Special Announcement - Bali Memorial dedication ceremony

12/10/03
Premier Geoff Gallop today commissioned the Bali Memorial at Kings Park. He delivered the following speech just after 11am.

Bali Memorial dedication ceremony.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Distinguished Guests -
I welcome and thank the families of those who lost their lives, and those who were injured, for being here at this very difficult time.
I welcome His Excellency the Governor of Western Australia, Lt General John Sanderson who will dedicate this memorial today, and Mrs. Sanderson.
On October 12 last year, Australia changed when vicious and cowardly bomb attacks shattered the tranquillity of a favourite holiday destination for many generations of Australians. 202 innocent lives were lost, including 88 Australians, among them 16 Western Australians.
Our community has been wracked by loss and heartache. We have been disturbed and enraged by this senseless act of terror.
No words of mine can do anything but honour the memory of our fellow citizens whose lives were cut short, and comfort and support their families and those who were injured.
I want to thank you - the families and loved ones, and the survivors - for your courage.
We as a community cannot fathom your sorrow but we hope this memorial will be a special place for you and a respectful place where people can come to express sympathy and remember their fellow Western Australians.
Today we also remember our Balinese friends and those from many other countries who died alongside our own.
Kings Park was chosen as an ideal place for remembrance, reflection and hope. I acknowledge and thank the indigenous representatives and the Kings Park and Botanical Gardens Authority for their recognition of the importance of this project.
On behalf of all Western Australians I thank all those people who helped, and are still helping, to save lives and rebuild lives in the year since the Bali attack. You should know that this memorial is one way we recognise your compassion, your courage and your skill.
From the early rescue efforts to the tireless work of volunteers, emergency and health professionals, and the outpouring of support from all Western Australians - we have witnessed something precious in the midst of tragedy - the strength of our community and our sense of obligation to one another.
This is a time to reaffirm our commitment to confront terrorism wherever it rears its ugly head and let those who commit these crimes know that they will never defeat our spirit.
We are a multicultural, multi-faith society and we need to show both by word and deed that there is an alternative to the intolerance and hatred that can lead to violence and terror.
I thank all the people who have been involved in the ambitious and I believe, necessary, task of completing the memorial for this first anniversary.
A community like ours will always build and rebuild to sustain and nurture new lives. Those who built the other memorials in this park built and rebuilt for me and my generation. We owe it to the younger generation here today to do the same thing.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, this memorial stands as a symbol of our hope for a more peaceful future. It allows us to remember those taken from us, to honour those whose courage and skill assisted the injured, and to reaffirm our belief in freedom and democracy.
Premier's office: 9222 9475