War memorials vandalised in western Victorian towns of Dobie and Beaufort

In short:

A war memorial in the Western Victorian town of Dobie has been vandalised.

It comes weeks after a war memorial in the neighbouring town of Beaufort was also vandalised.

What's next?

The Ararat Rural City Council says it will clean the memorial as soon as possible.

Two war memorials in neighbouring western Victorian towns have been defaced within the last month.

In the regional town of Dobie, just south-east of Ararat, a plaque was stolen from a war memorial commemorating local veterans and the rock in which it was set was spray painted over with an Aboriginal flag and the words "land back".

The concrete plinth upon which the memorial sat was also painted with the words "lest we forget the frontier wars" in red spray paint.

It comes a little over one month after a century-old memorial in the neighbouring town of Beaufort was also vandalised with red paint.

The Ararat Rural City Council mayor, Bob Sanders, said he is deeply saddened by the vandalism.

"People are just devastated, we're all really devastated,"

Mr Sanders said.

"It's that sort of thing that doesn't do anybody any good."

Mr Sanders said the Dobie memorial consists of two large rocks: one of which is shaped like an ANZAC medal, and the other which housed the stolen plaque commemorating residents who died at war.

"They both have been defaced quite badly and the one with the plaque has been ripped off and it's gone," Mr Sanders said.

"[The offenders] have also ripped out plants that were around the memorial and some trees."

Mr Sanders said the community is devastated by the destruction.

"They just need to understand the desecration of sites like this certainly doesn't help anybody's causes ... It just alienates people from each other more,"

he said.

The Ararat Rural City Council has begun cleaning works to remove the vandalism.

Meanwhile, Victoria Police is investigating the vandalism of a 100-year-old war memorial in the neighbouring town of Beaufort.

Beaufort RSL president Donald Carnes said the vandals painted slogans including "death to Australia", "death to the ADF", "land back" and "blood on your hands" on the monument.

Vicotira Police confirmed Beaufort Memorial Park was graffitied sometime between Saturday July 25 and July 26.

"The paint has since been removed and an investigation is underway," Victoria Police said.

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