Mayor F.I. Smyth of Prahan, a commercial and industrial section in the heart of Melbourne, announced today that he would urge the Prahan Municipal Council to authorize the removal of swastika patterns in the tiles of the floor at the Town Hall.
The move follows complaints by Jewish individuals and organizations that the swastika, which was actually an ancient symbol in use among aborigine tribes in various parts of the world, was a painful reminder of the Nazi regime. The Town Hall has been used in the past by the Australian Zionist Organization and other Jewish groups.
Mayor Symth said he was sure that the Council would agree to the removal of the symbols now considered offensive. The tiles have been in the Town Hall floor many years.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
