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

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in South Australia on that day, facing with one count of property damage.

In a statement at the time 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”.

Ms Vanderhorst made no plea and informed the court she was unwell, according to media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that repairs to the popular community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without harming the sculpture.

“This wilful damage to a valued public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also disappointing to those people of our community who have embraced Cast in Blue.”

The mayor said the council would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the vandalism.

At the time the sculpture was initially suggested, it received varied responses from the local community 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 marsupial ant-eater discovered in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.