Gnome Rangers provoked into statement against 'commercialisation' of legacy

A mysterious underground group called the Gnome Rangers, based in the foothills of Adelaide, Australia, has been provoked into a rare public appearance over what it calls the potential "commercialisation" of its legacy. Surprising the subject of a live interview with Channel 7's Sunrise programme from the foothills town of Blackwood on Thursday morning, a Gnome Ranger, dressed in a replicated outfit of international hacking group Anonymous, appeared to make a brief yet startling message. "Don't get caught," it said. Since 2003, the Gnome Rangers have been responsible for the appearance of garden gnomes on the rooftops of commercial properties and public infrastructure across Blackwood, Belair, Glenalta, Eden Hills and Coromandel Valley.


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Receiving favourable widespread media attention, the rangers have always claimed responsibility through local media and their website gnoming.net, along with a clear set of guidelines about what can be "gnomed" and what cannot, such as churches and war memorials. A recent appearance of gnomes in the district after a six-year hiatus, however, has again gained the Gnome Rangers media attention, with the organisation last week releasing a statement denying any involvement. "We confess to a measured sense of pride in knowing that our mission has given rise to a community-led resurgence of gnome-related whimsy," the Gnome Rangers said. But reports on social media have since suggested the latest gnomes are aligned with a different organisation promoting a small selection of local businesses.







The latest gnomes appeared to be placed on top of selected buildings in Blackwood in what some locals referred to as a marketing campaign. If true, it would be in contrast with Gnome Ranger roll-outs that saw everything from Coles and Hungry Jacks to petrol stations, hotels, cafes and even railway crossing boom gates indiscriminately "gnomed" under the cover of darkness. The missions, detailed online, have been given such names as, Episode II: Attack of the Gnomes (2003), Operation Gumption (2006) and The Gnome Times (2009). The Gnome Rangers released a YouTube video stating its unease with the "latest developments". "We do not wish to name any individuals or groups, but we have concerns that recent events seek to commercialise what has always been a fun and most importantly, anonymous endeavour," the "Agnonymous" spokesperson said.


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"We feel that gnoming should be socially inclusive. We do not commercialise." The rangers said they would remain "tight-lipped" about what specifically had "raised their ire", but added "revelations of exclusionary gnoming practices and the use of gnoming for commercial marketing purposes are likely to be contributing factors". They said they hoped the community would continue to embrace the "humble garden gnome". "We only wish to express a desire that those who follow in our footsteps conduct gnoming in an anonymous and socially inclusive manner, free of the politics of business group allegiances and commercial self-promotion," they said. The Gnome Ranges said they expected to meet soon to form 'operational plans in response to these latest developments'. "We wish to communicate a growing sense within our ranks that the latest outbreak of gnoming undermines one of the key conventions of The Gnoming Code of Conduct: don't get caught," they said.