The National Workers Memorial in the national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, is Australia's place for honouring workers who have died as a result of work-related accidents, incidents and disease.

Purpose

In May 2011, the Australian Government provided funding for the design and construction of a memorial "to honour and pay tribute to working Australians who have died as a result of work-related accidents, incidents and disease".^[1] The other stated purposes are:

To serve "as a poignant reminder of the importance of work health and safety and the need for a determined and continued effort by all to prevent work-related accidents and disease. It is also a place to reflect on the evolving values, ideas and aspirations of the Australian community in relation to work health and safety."^[1]
To provide "a place for visitors to lay a tribute for a loved one, a location to pause and reflect within earshot of the National Carillon’s bells, as well as allowing a space for congregation, interaction and ceremony."^[1]
To provide "an important focal point for the national commemoration of Workers Memorial Day, recognised internationally on 28 April each year."^[1]

Workplace deaths amount to around 300 per year in Australia.^[2]

Site

The site in Canberra is within the sound of the bells of the National Carillon, in Kings Park, Canberra, beside Lake Burley Griffin. The other memorials nearby are:

The memorial has been sanctioned by the National Capital Authority as the memorial is within the Parliamentary Triangle of Canberra.^[3]^[4]

Structure

The memorial consists of eight tall stone poles, symbolically sighted across a stylised map of Australia in the places of the state and territory capital cities. Architectural firm Johnson Pilton Walker^[5] has placed concentric circles around the poles with words representing the intended outcome of knowledge and application of good practices of work health and safety.

The lead-in path has two inscriptions along its edge, saying: