Bali Memorial

Public Art : Bali Memorial

Artist/Architects : © David Jones (Artist), Kevin Draper (art work) Sally Morgan (text) and Donaldson and Warn (Architects)

Date Unveiled : The Bali Memorial was officially dedicated on the first year anniversary of the tragedy, 12th October, 2003, by the Governor, Lieutenant General John Sanderson. 

Location : The edge of Mt Eliza, overlooking the city, Fraser Avenue, Kings Park, Western Australia.

Description of the Bali Memorial : The Bali Memorial is divided into several parts. Carefully placed and thoughtful words by Sally Morgan adorn the granite walls as they curve their way towards the Swan River. The "Sunrise Axis" has been specially aligned so at sunrise on the 12th October every year the sun's rays enter the memorial. It is one of the few memorials where you feel a strong bond and common unity between Aboriginals and white Australians, as the memorial represents and reflects a united sense of sorrow. A sacred site in every sense of the word. The names of the fourteen West Australians who lost their lives in Bali are listed on a bronze plaque. 

Background to the Bali Bombings : As Australia slept on the night of the 12th October, 2002, new flashes began running along the bottom of America's CNN broadcast,'a series of explosions have rocked the tourist district of Kuta in Bali, Indonesia'. Although initial reports said they were unsure of how many people were dead or injured, anyone who has ever been to Bali immediately knew the figures would be high. Kuta is the hub of the tourist district in Bali, full of bars and nightclubs (and Australians). It was the number one destination amongst foreign tourists, especially the young, for having a drink and socialising. As the first images of the billowing smoke and people running through the chaos were being beamed acrossed the world, it was still unclear what had actually happened. No one wanted to believe it was a terrorist attack, no one wanted to think that young holiday makers were the target, nobody wanted to think the worst.

The wave of attacks began at 23.05 when a suicide bomber walked into the crowded nightclub, Paddy's Pub, and detonated his backpack on the dance floor. About fifteen seconds later, as people were evacuating the area, a car bomb was detonated outside the Sari Club (opposite Paddy's Pub). The bomb was so powerful it destroyed neighboring buildings. It was later revealed a smaller bomb (rumored to be packed with human excrement) was also detonated outside the U.S. consulate in Denpasar just prior to the Kuta bombings.
 
By the time the sun rose over the island paradise it was clear that the events of the previous night were in fact terrorist motivated. Dazed survivors were talking of the horrors they had witnessed to the journalists who began flooding into the area. No Australian would forget Peter Hughes patiently waiting in hospital and letting others go ahead of him, whilst unbeknown to himself or the millions who watched from their living rooms, that he had suffered severe burns, was swollen to twice his size and was about to be in a fight for his life.

The local Sanglah hospital was not prepared for the number of dead and injured arriving throughout the night. Many had to be placed in hotel swimming pools to ease the pain of their burns. Foreign doctors, nurses and anyone with medical training raced to the hospitals, volunteering their services. As soon as word reached Australia, evacuation plans for the badly injured were immediately put in place (though initial delays due to red tape hampered efforts) with many of the injured (including foreigners) airlifted to Darwin and Perth's speciality burns unit (headed by Dr Fiona Wood). Private lear jets and commercial airlines all volunteered their services as it became a race against time to get the injured to proper medical facilities. The official death toll was 202 with 209 injured. Of the 202, 164 were foreign nations and 38 were locals. Dr Fiona Wood and her team saved 28 of those injured.

Jemaah Islamiyah, an Islamist group allegedly led by radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was eventually named as the group responsible for the attacks. The ring leaders Amrozi bin Haji Nurhasyim, Imam Samudra and Noordin Mohammed were given death sentences for the roles they played. So far they still remain in gaol, having appealed their sentences.

Inscriptions:

LEST WE FORGET

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