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A teenager from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after allegedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, 19 years old, appeared via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, charged with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the judge advising her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader stated that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

“This intentional vandalism to a cherished community art is unacceptable and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

She added the local government would seek the “significant” restoration expenses from those responsible for the damage.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the local community due to its cost and appearance.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; sixty-eight thousand pounds), the artwork represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.