed.
Cameras were pledged for Seville in 2019 which were specifically requested to survey the new memorial, which had the panel for George Ingram unveiled on Anzac Day that year.
Chair of the Seville War Memorial Committee Anthony McAleer OAM said this made sense as it is an important community asset and the Federal Government contributed a large amount of funding towards the War Memorial.
“Currently the Seville War Memorial Committee remain extremely frustrated, after all our hard work and fundraising efforts we need to protect this war memorial for the benefit of the community with CCTV cameras,” he said.
“We were denied a camera, despite being allocated funding for it, because the YRSCN (Yarra Ranges Safety Camera Network), without any community consultation, believed the retail area deserved it more than the community’s War Memorial,”
“Since being denied allocated funds we have already experienced a horrific attack on the memorial that destroyed two panels, cameras positioned there may have deterred the vandals and it may have even assisted police in their investigations.”
The Seville War Memorial Committee have put forward a solution, proposing to Yarra Ranges Council that committee member Grant Tucker, who owns Advance Security in Lilydale, could install, donate and monitor a camera system set up on the toilet block facing the memorial.
Mr Tucker said the proposal was to put long-range cameras facing the war memorial only, which could be cabled into an electrical box behind the nearby gazebo, which only himself or his technician could access to cut footage for the police.
“It won’t be costing the shire, I’m the one donating it to the community, I’m not getting anything out of it, I just want to protect our investment,
“Our members have done a lot of community work to get that war memorial up to where it is now and then to have some little bugger shoot it, it’s very disappointing and we are still no closer to finding out who did it, at least with my donation to the community, we’ll have eyes on it and know what’s going on down there,”
“The thing that annoys me too is, I actually scoped the job to put cameras in there and they said ‘it can’t be done’ but I do cameras around the Yarra Valley, in cherry orchards, in wineries or whatnot, they only need four cameras and that whole village green area would be covered by a locally stored recorder that only the police have access to.”
Yarra Ranges Council was contacted for comment.
Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence has advocated for harsher penalties for offenders since the Seville incidet and said she has long called for tougher penalties for people who vandalise and damage our sacred war memorials
“CCTV surveillance would not only disincentivise such antisocial behaviour but help identify anyone who disgracefully vandalises a war memorial or cenotaph.”
“Recent experience has shown that attacks on war memorials are becoming more frequent and vicious, especially in the lead up to days of national significance and remembrance such as ANZAC Day,”
“War memorials hold a special and unique place in our history and our community and deserve protection, these war memorials pay tribute to the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and freedoms.”
On top of the damage to the Seville War Memorial, attacks on war memorials in the Evelyn electorate have largely included ‘tagging’ and theft;
The Mafeking Tree had a 124-year-old plaque stolen
The Lilydale War Memorial was tagged with texta, which also happened to the Lillydale Lake Militia Camp Storyboard (also scratched), Mt Evelyn War Memorial (also had flag pole pulled down) and the Montrose War Memorial (also scratched and graffitied with political slogans on the eve of Remembrance Day).
The Mooroolbark War Memorial had a tile plaque stolen off the plinth which was later recovered in a park in Croydon.
