This year, we honour the 25th anniversary of Time for Remembering, a deeply significant ceremony that offers space for reflection, healing, and community connection for those affected by road trauma.

The service was first established by Reverend Dr Andy Calder, who led it with care and compassion for 20 years. Andy’s connection to road trauma is intensely personal; he sustained life-changing injuries in a crash in 1986 and spent three years in rehabilitation.

In 1999, at the invitation of Jeanette Suhr OAM, Andy brought together a small group of people who had been bereaved or injured due to road trauma. From this intimate gathering, the idea for a public ceremony began to take shape.

By 2001, Andy had initiated the first official Time for Remembering ceremony, featuring speeches at Melbourne’s City Square and a walk to St. Paul’s Cathedral. This event became an annual tradition, offering comfort, acknowledgement, and connection to those impacted by road trauma.

Following Andy’s retirement in 2021, Bernadette Nugent, our current CEO, has continued to lead the service with warmth and integrity, ensuring its legacy lives on.

As we mark 25 years of reflection and remembrance with this milestone, we pay tribute to Andy’s enduring contribution and the strength of the community that gather each year to remember, reflect, and stand together. 

Time for Remembering is an occasion to come together to commemorate loved ones lost and injured on our roads and pay tribute to all who work tirelessly to make our roads safer. 

“Time for Remembering gives the community a safe space to come together to honour loved ones and connect with others who have been impacted by road trauma.”

The ceremony will be held at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House in Melbourne and live streamed.