Red bench unveiled as Sue Cole insists Ken Soper shot her sister Gwen Grover in Cairns in 1983

Tireless campaigner Sue Cole has succeeded in having a red bench – a statewide initiative to raise awareness of domestic violence – installed at the location where her sister, mother-of-two Gwen Grover, 32, was found dead in 1983.

A bright red park bench, which highlights the scourge of domestic violence in society and encourages conversation to end violence, has been installed in a Lake Street park. The site of the bright bench is directly opposite where Cairns woman Gwen Grover was found in a car with a gunshot wound to her head in 1983. Sister of Gwen Grover Sue Cole is humbled to see the new red bench installed on Lake Street in memory of Gwen. Picture: Brendan Radke

Tireless campaigner Sue Cole has succeeded in having a red bench – a statewide initiative to raise awareness of domestic violence – installed at the location where her sister, mother-of-two Gwen Grover, 32, was found dead in 1983.

Ms Grover was found in a Valiant sedan at the site at Lake St in North Cairns and Ms Cole campaigned for years for an inquest to be held into her death.

Former Northern Coroner Nerida Wilson found in a 2021 inquest Ms Grover’s death was self-inflicted but said she considered the 1983 police investigation “perfunctory”.

Despite the findings, Ms Cole insists her sister would never have taken her own life, and that she was killed by her partner who she had just broken up with, Ken Soper.

Mr Soper died in a motorcycle crash in February 2022.

Tireless campaigner Sue Cole has instigated a red bench - a statewide domestic violence awareness initiative - to be placed near the site where her sister, Gwen Grover, 32, was found dead in a car in 1983.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden said the bench on Lake St was the 12th she had installed as a councillor.

“The message is as important as ever as Cairns is the domestic and family violence capital of Queensland – we must do better,” Cr Eden said.

Ms Cole was supported by Fiona Splitt, who successfully campaigned for the “no body, no parole” law in the wake of the murder of her brother, Bruce Schuler, at Palmerville Station.

Deirdre Ford of the Red Rose Foundation was present at the unveiling along with LNP candidate for Cairns, Yolonde Entsch.

Ms Cole said Ms Splitt had joined her group Searchlight, which aims to provide support and guidance to families directly affected by serious crime who were seeking answers.

Ms Cole said the red benches were a poignant reminder of the domestic violence epidemic.

“Research indicates that domestic violence causes more deaths than several other combined causes,” Ms Cole said.

LNP candidate for Cairns Yolonde Entsch, Gwen Grover’s sister Sue Cole, Fiona Splitt, who successfully campaigned for the ‘no body, no parole’ law, Deirdre Ford of the Red Rose Foundation, and Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden.

“Recent studies reveal that a woman dies every four days in Australia due to domestic violence — a statistic that has persisted for years.

“I’ve spent my entire adult life fighting for justice for Gwen,” she said.

There is a red bench on Spence St honouring the late Anne Roberts who was a pioneer in the area of domestic and sexual violence.

Red benches can be seen at spots including Cairns Women’s Yarning Place, Ruth’s Shelter Hub, Cairns Access Community Housing, Cairns Complete Mobility and Rehab, Westcourt Park and Cairns Skilling Qld.

There are red benches at Ravenshoe, Kuranda, Port Douglas, Mareeba, Innisfail, Mission Beach, Tully, Cardwell, Weipa and Doomadgee.

Originally published as Red bench unveiled as Sue Cole insists Ken Soper shot her sister Gwen Grover in Cairns in 1983