Tasmania remembers lives lost and forever changed at Port Arthur
On the 25th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, responders and community leaders will quietly reflect on the lives lost and the ones changed forever. READ THEIR STORIES >>
Tasmania
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THEY say time heals but for many the pain continues.
On the 25th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre former Liberal Premier Tony Rundle will quietly reflect on the lives lost and the ones changed forever.
The Premier at the time remembers the memorial services at Port Arthur and St. David’s Cathedral were “heart-rending.”
“The fact that 35 innocent souls had their lives stolen and 23 others (were) wounded, shocked and angered Tasmanians,” Mr Rundle said.
“We were getting international publicity for all the wrong reasons and a dark stain on our history.
“At the Port Arthur remembrance I said: ‘soon the spring blossoms will bloom, signalling a new beginning’ but for some there will never be a new beginning and they should be able to mark the event in their own way.”
Today he will remember the many grieving families.
“Particularly the orphaned Ballarat family whose parents died in the Broad Arrow Cafe.
“I visited them soon after with Tasman Mayor Neil Noye and Port Arthur Board chairman Michael Mazengarb.
“I will be catching up with some of my former colleagues in Hobart next week. They were all there on the fateful April 28th.”
Mr Rundle says the tougher gun laws in the wake of the massacre had a positive effect in Australia.
But he says there is still more that needs to be done so Australia does not take the same path as the United States.
“A National Gun Register was never implemented by governments – guns cross borders – so this should be looked at.
“Any moves to water down gun laws needs to be resisted because of the knock-on effect across jurisdictions.”
For others who worked on that fateful day they will remember but want to let go of the past.
Police inspector and now president of the Police Association, Colin Riley, was part of the Special Operations Group that tracked the gunman.
“The incident impacted many lives directly and continues to do so,” Mr Riley said.
“Having been in the Special Operations Group that responded, it is a constant reference point for me.
“Time heals most wounds, we need to let this go now and continue the healing. Enough. Enough.”
Former police officer, funeral director, Tasmanian Senator and president of the Senate, Stephen Parry, tended to the victim’s bodies before they were released to grieving families.
He is reluctant to talk about Port Arthur but believes it is time to move on.
“It does occupy my thoughts on many occasions,” Mr Parry admits.
“Triggers … such as anniversaries, or running into people who were involved in one way or another, invokes feelings that I would otherwise prefer didn’t surface.
“Yes – it is time to move on.
“I am a strong believer in remembering, reflecting, learning and moving forward.
“A great statement that I have used in grief, trauma and life in many situations and vocations including policing, undertaking and politics is – ‘remember the past, visit it often if you wish, but do not stay there!’
“Maybe it is time we reflect, but quietly, not overtly, not with any fuss – just acknowledge to ourselves the terrible event and move on vowing to do all we can to prevent such events from ever recurring.”
Dr Bryan Walpole, who was a top medical specialist on duty at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s emergency department on April 28, 1996, agrees it is time to move on.
“Definitely, a journalist who interviewed me said: “I wasn’t born then!”
“(We should) think about how well it was managed, at all levels, then think how we would cope now, with access block on beds, and ramped ambulances.
“Give a thought to those folks at Port Arthur, who endured a day of terror, and years recovering, and in some cases, are still not fully better.”
He was one of many doctors who helped the dying and wounded and today he will think about those who died “so needlessly.”
“It was like going to war for a day,” he said years after.
“I mean, we had 19 people who had been shot within a couple of hours, all of whom who had to be sorted out and dispatched into intensive care and theatre or wards.”
At a memorial service he wept and was hugged by then Prime Minister John Howard with the image beamed around the world.
He says the massacre did not shape his life.
“Well the media crank it up each anniversary, and every time gun laws hits the news, we recall it to illustrate that there has been one small domestic massacre since,” Dr Walpole said.
“That (is) the good that came from it.”
He did not have to undergo any counselling.
“No very few doctors did, and we all were back at work soon after,” he said.
“I still see a few of the doctors and nurses socially, but we rarely mention it.”
Dr Walpole says disaster management should be in the curriculum of all health care workers.
“Next time it will be a climate emergency, heat kills, rain bursts dams, and terrorists explode bombs,” he said.
“It needs to be in the curriculum of all health care workers, the principles of disaster management.”
He believes Australia needs a national register of firearms and better policing of criminal gun use.
“We also need to adopt a ‘No Notoriety’ principle with all media, so the perpetrators name in not mentioned.
“There is good evidence that notoriety encourages these outrageous actions. With no publicity, copycat motives may be minimised.”
The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority has organised a small commemoration service to be held at the Memorial Garden at the Port Arthur Historic Site on Wednesday from 1pm.
Less than 150 are expected to attend due to COVID restrictions.
PAHSMA Board Deputy Chair Michael Field AC will make the welcoming address followed by a speech from designer of the Memorial Garden Torquil Canning, songs, a laying of wreaths, minute silence and prayers.
Port Arthur first responders walk together through pain
By Annie McCann
ONE day out from the 25 year anniversary of the evil shooting that shook Tasmania, first responders have walked side-by-side to raise money and awareness for those affected by tragedy.
Former Victoria Police tactical team leaders Michael Hayes and Craig Harwood joined former Tasmania Police special operations group officer Jim Morrison in a 410km First Responders Walk between the two states to raise $100,000 for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Mr Harwood said the men shared a deep bond after being among the first to arrive on the scene at the Port Arthur shooting all those years ago.
“It’s the nature of our job, I think we’ve always been very close individuals but it’s nice to get together and share a few laughs,” he said.
“There has been some adversity along the way and walking that far, it just brings us closer together.”
Mr Hayes said the charity – so named after Alannah and Madeline Mikac who were among those killed – was intrinsically connected to what it meant to be a first responder.
“The underpinning goals and objectives of the Alannah and Madeline foundation are to protect children against violence,” he said.
“Our ideals as former police officers and veterans involve serving the community, and it was about protecting those that sometimes couldn’t protect themselves.
“That’s just the nature of any police officer or any emergency services worker.”
The First Responders walk started in Melbourne and continued from Devonport moving down the East Coast to Hobart.
The men will arrive at a memorial event at Port Arthur today to reflect on the horrific event.
Jim Morrison said plenty of people had been supportive of the walkers along their trek, which concluded yesterday.
“Some wanted to talk to us, some wanted to share personal experiences, some were relatives and friends and family who were impacted by the tragic day,” he said.
“That is our resolve to keep going and do as much as we can do for those first responders.”
Mr Morrison felt “tremendously proud and honoured” as he and his fellow walkers prepared to return to the site for the anniversary.
“It’s very solemn for us,” he said.
“With the walk now behind us it’s a natural progression for us to complete and to remember what happened.
“Certainly our mission was to complete this for the foundation, we achieved that mission and certainly our thoughts and emotions will continue on.”
To donate to the fundraiser, which has so far achieved $71,694 towards its $100,000 target, visit mycause.com.au/events/firstresponderswalk
Originally published as Tasmania remembers lives lost and forever changed at Port Arthur
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