Steve Biddulph
Founder of The Siev X Project
website: http://www.sievxmemorial.com/
Siev X Memorial
Project
The design that especially caught the eye of the public, was by a Brisbane Secondary School student, Mitchell Donaldson. His design has been adapted to suit the lakeside site.
How did you come to be involved with the Siev X Project?
As a
child my parents used to tell me about the war, and how the Germans were not bad
people
but their government, the Nazis, had made them do bad things. Even at six or
seven, being a
worrying kind of child, I used to worry - what if our government did bad things
? What could we do ?
Many of your readers will know I have been writing about and caring about
parents and young children for thirty years. My books are in a million homes in
Australia and I talk to parents all over the world.
The
refugee crisis, with young desperate families being locked away in very harsh
conditions
caused me huge disquiet, as a psychologist I had access to reports on the abuse
and mistreatment
of families in detention that made me ashamed to be Australian. For the next
three years,
2001 - 2004 I dedicated all funds from my worldwide lecturing to helping
campaign for more
compassionate treatment, and materially helping improve things for refugee
families here and overseas.
Because the SIEVX sinking was the worst point in this dark time, I felt as an
Australian I wanted to do
something to remember these people, their courage and their sacrifice, and
founded the memorial project with friends in the Uniting Church, and Rural
Australians for Refugees.
What is the Siev X Story
about?
The Siev X sinking was the biggest maritime disaster in our region since
World War Two. 353 lives were lost, 288 of them were women and
children.
A group of Australians have worked for three years towards building a
memorial to the Siev X families, on the lakeshore in
goal is to say - these lives mattered. Had this been a Qantas
airliner, flying from
and remember. So why not for the victims of SievX ?
What has been done so
far ?
In 2003 a group formed from
Refugees members. In 2004 we wrote to every secondary school in
educational materials including the video documentary Untold Tragedy,
which we had made to tell the story of the voyage. Art classes around
hundreds of beautiful and original designs. This collection has been
exhibited in
voyage, and bereaved families have responded warmly to the exhibits.
A design that especially caught the eye of the public, by a
boy Mitchell Donaldson, uses poles outlining the shape and size of the
vessel. This design has been adapted to suit the lakeside site.
Will the Memorial be
allowed to be built ?
This is the question everyone asks us. We can see no possible
objection to this being built. Designers and landscape and planning
experts have helped us from the inception, and we have been in dialogue
with ACT authorities for two years. The biggest obstacle is the
guideline that memorials be for events that have taken place more than
ten years ago. A Spanish Civil War memorial has only just been
completed ! We feel that in this case, there is a different kind of
significance. People normally build memorials to something they want
to remember. This is something though that most of
does not know about, or would rather forget. The memorial is a
positive, healing symbol that faces our dark side as a nation, our
tendency to retreat into greed and fear, and the terrible consequences
of this. It is needed now to reaffirm our better values. Facing Siev X
and our role in it can help us to grow up as a nation.
Why are you advocating
that Australians should be interested in the Siev X Project?
The Siev X refugees were vulnerable people, who were knocking at our
door for help. In many cases, the husbands of these families had come
on ahead, to make sure it was safe. To their shock it was not, they
were put into detention centres, in very harsh conditions, then put on
temporary visas which prevented their re-uniting with their families.
We did not think about how their families would survive without support
in
The Siev X was overloaded far beyond its capacity to sail safely.
Families were prevented from leaving at gunpoint when they became
frightened. Armed police watched it embark.
There are huge unanswered questions about the SievX. We profoundly
hope that
events.
We cannot bring back these precious lives. We can only show our
remorse that it happened, and our resolve that by telling the story we
can re-unite
What
are your plans for the Memorial ?
The memorial will consist of a procession of painted poles, snaking
across the landscape from the waters edge. Each pole will represent
a person who died. A few metres from the shore, the line of poles will
divide to form the shape of the actual vessel, and its exact size -
19.5 metres long. Each pole will be decorated by a community, a
school art class, an individual student, or a well known Australian
artist. The poles will be brought to
fifth anniversary event in 2006. We will continue to work with
planning authorities to have the memorial made permanent. Visiting
schools, tourists, and Australians will one day be able to see its
haunting shape, experience the sheer number of lost lives, and stand in
the outline of the tiny 19 metre vessel.
The SievX - and our response to it - will find its place in
collective memory, and we will may feel a little more proud of our
country again.
How can Australians help you with your Project?
People can buy a copy of the video Untold Tragedy. This short video sums up the events of the SievX voyage, through the life story of one of its passengers, and is an ideal tool to show why people were on the boat, the horrific events including the warships that watched the people drown, and some of the unanswered questions. The video only costs $15 posted, and all proceeds go directly to the survivors in Australia, all seven of whom are still struggling to make a life, and need urgent help. Send $15 made out to Families of SievX to PO Box 62, Evandale TAS 7212.You can also join our mailing list and if you would like to be involved in Making the Memorial, helping to paint or decorate the 353 elements that will remember each individual person who died, let us know at info@sievxmemorial.com
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Other Siev X Links:
The site is proudly independent, not connected with any political party, organisation or other individual. While many people are active on the issues, both independently and within political parties, and some of their writing is archived here, no-one speaks for or represents SIEVX.com except its owner, Marg Hutton
A Certain Maritime Incident, book on the SievX story by Tony Kevin
Tony Kevin was the Australian ambassador to Cambodia. He was the first person to publicly ask questions about Australia’s role in the tragedy, and presented damning evidence to the Senate Enquiry into the Children Overboard affair when it briefly focussed on SievX. Now he dedicates himself full time to investigating and seeking justice for those who died.
His book, A Certain Maritime Incident was the winner of the 2005 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW Award; Short-listed for the 2005 Age Book of the Year non-fiction award
www.sievxmemorial.com info@sievxmemorial www.sievx.com