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Port Arthur Memorial GardenPrint Page Print this page

17-October-2007 (Kent Watson)
17-October-2007 (Kent Watson)

Photographs supplied by Kent Watson / Arthur Garland / Fiona Morrison

The garden, featuring a pool of peace, commemorates the victims of Australia’s worst mass murder, which occured at Port Arthur in 1996.

In April 1996, twenty-eight-year-old Martin Bryant entered the Broad Arrow cafeteria in Port Arthur and after eating lunch, he remarked to a patron, "There are a lot of WASPS, not a lot of Japs." He then picked up his bag and walked toward the entrance, where he took out a military-style semi-automatic rifle. Within 15 seconds, he had slaughtered 12 people and injured several more. After executing others including a mother and her two young children, he drove some miles to a bed-and-breakfast, the Seascape Cottage.

The elderly owners, whom he had known for most of his life, had been murdered on his way to Port Arthur. After a siege which lasted most of the night, Bryant set the building on fire and ran screaming with his clothes alight into the arms of waiting police. The final toll, including a hostage Bryant had taken with him to Seascape from Port Arthur, was 35 dead and 20 wounded--the largest mass murder in Australia`s history. It led to an urgent review of the nation`s gun laws.

Note : The name of Raymond Sharp, who was one of the Sharp brothers murdered is missing from the dedication plaque which lists only 34 of the victims.  His name is listed on the plaque attached to the cross which lists all 35 victims.

Location

Address:Tarleton Street , Port Arthur, 7182
State:TAS
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -43.146428
Long: 147.851209
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Garden
Monument Theme:Culture
Sub-Theme:Crime
Actual Event Start Date:28-April-1996
Actual Event End Date:28-April-1996

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Friday 28th April, 2000
Front Inscription

May we who come to this Garden cherish life for the sake of those who died.
Cherish compassion for the sake of those who gave aid.
Cherish peace for the sake of those in pain.

Plaque :

Port Arthur Memorial Garden

Dedicated by His Excellency the Honourable Sir William Deane, AC, KBE  Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

28th of April 2000

Winifred Aplin                Nanette Mikac
Walter Bennett              Madeline Mikac
Nicole Burgess              Alannah Mikac
Sou Leng Chung           Andrew Mills
Elva Gaylard                  Peter Nash
Zoe Hall                         Gwenda Neander
Elizabeth Howard          William Xeeng Ng
Mary Howard                 Anthony Nightingale
Mervyn Howard             Mary Nixon
Ronald Jary                   Glenn Pears
Tony Kistan                    Russell Pollard
Dennis Lever                 Janette Quin
Sarah Loughton             Helene Salzman
David Martin                  Robert Salzman
Noelene (Sally) Martin   Kate Scott          
Pauline Masters             Kevin Sharp
                                       Royce Thompson
                                       Jason Winter

Left Side Inscription

Death has taken its toll.

Some pain knows no release but the knowledge of brave compassion shines like a pool of peace.

Source: MA,ACPH
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au