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A young person from the Land Down Under has faced legal proceedings after reportedly vandalizing a sizable blue sculpture of a legendary being by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, aged 19, appeared remotely at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of property damage.

Officials commented at the moment of the recent event, the local council explained that surveillance video showed a individual putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have dubbed the “Blue Blob”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by news outlets, with the magistrate advising her to find a legal representative before her next court date in the final month of the year.

A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved community sculpture would be costly as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be removed without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” Mayor Lynette Martin remarked in mid-September. “It is not innocent amusement, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those people of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

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

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew mixed reactions from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators inspired by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial discovered in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.