Good Samaritans have restored the Corrimal War Memorial to its former glory, removing thick, black graffiti scrawled on a granite pillar by vandals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Corrimal RSL sub-branch vice-president Neil McLean was overjoyed on Thursday after specialist graffiti removers managed to reverse the damage done in a senseless attack last weekend.
"I'm ecstatic," he said.
"Not only did they clean up the monument, they also water blasted the whole paved area."
Mr McLean arrived at the memorial last Saturday morning intending to check the lawns, but instead discovered a large chunk missing from one granite pillar and the words "Scab Eater" and "No tears for dead soldiers" scrawled in black marker pen on another.
The incident drew widespread condemnation and Mr McLean said he had been contacted by people outraged at the desecration.
One of those was Dubbo man Kevin Walkom, who owns Sydney cleaning and graffiti management company Techni-Clean Australia.
Mr Walkom got on the phone and offered his business' services and expertise for free.
Just hours later, his nephews Matthew and Sean Walkom were in Corrimal, braving the chilly evening air, to clean off the monument with a combination of chemicals, heat and hard slog.
"We were really happy to help," Kevin Walkom said.
"Sometimes people are put in front of us to give us an opportunity to do something good."
His good deed resulted in a very happy group of Corrimal RSL sub-branch members, thrilled to have the memorial's dignity returned in time for Saturday's Anzac Day dawn service.
Mr McLean said there was a community reward of $1550 for information on the vandals.
Melbourne punk band Scab Eater, who played in Corrimal last weekend and whose name featured in the graffiti, this week slammed the attack.
They pulled out of a post-Anzac Day concert in East Brisbane because of the incident.
"The ignorant and heartless sentiments on the memorial were the action of a single individual which collectively the band does not stand behind," the band said in a statement.
To help, contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.