The historic Cooks’ Cottage, on the outskirts of Melbourne’s CBD, has been graffitied with anti-Australia Day slogans again.

The building in the Fitzroy Gardens was vandalised overnight, with slogans including “26th January, Australia’s shame” and another containing profanity.

Vandals sprayed fluorescent-coloured paint across the historic cottage and smashed a window in.

Police believe light globes filled with paint were also used to vandalise the second storey of the cottage.

Detective Senior Constable Scott Gray says police are reviewing security footage from the area.

“It does indicate that at least two people have been involved in this,” he said.

“They seem to know where the cameras are placed around the gardens but there is some footage that has been captured.”

It is the third time the building has been vandalised in a year; it was sprayed twice in the days after Australia Day last year.

Detective Senior Constable Gray says it is unclear if the incidents are linked.

“Coming so close to Australia Day in Victoria and Australia, it’s quite disturbing that people can do this,” he said.

The cottage was originally built in 1755 in Yorkshire, England by Captain James Cook’s parents.

In 1933, philanthropist Sir Russell Grimwade bought the cottage as a centenary gift for Melburnians.

It was dismantled brick-by-brick and transported to the Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne, where it has remained for almost 80 years.