Busts of 20 Prime Ministers suffered massive vandalism, statues of Kevin Rudd and Keating beheaded Australian News

Vandals decapitated statues of former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating and damaged 18 other statues on Thursday.

Between 2am and 5am, a total of 20 busts were attacked on Premier Avenue in the Botanic Gardens of Ballarat, Victoria. The avenue houses the busts of Australia's former 29 prime ministers.

Victoria Police Commissioner Brad Hall said: "It's hard to say this was not a targeted attack because the busts that were damaged and stolen were... of former prime ministers."

Police do not know why Rudd and Keating - two former Labor leaders - were chosen to be beheaded, while the plaques on 18 other busts were covered in spray paint.

"At this stage we are still trying to resolve the issue," Hall said, adding that police believed four people may be involved.

The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Foundation said Premier Avenue had been a "site of national significance" since it opened in 1940. Photo: City of Ballarat/AAP

Police are examining CCTV footage and Hall said they were "keen to speak to the occupants of a white van seen in the area on Thursday morning".

Mr Hall said police would be "in the gardens ahead of Australia Day... doing what local police do".

The Ballarat Botanic Gardens Foundation posted on Instagram that the attack was a "blatant violation of this important part of their story and heritage". It is said that since its opening in 1940, the avenue "has been the pride of the local community and a site of national significance".

This is not the first time a monument honoring a prime minister in the gardens has been vandalized.

Liberal Tony Abbott, who was prime minister from 2013 to 2015, was targeted in a number of incidents. In 2017, his statue was covered in onion crowns, and in 2020 it was defaced with red paint, along with a statue of fellow Liberal John Howard.

Skip past newsletter promotions
Peter Dutton said people should have "a huge amount of respect for our former prime ministers, whether they were Liberal or Labor". Photo: City of Ballarat/AAP

"This senseless destruction is completely unacceptable," Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said in a statement.

She said the attack would be "extremely costly" to taxpayers. "It damages the image of Ballarat as a city."

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton condemned the vandalism, saying people should have "great respect for our former prime ministers, whether they were Liberal or Labor".

"They led the country at different times and we should respect our history and we should have great respect for those who have led our country."

He said the actions represented "0.1 per cent of Australia".