This is a transcript of a speech given by Danny Gardiner, Westgate Bridge Memorial Committee spokesperson, at Westgate Bridge Memorial Day 15 Oct 2010 (40th anniversary)
“… Forty years have seemed to have gone in the blink of an eye – for some. But not for the families and loved ones of the men who lost their lives, and the pain and the tragedy have been with them ever since.
As for the workers, and rescue teams who helped save the dying and the injured, it has been a constant in their lives and the bridge is a daily reminder.
The damage that has been done to some of these men has been irreparable. I’ve been getting – on our website, westgatebridge.org, which we set up – the committee set up to see if we can keep in touch with construction workers – we’ve been getting a number of emails , and this time of year we’ve been getting a hell of a lot of emails – and I think it’s about.. it’s about families, how the accident has affected their lives. And I’d like to just read two of the emails that I got last night.
One was from Jack Hindshaw’s son – the engineer - and his name is Wayne. And he’s asked me to pass on to family and friends and relatives of the victims, and all who worked on the bridge:
“My best wishes. I shall be sharing their thoughts. Whilst 40 years have passed, for those involved it still feels like yesterday. Not a day goes by that I do not think of my father, and remember the pain of his loss. As a deeply Christian man, I know he would ask for forgiveness, but he was unable to prevent the accident, even though he paid the ultimate price.”
And Wayne goes on to say that his thoughts are with us all.
The second one was from Faye Wilson, née John Grist. She sent a tribute on behalf of John, and Edgar Upstell. And she said that two husbands, two dads, two grandads, were lost on that horrific day. And that’s a lot of loved ones left behind to try and survive the pain. So today, 40 years later, we would like to remember them both. And say the bridge is a beautiful memorial to them all. And all that went with them. And she goes on to say from their wives, Ruby, Flossie, whose passed away, daughters June, Kay, son Gerald, and their beloved grandchildren Deborah, Linda, Ryan, Gregory, Jacqueline, Paul and Steven.
It’s truly heartbreaking emails that you get. And words cannot do justice to their pain. I hope that our work ensuring that they are remembered helps a little. The memory of the men who were tragically killed is with us all. And through the work of our committee, the Westgate Bridge Memorial Committee, and their unions, we will never forget them.
If there has been a positive that’s come out of this tragedy, it has been the Occupational Health and Safety legislation since 1970. And some of the ex-Bridge activists played a key role in planning and implementation of these acts.
A legacy of the 35 that lost their lives has been safer workplaces. This bridge is a monument to them all, and a reminder to all workers, that we all must work safe.
Thank you”