Road Trauma Memorial

Solace is Victoria’s first-ever state-wide road trauma memorial aimed at giving people a space to reflect on the impact of road trauma and remember those who have lost their lives on Victoria’s roads.

Located in Geelong, Victoria, the north-facing waterfront location gives uninterrupted views of Corio Bay from its site on Hearne Pde, Eastern Beach.

Alongside others who shared his vision, Amber Community Honorary Life Member, Rev Dr Andy Calder, helped champion the creation of the road trauma memorial ‘Solace’ through years of consultation and teamwork. It was created through a partnership between Amber Community, the Transport Accident Commission, City of Greater Geelong, and the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Church in Australia.

The Artwork

The memorial is also a piece of public art created by Ocean Grove artist Don Walters.

Using the cyclical moon phases to represent the experience of grief, Solace takes the lunar phase as a metaphor for the constantly changing range of emotions those experiencing loss through road trauma. The semi-circular shape and space within the structure also encourages visitors to experience and ‘move through’ the space.

The sculptural aspect of Solace is in 7 parts made of a combination of stainless steel and stone. A stainless steel rim encloses and holds the stone that is shaped into segments that represent phases of the moon’s cycle.