THE MANY people who have lost their lives because of domestic violence have been honoured in a moving ceremony.
May is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and, every year at the start of the month, Whitsunday Counselling and Support and guests come together to remember and pay their respects by lighting candles for the victims.
Guests included people with a lived experience – either directly or indirectly through a family member or friend – as well as local police officers, Government representatives, members of the Zonta and Lions Clubs, and school pupils.
Mayor Ry Collins and Councillor Jan Clifford also attended.
Whitsunday Counselling and Support’s Counselling Services Manager Sharon Parker was MC at the event, held at Whitsunday Marine Club, Cannonvale, on May 7.
“Each year, at the beginning of May, we come together to remember those people who have lost their lives to domestic violence,” Ms Parker said.
“While we know that violence can happen to anyone, the data for domestic and family violence is very clear, the people predominantly being killed due to domestic and family violence are women.
“As unpalatable as it may seem, gendered violence is real, with women significantly more likely to be victims of domestic violence and men more likely to be perpetrators.”
Ms Parker said, despite governments ‘working hard’ to combat it, domestic violence deaths continued to rise.
“While governments have been working hard to make legislative changes to address this issue of domestic violence, and despite an increase of awareness in the general population, deaths due to domestic violence continue to rise, with approximately one woman killed every four days*,” she said.
“So today, we come together to remember those people who have lost their lives because of domestic violence.”
Above everyone’s heads were small boats, made from coloured paper, fluttering in the breeze as a visual symbol of the lives lost.
“You will see boats hanging up today,” Ms Parker said.
“These have been folded for all the women and children who have lost their lives to gender-based violence, in 2025 and 2024.
“The purple boats represent the total number of women and children who were killed last year.
“The red boats represent all the women and children who have lost their lives to violence this year alone.
“The 2025 boats have been folded by victim survivors who have fled violence.”
Following the Welcome to Country, performed by Vicky Brimble, the first speaker at the event was Dr Alice Harriot.
Dr Harriot, who is the director and principal dentist at Whitsunday Family Dental and partner of Restore Sleep Clinic Whitsunday, delivered a passionate speech and thanked everyone for supporting their quest so far.
A victim survivor of domestic violence also spoke passionately and eloquently.
“Today, I stand before you not just to speak, but to call for something deeper – action,” she said.
“Because in Queensland, domestic violence is not someone else’s problem. It is ours. It is here.
“It lives behind closed doors, in quiet silences, and in fearful glances. And we are all responsible for changing that.”
Sgt Gary Hiles from the Whitsunday Police Station spoke, saying that 80 per cent of police work was now related to domestic violence.
Sgt Hiles was followed by Alex Sambrooks, from Whitsunday Counselling and Support, who read a poem written by a victim survivor who had recently escaped violence and started her recovery journey.
Pastor Aaron Quilty, from New Life Church Whitsundays, said a communal prayer and led the candle lighting part of the proceedings, as everyone got up from their seats and laid a lighted candle on the table.
Light refreshments were served following the ceremony and gave everyone a chance to chat and share ideas and memories.
*Source: Report of the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches ‘Unlocking the prevention potential: Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence’.
(4 out of 5 DFV offenders are male – 68 per cent of filicides related to DFV, the offenders are male).
