Tasmanian Seafarers Memorial facts for kids

The Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial is a special place in Triabunna, Tasmania. It remembers all Tasmanians who have lost their lives at sea. It also honors all sailors, no matter where they came from, who died in the waters around Tasmania. The memorial has many individual plaques. Each plaque remembers a specific sea accident or tragedy. These include accidents involving boats used for fun, fishing, trade, or by the navy since 1803. By February 2017, the memorial had plaques for 116 sad events. More than 1450 lives were lost in these events.

This Seafarers' Memorial in Triabunna is a recognized Australian site for remembering those lost at sea. Many visitors traveling along Tasmania's eastern coast stop here. It is a popular place for quiet thought and reflection.

History of the Memorial

The island of Tasmania, south of Australia

Tasmania is an island state south of mainland Australia. It is open to the strong "Roaring Forties" winds from the Southern Hemisphere. Because of this, Tasmania has a long history of seafaring. It also has a long history of sea tragedies. Ships have sunk off Tasmania's 2500 km (1550 mi) coastline. This happened even before people permanently settled there in 1803. More than 1000 ships are known to have been lost in Tasmanian waters since records began.

Also, Tasmanians have served on ships all over the world. This includes during times of peace and war. Many have died in sea accidents, and their bodies were never found. The Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial is dedicated to all these ships and sailors.

The main goals of the Memorial are:

• To offer a place for plaques to remember loved ones lost at sea.
• To give a place for people to grieve for sailors whose bodies were never found.
• To help people learn more about water safety.
• To create a source of Tasmanian maritime history.

The idea for the Memorial started after a young fisherman from Triabunna, Gavin Batchelor, drowned. This happened off Maria Island in 1995. People asked the local Glamorgan Spring Bay Council for help. In 1996, the council set up a special committee. This committee would build and manage a memorial for all Tasmanian seafarers. Money for the memorial came from local, state, and federal governments. People also gave individual donations.

The Memorial was officially opened on Sunday, October 26, 1997. The Mayor of Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, Cr E. A. (Bill) Bailey, led the ceremony. Speakers included Senator Eric Abetz and the Hon. Denise Swan. They represented the Australian and Tasmanian governments. The special words spoken at this first ceremony, and all later ones, are:

"The memory of those whom we have lost – We share. For those who grieve such a loss – We care."

Famous Sea Tragedies Remembered

The Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial has plaques for over 100 sea tragedies. Many of these events are well-known to Tasmanians and Australians. Some of these famous tragedies include:

• The sinking of the convict ships George III and Neva in 1835. Also, the emigrant ship Cataraqui in 1845. These happened in Tasmanian waters when the colony was very new. More than 750 men, women, and children were lost.
• The loss of Australia's first submarine, HMAS AE1. It disappeared off Papua New Guinea in 1914. No one knows exactly why it sank. 34 sailors were lost and never found. This included the first Tasmanian to die in service during World War I.
• The sinking of the destroyer HMAS Voyager. This happened off Jervis Bay in 1964. It collided with the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne at night. Four Tasmanian sailors were among the 81 navy people lost. The Voyager broke in two and sank.
• The Tasman Bridge disaster in 1975. The large ship Lake Illawarra hit the Tasman Bridge at night. This happened on the Derwent River in Hobart. Two parts of the concrete bridge collapsed. Twelve lives were lost that night. This included five drivers whose cars fell into the river.
• The very sad 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. This famous yearly race ran into a very strong storm. It happened in the Tasman Sea just north of Tasmania. Five racing yachts were destroyed. Six lives were lost.

• Notable tragedies commemorated
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  Wreck of convict ship George III off Southport, 1835

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  Wreck of emigrant ship Cataraqui off King Island, 1845

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  Submarine HMAS AE1, lost off Papua New Guinea in 1914

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  Mission ship Southern Cross, sunk off King Island, 1920

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  Destroyer HMAS Voyager (2nd from top) with aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne, c1962

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  Tasman Bridge after collision from Lake Illawarra, 1975

Memorial Design and Layout

The Ichthys or "fish" symbol

The Memorial is a simple and peaceful structure. It is designed to show many individual plaques for quiet viewing. It is located in a park on Esplanade West, Triabunna. It looks out over the local port of Spring Bay. The memorial has low, curved stone walls. These walls form a fish shape when seen from above. The memorial plaques are placed on top of these walls.

Openings on each side let visitors walk into the center of the Memorial. In the middle, there is a stone platform shaped like a boat. This platform holds a large anchor cross standing upright. It also holds the plaque for the Merchant Navy. A separate stone pillar nearby holds the main Naval plaque. In front of the memorial, there are ship masts with ropes and lights, and a flagpole.

There is open space around the main structure. This allows for important ceremonies and services. Several of these events happen each year. The design mixes ideas from the sea and from faith. The layout is shaped like the early Christian ichthys or "fish" symbol. Local Tasmanians, Mrs K. M. Fergusson and J. G. Castle, created the design.

Yearly Service

Since 1998, the Tasmanian Seafarers Memorial has held a yearly service. This service is usually on the third Sunday in October. This timing allows the service to include the yearly Blessing of the Fleet. This blessing is for the local fishing industry.

Important people often attend these services. These include the Governor of Tasmania, politicians from federal and state governments, and the Chief Justice of the Tasmanian Supreme Court. Senior officers from the Royal Australian Navy also attend.

Memorial Plaques Explained

Plaque for MV Blythe Star, lost in 1973

Individual memorial plaques are placed at the Tasmanian Seafarers' Memorial. They remember the loss of over 100 different ships. These losses led to the deaths of more than 1400 people. Other plaques remember events important to the local community and Tasmania. These include tragedies at Oyster Bay and Spring Bay. The 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race is also remembered. Plaques also honor Tasmanian prisoners of war who drowned during World War II.

A third group of plaques makes up the Spring Bay Professional Fishermen's Memorial. Other important memorials here include the Tasmanian Merchant Navy Memorial and the Tasmanian Naval Seafarers' Memorial.