SECURITY guards were scheduled to patrol Cooks' Cottage this weekend before anti-Australia Day activists vandalised the historic landmark last night.

The vandals sprayed inflammatory messages on the former home of Captain James Cook's parents, located in Fitzroy Gardens.

One said "26th Jan Australia's shame" while the other said "F@#$ Aus Day".

People walking through Fitzroy Gardens stopped to look at the graffiti this morning, with the building also sprayed with fluorescent green and orange paint.

A window was also broken in what Lord Mayor Robert Doyle described as a "senseless act of vandalism against one of the icons of our city".

He said "vandalism is not a legitimate form of protest" and the messages were an "act of disrespect" to Melbourne.

"It detracts from the message that those vandals were trying to get across in the first place," he said.

Cr Doyle said security guards were scheduled to patrol Cooks' Cottage throughout the Australia Day long weekend after previous acts of vandalism last year.

"Unfortunately these vandals got in advance of the security guards," he said.

The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed last year and Cr Doyle said that footage would be "very helpful" to police.

Cooks' Cottage is scheduled to reopen to the public this afternoon but Cr Doyle said the clean-up bill for the historic heritage bluestone building would be costly.

Police arrived at the scene shortly before 8am to inspect the damage and Detective Sen-Constable Scott Gray said it was disappointing to see the anti-Australian messages.

At least two vandals were believed to have been involved in the attack and Det-Sen Constable Gray said they appeared to know where the CCTV cameras were located.

It was not clear what time the vandals had struck but a security guard passing through the area at 5am did not notice the graffiti.

A passer-by was believed to have contacted police this morning.

The cottage was erected at the site in 1934 after it was brought to Australia to commemorate Captain Cook's voyages.

About 100,000 people visit the landmark every year.

tom.minear@news.com.au

media_camera Graffiti on Cooks' Cottage.

media_camera Graffiti on Cooks' Cottage.