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A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a sizable art piece of a mythical creature by applying googly eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on Tuesday, facing with one count of damaging property.

In a statement at the moment of the September incident, the local council said that CCTV footage captured a person putting artificial eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the court she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate advising her to find a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.

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

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

When the sculpture was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the local community due to its price tag and design.

Costing A$136,000 (eighty-nine thousand US dollars; £68,000), the artwork depicts a legendary giant animal, with the creators influenced by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.