WAFIC is a foundation member of the WA Fishers’ Lost at Sea Memorial Association which was formed with the intention of collecting, researching, documenting and sharing stories of the hundreds of fisher men and women who have lost their lives in pursuit of the development and operation of commercial fishing in Western Australia since early settlement.
Thanks to the tireless work of the Association’s researchers and writers, the online library is now the largest online collection of stories about Western Australian commercial fishers. The National Museum of Australia has also accepted our website collection for preservation, helping to ensure these stories are protected for future generations.
The published stories can be found here.
Now, with the website built and showcasing a growing number of stories, there is a growing desire to develop a memorial to honour those who were lost, but have never been found.
The other aim is to build a monument, based on an Ocean Organ Memorial, to physically honour those who have been lost at sea and to give surviving families a place to come for remembrance.
An ocean organ is a living structure featuring pipes just under the water surface that force air through to organ reeds. The movement of the sea generates waves and melodic sounds are created. The music changes with sea conditions allowing beautiful sounds to be cast across the waters.
The Association is now working with Fremantle Council and government stakeholders to explore the feasibility of locating the organ on the southern rockwall in Bathers Beach, Fremantle. The Ocean organ will be connected to the Boat Harbour area by a walkway, which will highlight the stories of the lost commercial fishers. A feasibility study is underway.
You can see an operating ocean organ here.
If your family has a fishing history in Western Australia, we’d love to hear from you by emailing [email protected].
You can find out more by visiting the website at www.fisherslostatsea.org or www.flatsea.org