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

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared remotely at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, charged with a single charge of damaging property.

In a statement at the time of the September incident, the local council explained that CCTV footage showed a individual placing artificial eyes on the sculpture, which locals have nicknamed the “Cast in Blue”.

Ms Vanderhorst did not enter a plea and informed the judge she was ill, according to media sources, with the judge recommending her to secure a lawyer before her next court date in December.

A day after the reported event, the city leader said that restoration to the popular public artwork would be expensive as the stickers could not be detached without harming the art piece.

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

She said the local government would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

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

Priced at 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the artwork represents a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an prehistoric anteater-like marsupial found in local caves that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.