Albany Soroptimist’s trio of trees complete tribute to lives lost to family and domestic violence

A trio of trees have been planted around Eyre Park’s purple bench to offer a space to sit and reflect on the lives lost to family and domestic violence. Soroptimist International Albany planted the trees this week, as a contribution to the 16 Days in WA campaign to stop violence against women and children. Until December 10, communities across WA are speaking out and standing up to family and domestic violence in line with the theme of “Respect starts with you”. The campaign takes inspiration from the global 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. A crowd dressed in shades of orange, the official campaign colour, gathered around the bench on Wednesday to mark the occasion. Soroptimist’s Tina Queale said the trees and a plaque featuring emergency numbers for women in crisis aimed to raise awareness of the help that was available in Albany. She said the group was proud to complete the purple bench project, which was first unveiled in 2019. “Planting trees, installing a plaque, and providing extra shade in the vicinity of the bench will encourage local residents to use the space for connecting to available resources on domestic violence issues,” she said. “The area selected for the bench not only encourages reflection in a beautiful setting but also, the planting of these trees will assist with the City of Albany program of increasing the tree canopy across the park.” Anglicare WA Albany team leader Es-Mare van Wyk said about 300 women accessed support through the Albany Women’s Centre every year. Speaking at the unveiling, she urged the crowd to share the message that violence was never OK. “We all have a responsibility to help stop the violence,” she said. “Stopping violence against women is about promoting equality and respectful relationships. “Breaking the silence of domestic violence starts with respect towards women and young people, and can lead the way in shaping positive attitudes to women.”