New sculpture to support suicide awareness

BY the waves of Lake Wendouree’s foreshore, a new public sculpture is giving people a space to reflect and remember their loved ones lost to suicide.

Matching with the oceanic hues of its surrounds, a blue tree memorial sculpture aimed at commemorating those from Ballarat who took their own life was launched on Thursday morning last week.

Located just off the walking path at Yuille Island, the project is the culmination of three years of collaboration between Ballarat Cemeteries and the Ballarat and District Suicide Awareness Network.

The latter’s chair Des Hudson said the space, which is part of the national Blue Tree Project movement, is about giving people a place to remember their loved ones.

“It’s a serene location for people to come sit and reflect, and contemplate,” he said.

“The tree will have the names of loved ones lost to suicide primarily from our local Ballarat community.

“They are former partners, parents, colleagues, workmates, or teammates of people that had great connections of our community.

“We don’t want to ever forget their contributions.”

The sculpture consists of dozens of blue leaves which were created through Ballarat Cemeteries decade-old metal recycling program which repurposes materials used during cremations.

Ballarat Cemeteries CEO, Annie De Jong, said the project is also about advocating for suicide awareness and intervention.

“It’s to remind people about checking in with each other, asking if they’re ok, and supporting people who might be having mental health challenges,” she said.

“It’s awareness and support for them. We don’t want them to come to our cemetery earlier than they should.”

The City of Ballarat also contributed to the project by securing heritage approval permits.

While the tree so far only bears the name of Tom Ellis, who took his own life in September 2022, Mr Hudson said more will soon be added.

“Over the next little while, we’ll work on establishing the protocol on names that will be added and then update the tree annually,” Mr Hudson said.

“They’ll be added generally in August prior to our Out of the Shadows Walk.”

Mr Ellis’ family, who contributed to the development of the tree, were in attendance during the launch.

Mr Hudson said he plans for the blue tree to become the fourth of five “reflection points” along the network’s annual walk held every year to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day.

Other points along the walk include the floral roundabout near the Robert Clark Horticultural Centre at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Last year’s walk saw Mr Hudson read out the names of 157 Ballarat people who committed suicide.

The sculpture joins three Blue Tree Project-listed trees in the region located at Barkly Square, Black Hill, and at Ross Creek.

To express interest in having a name put on the sculpture, contact the Ballarat and District Suicide Awareness Network via the organisation’s Facebook page or by emailing [email protected].

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, visit Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au or 1300 22 4636, lifeline.org.au or call them on 13 11 14. Help for young people is available at kidshelpline.com.au or by calling them on 1800 55 1800.