I spoken with Minister Shorten for a few moments after the ceromony and told him that we as a Nation now need to put an educational Trst fund in place for the children of deceased workers, because as a Nation we owe it to the children to give them the best future possible.

My hope is that Minister Shorten took my statement seriously, because I see every day children who are going without when there is no need for that to happen.

For now I urge everyone when they go to Canberra to make their way to the Workers Glade, stand within the Pillars and feel the strenght of resolve to make every workplace a safe place for everyone to be.

And when you come to Adelaide I will be more than happy to walk with you through the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest.

The best place to start is sadly with the death of my brother in a workplace incident in 1969, he was just 16yrs old. I watched my parents being torn apart because it was my parents who owned the small transport business, and it was my Dad who was driving when my brother lost his life.

My own workplace injury many years later lead me to being a community advocate for injured workers.
It breaks my heart to know how many people go to work and never go home again.

In 2000 Work Injured Resource Connection Dedicated a small Memorial Pillar here in Adelaide to the lives lost here in South Australia.
At first the Pillar was in Pennington Gardens, it was a place to go to grieve and to reflect.

Then a chance converstation lead to the establishment of The Deceased Workers Memorial Forest in 2003 http://monumentaustralia.org.au/monument_display.php?id=95405&image=0 now all these years later the Memorial Forest has over 220 trees and ground covers to remember the lives lost at or due to work.
I planted the first tree in love and memory of my brother John.
The Memorial Pillar now stands in the Deceased Workers Memorial Forest.
It is hoped that soon Work Injured Resource Connection will have the funds required to build the Memorial Wall there to finish that section of the Memorial Forest.

When I was invited to be a small part in the planning of the National Deceased Workers Memorial I was surprised and I was humbled, it was not something that I ever thought I would be asked to contribute to.
Then just over a year back I was invited to Canberra to see the winning entry -The Workers Glade- and to stand on the very spot where the Memorial now stands. The tears flowed at the enormity of all of it.

In just under 12hrs I will board a plane to Canberra, and get to go through the practice programme for the actual Dedication.
I carry with me the wishes and the love of many many people and the hopes of families who have lost loved ones.
I also carry with me gum leaves from the tree I planted for my brother, it seems fitting that a part of him also be present in Canberra.

My hope and my request is that everyone who goes to Canberra go to see the Workers Glade and takes away from it the knowing of just how important workplace safety is and of the many broken lives this Memorial represents.

I concur with Kevin, each State and Territory needs to have a non-political Memorial, I know when people ask me to walk them through the Memorial Forest they are amazed that there are no political names anywhere to be seen.

Yours in service
Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson
Founder
Work Injured Resource Connection
Adelaide