April 19th, 2022Place for hope

The state government is delivering a place to honour those who have lost their lives to family violence
and all victim survivors who have suffered unimaginable trauma.
Minister for Prevention of Family Violence Gabrielle Williams has opened the Family Violence
Memorial at St Andrews Place Reserve alongside Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council (VSAC) Chair Jennifer Jackson.
The memorial, designed in partnership with members of VSAC and the City of Melbourne, places the stories and shared hopes of victim survivors at its centre. The memorial holds space for the lives lost, and the potential those lives held, as well as a place for hope for a future free from violence.
Family violence comes in many forms, and the memorial is a space for all, including those victims without visible scars, victims in LGBTIQ relationships, those who have suffered from elder abuse and children and young people.
Centred around a garden of purple flowers which will bloom year-round, the living space is designed to be welcoming and accessible to all, while symbolising our commitment to ending violence against women, and a shared responsibility in ending all forms of violence.
The circular seat under an English elm tree provides a quiet space for reflection. The tree is central to the design and represents the passing of time, renewal and a bright future.
A smoking vessel embedded in the memorial will facilitate Indigenous cultural practices and remind visitors of their responsibility to look after Country and community.