Horizon Ball faces attempted repairs after vandalism defaces iconic Geraldton sculpture

The future of the iconic Horizon Ball sculpture which decorates the Beresford foreshore remains unclear, but the City of Greater Geraldton remains focused on finding the culprit and fixing the art piece, starting this week.

Two weeks ago the council was made aware the sculpture had “Mad dawg” and “6642” scratched on the surface — the latter tag believed to be the postcode for Meekatharra, Kumarina, Peak Hill, Angelo River, Karalundi and Capricorn.

Mayor Jerry Clune said the ball would undergo attempted repairs this week, using the City’s maintenance team and some expert advice.

“They’re going to do a trial and see if they can fill it and buff it on site — it’s very much trial and error but all we can do is try,” Mr Clune said.

CCTV footage of the area is still being watched, with eight minutes of the footage representing one hour in real time.

“It’s taking a while to go through it, having to slow it down. There could’ve been some time in between it actually happening and it being reported,” Mr Clune said

It’s not the first time the sphere has been targeted. The original piece exploded in November 2021 in hot weather after being weakened by vandalism.

It was finally replaced in December 2022, but 12 hours after the replica was installed a 17-year-old damaged it by jumping inside the water-filled structure. After that instance, security cameras were installed to monitor the sculpture.

Mr Clune has previously said the option of relocating the art piece — created by artist Lucy Humphrey — would defeat its purpose and the location was perfect for those wanting to visit the sculpture, have a barbecue and watch the sunset.