Woman given community service for putting googly eyes on £70k sculpture

• A 20-year-old woman, Amelia Vanderhorst, was convicted of a graffiti offence in South Australia for attaching googly eyes to a public sculpture.
• The artwork, named 'Cast in Blue' and valued at A$136,000 (£70,721), is located in Mount Gambier and depicts mythical megafauna, though it has divided local opinion and is popularly known as the 'Blue Blob'.
• Vanderhorst pleaded guilty to 'marking graffiti' after filming herself attaching the eyes in September 2025, later expressing remorse for her actions.
• Magistrate Kylie Schulz ordered Vanderhorst to pay A$2,000 (£1,040) in compensation to the city council and complete 60 hours of community service.
• The city council spent A$3,000 on repairs, as the adhesive used could not be removed without damaging the sculpture.

IN FULL

Australian woman convicted after putting googly eyes on controversial ‘Blue Blob’ sculpture