World-Famous Mural Defaced In Melbourne

A globally renowned mural on the side of Melbourne's old Collingwood Technical School that was created by venerated New York street artist Keith Haring — commonly acknowledged as the first such creative to break through to greater fame — has been defaced less than a year after extensive restoration works were undertaken on the artwork.

As ABC reports, Haring created the mural 30 years ago and, despite his American roots, is now one of the last remaining original artworks in the world to have been created by the activist artist. Over the years, it's developed into something of a cultural point of pride for Collingwood and wider Melbourne locals, and is easily visible from the beer garden of nearby venue The Tote. 

After the march of time left its seemingly inexorable marks on the mural over the ensuing decades, Italian conservator Antonio Rava was brought in to restore it to its original condition last year.

According to police, the mural was defaced between 5pm on Friday, 13 February, and midday on Saturday. Detective Senior Constable Phoebe Coulson told the ABC that the damage may not be fixable.

"It's really disappointing to have this happen," she told the national broadcaster. "We'd really encourage anyone who may have seen or heard something in the area on Friday evening to give us a call."