Walgett RSL sub branch president Robert Ward says children who allegedly destroyed the town's famous ‘Man on the Monument’ have no respect.

At around 11.30pm on Wednesday 14 January, officers attached to Central North Police District arrived at the Walgett Memorial Park on Fox Street and found that the statue of an Anzac soldier had been knocked over and broken into several pieces.

CCTV footage was checked and showed a group of teenage boys allegedly climbing the statue about 11.25pm, shortly before it fell.

The statue has been destroyed.

The boys allegedly ran from the scene, but police located a group nearby.

Police have spoken to a number of the boys and inquiries are continuing.

‘’It's disgusting, a big blow," Mr Ward said.

"These juveniles have got on top of it, rocked it and broken it.

‘’The ‘Man on the Monument’ was a tribute to every service person who has served for generations."

Walgett Shire Council mayor Jasen Ramien says he condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the deliberate vandalism and destruction of the “Man on the Monument”, the century old marble soldier.

‘’This is not a prank. This is not opportunistic damage.

"This is a deliberate act of desecration directed at a place of remembrance, reflection, and respect.

"It is an attack on the entire Walgett community, including every family whose history is tied to service and sacrifice, and every resident who understands what that monument has represented for generations.’’

The man without his monument but still standing at the Memorial Park. IMAGE SUPPLIED.

The “Man on the Monument” was imported from France and officially dedicated in 1922, erected to commemorate the end of the First World War and to record the names of local men who volunteered to serve.

For decades it stood in the centre of Walgett’s main street, a constant and visible reminder of duty, loss, and community pride, before later being relocated to the Memorial Park precinct.

Mayor of Walgett Shire Council, Councillor Jasen Ramien, said the destruction was sickening and demanded accountability.

“The people who did this have not just smashed marble, they have tried to smash a symbol of respect that belongs to every one of us.

“For a century, that soldier stood at the heart of Walgett. It watched as local men and women answered the call of service across generations, in the Second World War, Korea, Malaya and Borneo, Vietnam, the Gulf, peacekeeping deployments, Afghanistan and Iraq, and in contemporary service that continues today.

“It watched the sons and daughters of this district, Aboriginal and non Aboriginal, 3rd and 4th generation Australians, the sons and daughters of immigrants, and immigrants themselves who called Australia, and Walgett, home, step forward to serve, and in too many cases, never return.

“It stood as a permanent reminder that sacrifice is not a distant concept for Walgett, it has names, faces, families, and lasting grief.”

Council’s General Manager, Andrew Brown, said Council would work closely with NSW Police and pursue every available avenue to identify those responsible.

“Council will support Police in their investigation, and we are asking anyone who saw anything, heard anything, or has CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.

"If you can assist, contact Walgett Police or Crime Stoppers. If you do not want to speak publicly, you can provide information confidentially.”

The Walgett RSL sub branch is working and RSL club manager are also assisting police.

"The RSL club has CCTV footage I believe so we are working to restore it and build a fence to protect it when we get the sculpture to help fix it," Mr Ward said.

They estimate it will cost up to $40,000 to rebuild the sculpture and further funds to build the fence.

Man beyond repair. IMAGE SUPPLIED.

Council is also urgently reviewing security arrangements for the Memorial Park and surrounding precinct.

"Places of remembrance must be protected as community assets and treated with the respect they deserve," Cr Ramien said.

“This was deliberate, it was disrespectful, and it was cowardly.

“Walgett will grieve this loss, but we will also respond with strength.

"We will pursue accountability, we will restore what we can, and we will stand united in respect for those whose names and service this memorial was built to honour.”