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A young person from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after allegedly defacing a sizable blue sculpture of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

The 19-year-old, aged 19, participated remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.

In a statement at the time of the recent event, the local council said that surveillance video captured a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have nicknamed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and told the judge she was ill, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate advising her to secure a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the reported event, the local mayor stated that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the stickers could not be detached without damaging the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also disappointing to those members of our society who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor added the council would pursue the “significant” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

When the sculpture was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.