THIEVES have repeatedly removed the Torres Strait Islander flag from a Heidelberg West park amid community rumours it is “Arabic”.

The flag, which flies alongside the Australian National and Aboriginal flags in Malahang Reserve, has been nicked three times — twice last month, and once towards the end of last year.

And Banyule Mayor Craig Langdon believes thieves think the flag is Arabic.

Cr Langdon told Heidelberg Leader he received an anonymous phone call from a woman a few months ago who told him she thought the flag was Arabic.

He said the caller asked whether he was proud of the flags at the reserve.

“I said of course I was proud of the flags and she said ‘we don’t like the Arabic flag’,” Cr Langdon said.

“I said no it’s not, they’re the three official flags of Australia.”

Cr Langdon said the caller remained staunch that she and others in the community believed the flag was Arabic, and then hung up in a huff.

“Either someone doesn’t like green and blue or they think it is Muslim,” he said.

The council keeps on replacing the flag, at $80 a pop.

Cr Langdon said since the rude phone call he had resolved to put a sign up in the park with information on the history of the three flags, which will be installed in coming weeks.

Meanwhile the council will also install three more official Australian flags in place of the Bell St Mall sculpture — which will be offered up as public art.

Cr Langdon said the 20-year-old statue, which represents a family, had fallen into disrepair.

Leader understands many in the community consider the statue to be ugly.

Cr Langdon said the general consensus was that it should be replaced by the three flags.

Bell St Mall will also have a cenotaph installed at its Tobruk St entrance and an interpretative sign to commemorate the significance of the famous World War II battle that took place in 1941.

AT A GLANCE:

■ The Torres Strait Islander flag was adopted in May 1992 during the Torres Strait Islands Cultural Festival and proclaimed on July 14, 1995.

■ The green panels at the top and bottom of the flag represent the land and the central blue panel represents the sea. The black lines dividing the panels represent the Torres Strait Islander people.

■ The centre of the flag shows a white dhari (dancer’s headdress) and is a symbol for all Torres Strait Islanders.

■ Underneath the dhari is a white five-pointed star. The star is an important symbol for navigating the sea. The points of the star represent the island groups in the Torres Strait and white symbolises peace.