Caroline StuttlePrint Page

The plaque was erected in memory of Caroline Stuttle, a British Backpacker who was murdered in Bundaberg in 2002. The black granite plaque replaces the original mosaic, unveiled in 2010, and was unveiled on the 20th anniversary of her death. 

Caroline Ann Stuttle was born in the city of York, located in northeast England on September 2 1982. Caroline grew up in a loving family and had great enthusiasm and passion for life, she was a kind and compassionate person with a large friend's circle.

In 2002 at the age of nineteen after completing college Caroline decided to take a gap year before starting university. Caroline was travelling with her best friend Sarah around Australia. Tragically Bundaberg became her final destination.

On the evening of the 10th April 2002 Caroline was walking back to her caravan park accommodation. She was stopped and attacked by someone wanting to take her bag, there was a struggle and she was thrown from the Burnett Traffic Bridge tragically losing her life. 

Caroline's attacker, Ian Previte, was found guilty of murder in 2004 and was given a life sentence. He was released in 2020 after serving his full sentence. 

Caroline Stuttle’s family say they are grateful for the kindness and support of the community in the 20 years since she tragically lost her life while visiting the Bundaberg Region.

A moving memorial service and plaque unveiling was held today, April 10 2022, to mark 20 years since her death following an attack which saw her thrown from the Burnett Traffic Bridge.In the two decades since her passing Caroline’s family has honoured her memory through Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation which promotes safe travel practices.

Her brother Richard Stuttle said the family was incredibly moved by how much the people of Bundaberg cared and how they had taken the family into their hearts. “We will always feel deeply humbled about how our family was received by the people of Bundaberg,” Richard said. “Their love and thoughtfulness meant a great deal in 2002 when we were dealing with the loss of Caroline and the amazing support through her murder trial in 2004. We were made to feel welcome from the first moment we stepped foot in Bundaberg, this completely changed our preconceptions of the place and the Australian people. We offer our greatest thanks for people’s kindness and generosity in the subsequent years and with the memorial today. The memorial is a wonderful tribute to Caroline’s life and legacy, we feel that it also highlights the love and sentiment of the people of Bundaberg showing a wonderfully caring and supportive community. It is because of support like this that we felt empowered to continue our work with Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation and our mission to help people travel in a safer environment.”

Caroline’s mother Marjorie Marks said it was a great honour that her daughter was remembered in the Bundaberg Region community after 20 years. “As a family we are very touched about a new memorial in Caroline’s memory, we have appreciated all the hard work Bundaberg has done in supporting our charity in Caroline’s name,” Marjorie said. “Caroline is always in our hearts but her legacy will live on to keep our travellers safe. We hope one day to be able to return and say a big thank you in person.”

Richard said over the last 20 years the family had worked to promote the importance of travel safety to help keep young people safe when travelling. Go and experience as much of life as possible.” He has donated copies of his book Chasing Rainbows – the Stolen Future of Caroline Ann Stuttle to local libraries to thank the community for its support. “I felt the book was incredibly important, not only to show the people who Caroline was and the positive steps we had taken to help us deal with such a devastating situation. It is a privilege to have my book on the shelves of the library. My hope is that the book would be available for residents who knew Caroline’s story and would like the opportunity to find out a little more about the person she was and the work we have done with the charity.”

The new Caroline Stuttle memorial plaque is located in Buss Park, at the corner of Bourbong and Maryborough Streets.
Bundaberg Now, 10 April 2022.

Note : Bundaberg Regional Council, in collaboration with Bundaberg artist Marilyn Batty, created a memorial in 2010 to show support for the family and create a lasting tribute to Caroline. The rainbow mosaic was inlaid into the path in Buss Park which is located near backpacker hostels and is a place travellers come to use the free Wifi. The plaque underneath the mosaic included the website to Caroline's Rainbow Foundation to help raise awareness of the foundation to encourage safe travel for tourists.

In November 2021 with the approval of Caroline's family, the memorial which had been impacted by the natural elements, was removed from the footpath to allow for the creation of a new memorial ahead of the 20-year anniversary of Caroline’s death in 2022. 

 

Location

Address:	Bourbong & Maryborough Streets, Buss Park, Bundaberg, 4670
State:	QLD
Area:	AUS
GPS Coordinates:	Lat: -24.866821 Long: 152.346811 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.

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Details

Monument Type:	Plaque
Monument Theme:	People
Sub-Theme:	Crime
Actual Event Start Date:	10-April-2002
Actual Event End Date:	10-April-2002

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:	Sunday 10th April, 2022

Source: MA