Remembering 28th April ,1996.

Vivian turned 15 on this day and it should be remembered for the happy occasion that it was however for too families in particular,  and the Australian population generally, it will always be recalled as the most terrible day.

35 people lost their lives on this day at the hands of a single gunman in what has become known as the Port Arthur Massacre.

Our arrival at the Port Arthur Historic Site was via the ocean and not the usual entry through the main gate. We came ashore at the jetty at Mason Cove and began heading to the Visitors Centre further up the road when we were attracted to a 'ruin' screened by some tall shrubs. We thought it odd that there wasn't a story board in the immediate vicinity and it was not until we'd walked through, the now-roofless, Broad Arrow Cafe and out to the area behind it where there is a beautiful reflection pool that we realised; a) that these were the ruins of the Broad Arrow Cafe, and; b) we were standing in a part of the memorial to that most awful event.

This is the beautiful reflection pool.

This circle of 35 leaves in the corner of the pool represent each of the lives so cruelly taken.

We exited the memorial precinct via the proper entry, complete with story board. It is quite discrete and understated; almost private. Over coming days we observed only a few people approach the storyboard and fewer still actually enter into the memorial garden. Maybe they hesitated because the memory of the event was too awful or maybe they sensed that this was somewhere private.

More stringent Australia-wide gun laws are a positive legacy. My blood boils whenever the media report on a significant anniversary and mention the name of the perpetrator or even display their photo. Why? Should that person have a right to a public identity? I think not. Only those now absent from this breathing world ought to be remembered.

I for one, will never forget the day this happened and recall it only with the deepest sadness, not just for those whose lives were interrupted but also for the their families and friends, plus the survivors, whose hearts must have collectively almost stopped beating since they learned of what happened.

RIP