The National Workers Memorial in the national capital,

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

, is Australia's place for honouring workers who have died as a result of work-related accidents, incidents and disease.

Purpose

In May 2011, the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...

provided funding for the design and construction of a memorial "to honour and pay tribute to working Australians who have died as a result of work-related accidents, incidents and disease". The other stated purposes are: *To serve "as a poignant reminder of the importance of work health and safety and the need for a determined and continued effort by all to prevent work-related accidents and disease. It is also a place to reflect on the evolving values, ideas and aspirations of the Australian community in relation to work health and safety."National Workers Memorial (official website)
retrieved 2 June 2013 *To provide "a place for visitors to lay a tribute for a loved one, a location to pause and reflect within earshot of the

National Carillon The National Carillon is a large carillon situated on Queen Elizabeth II Island in Lake Burley Griffin, central Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The carillon is managed and maintained by the National Capital Authority o ...

’s bells, as well as allowing a space for congregation, interaction and ceremony." *To provide "an important focal point for the national commemoration of

Workers Memorial Day Workers' Memorial Day, also known as International Workers' Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured, takes place annually around the world on April 28, an international day of remembrance and action for workers kille ...

, recognised internationally on 28 April each year." Workplace deaths amount to around 300 per year in Australia.

Site

The site in Canberra is within the sound of the bells of the

, in

Kings Park, Canberra Kings Park is a park in Canberra, Australia on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin. Kings Park is adjacent to Kings Avenue, on the north side of Lake Burley Griffin's Central Basin. The park has a number of community and heritage spaces located wi ...

, beside

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Walte ...

. The other memorials nearby are: * National Police Memorial * HMAS ''Canberra'' (D33) The memorial has been sanctioned by the

National Capital Authority The National Capital Authority (NCA) is a statutory authority of the Australian Government that was established to manage the Commonwealth's interest in the planning and development of Canberra as the capital city of Australia. Timeline of th ...

as the memorial is within the

Parliamentary Triangle The National Triangle, which is referred to as the Parliamentary Triangle, is the ceremonial precinct of Canberra, containing some of Australia's most significant buildings. The National Triangle is formed by Commonwealth, Kings and Constituti ...

of Canberra.

Structure

The memorial consists of eight tall stone poles, symbolically sighted across a stylised map of Australia in the places of the state and territory capital cities. Architectural firm Johnson Pilton Walker has placed concentric circles around the poles with words representing the intended outcome of knowledge and application of good practices of work health and safety. The lead-in path has two inscriptions along its edge, saying: *every worker has the right to return home *every workplace death diminishes us as a nation Construction is reported to have cost A$3 million.Tears as memorial to workers opens
Megan Doherty,

Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

, 29 April 2013, retrieved 2 June 2013

Inauguration ceremony

The inauguration ceremony was held on Sunday 28 April 2013.National memorial honours victims of workplace accidents
Siobhan Heanue,

ABC News Online ABC News, or ABC News and Current Affairs, is a public news service produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Broadcasting within Australia and the rest of the world, the service covers both local and world affairs. The division of ...

, 28 April 2013, retrieved 2 June 2013 File:NWM(A) return home.jpg, "every worker has the right to return home" File:NWM(A) death diminishes.jpg, "every workplace death diminishes us as a nation" and "I think about her every day" File:NWM(A) plaque.jpg, Plaque

References

External links