memorial

Memorial park

The West Gate Bridge Memorial Park Association was formed in memory of those who lost their lives during the construction of the West Gate Bridge in 1970, and as a result of the Spotswood Yarra Sewer Tunnel collapse in 1895. This Association also increases awareness in the community of workplace accidents by encouraging debate and action with government, industry, and the trade union movement to promote safe work environments.
The West Gate Bridge Memorial Park

The park, opened on 15 October 2004, the 34th anniversary of the disaster, embraces the existing West Gate Bridge Memorial and Sculpture, the Spotswood Sewer Tunnel Memorial, and complements Industrial Deaths Support and Advocacy (IDSA) Workers’ Memorial erected at Victorian Trades Hall Council.

Located on the actual site of the Bridge’s collapse, the Memorial Park is evocative of the tragedy of workplace accidents while honouring the notion of work.

Memorial plaque

A memorial plaque was paid for and erected by bridge workers, and unveiled on 15 October 1978 in honour and memory of their 35 comrades who died as a result of the bridge’s collapse.
The memorial plaque.

The inscription reads:

Construction workers employed on West Gate Bridge erected and dedicated this memorial to their 35 workmates who were killed when a span of the bridge collapsed during construction at 11.50 am on 15th October 1970.

Our comrades who lost their lives were:

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