Shot Notes

Call me soft, but the heartbreaking juxtaposition of the ‘unknown girl’ against the quintessential Australian backdrop at Weston Park is almost too much to bare. There are 353 white poles, decorated by schools, churches and community groups across Australia, at the SIEV X memorial. SIEV stands for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel  X (for unknown) and refers to a tiny and rundown Indonesian fishing boat which sank, en-route from Sumatra to Christmas Island during a Federal election campaign in October 2001. The poles represent the 146 children, 142 women and 65 men who died looking for a better life in Australia.  The memorial was opened in September 2006  and while the ACT Government supported construction the Federal Government tried to stop the memorial being built. The National Capital Authority claimed that it was not an approved structure. The PEN pulls colours from a golden moment to celebrate a life chanced and opportunity lost.