A man who made headlines after raising a flag with Nazi symbolism has said he will not be taking it down.
Bill, who wished not to have his full name printed, said he had had the flag in his garden for a month, having received it as a gift.
He said he had not received any complaints from Beulah neighbours in Victoria's Mallee region, the council or police prior to a story running in a Melbourne newspaper on Wednesday morning.
"I'm not taking it down. If the flag was a banned article I could understand, but you can buy (Nazi flags) on the internet, it's not illegal," he said.
"No one came and asked about the flag. I might have considered taking it down if someone came to my door and asked nicely."
Bill said he had been flying the flag to represent his German ancestry.
His carer Cheryl, who also declined her surname being used, said she was considering legal action against the Melbourne newspaper, which she says incorrectly printed that the flag was hers.
"It has nothing to do with me, but the damage is done," she said.
Premier Daniel Andrews today called for the flag to be taken down.
"The people who are displaying that despicable flag, this is disgusting, it is absolutely disgusting behaviour," he told a press conference.
"And if there's any decency in that household they will take that flag down immediately."
Mr Andrews said that anti-semitism as on the rise and that the Jewish community had "made that point to me many, many times".
"The stats show that. And it is completely unacceptable for anybody to be flying what is perhaps the ultimate symbol of hate. And that is that flag," he said.
"That is just disgusting behaviour. Nothing justifies that whatsoever and it should come down."
Yarriambiack Shire chief executive Jessie Holmes said the council was contacted by a Beulah police officer late last week after the officer received complaints about the flag.
"He wanted to know what legislative mechanisms we had to remove it, and we don't have any," she said.
"We are working with Victoria Police. Obviously best scenario is the owners take the flag down.
"From council's perspective this doesn't represent Beulah at all or the wider community. We will work with any statutory agency that has the authority or mechanism to remove it, as we consider it offensive."
"Beulah is a great town and doesn't deserve the negative publicity. The flag does."
A Beulah resident who did not wish to be named said she thought the flag was "disgusting".
"It's not a good look for the town. I don't think most people in town knew the flag was up," she said.
Beulah resident Michelle said she thought flying the flag was "not right" and it wasn't a good look for the town.
"I don't think it (the attention the flag is receiving) will have a long-term impact on Beulah," she said.
The Mail-Times has contacted Beulah police for comment.
Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
