The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced that organisation buildings will be illuminated & following a request by the Executive Council Of Australian Jewry, a national commemorative installation titled 15 Pillars Of Light will be lit up around Australia as part of the National Day Of Mourning following the massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism in the suburb of Bondi Beach just over a month ago.
The National Day Of Mourning is being observed today, Thursday the 22nd of January, with the illuminations being held in the evening. The day is themed Light Will Win: A Gathering Of Unity & Remembrance, which was chosen by Rabbi Ulman, the spiritual leader of the Bondi Jewish Chabad community.
The 15 Pillars Of Light, a symbol of mourning, remembrance & national solidarity. will feature 1 light beam each at:
- Bondi Pavilion
- Captain James Cook Memorial (from 8pm local time)
- South Solitary Island Light
- Cape Byron Light
- The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise
- Bendigo’s Conservatory
- Flinders Street Railway Station
- Brisbane’s South Bank’s Cultural Forecourt
- Launceston Town Hall
- City Of Mount Gambier Civic Centre (from 6:30pm local time)
- Tasman Bridge
- Adelaide Holocaust Museum & Andrew Steiner Education Centre
- Albany Town Hall Clock Tower
- Northern Territory Parliament House
- Western Australian Parliament House
The Pillars Of Light will end at Midnight local time (that is, 3am AEDT the latest). Other places to be generally illuminated include:
- Randwick Town Hall (in white)
- Sydney Tower
- Salesforce Tower (180 George Street)
- Australian National Maritime Museum’s Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse
- Manly Town Hall
- Sydney Olympic Park
- City Of Parramatta including PHIVE
- Goulburn Visitor Centre
- Canberra Metro stops
- Malcolm Fraser Bridge
- The Canberra Times Fountain
- National Carillon,
- National Library Of Australia Fountain
- Questacon – The National Science & Technology Centre
- John Gorton Building,
- Australian Federal Treasury
- Old Parliament House/Museum Of Australian Democracy
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Story Bridge (in white)
- Launceston Civic Square (in white)
- Launceston Seaport Pedestrian Bridge (in white)
- Adelaide Town Hall
- Sky Ribbon Bridge
- Perth Stadium (in white)
- Matagarup Bridge (in white)
- East Perth Tunnels
- Adelaide Terrace Entry Bridge
- Hay Street,
- Trafalgar Bridge
- Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel (in white)
- Pier Street
- City Of Perth Council House
- Mount Street Bridge, Perth (in white)
- Joondalup Drive Bridge (in white)
- Queens Park Theatre (in white)
- Port Hedland Interchange Bridge (in white)
The general illuminations are being done as a ‘symbol’ of light.
Today, the National Day Of Mourning, sunset is at 8:06pm, which is when the Australian organisation buildings’ illuminations are also expected to begin with it being completely night-time at 9:44pm. All general illuminations will end at Midnight local time (that is, 8am AEDT the latest).
The 15 Pillars Of Light & general illuminations are in mourning of the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism. Therefore, Sydney Spectaculars is not considering these illuminations as a ‘Spectacular‘.
The Sydney Opera House is not being specially illuminated.
Today, we mark the National Day of Mourning to honour victims of the Bondi antisemitic terrorist attack. It is a solemn opportunity for every Australian to stand with the Jewish community & remember the 15 lives stolen in this deadly attack.
Today is an opportunity for us to remember & pay respect to the 15 lives. A chance for us to, uh, if, uh, we have faith, to pray. Uh, if we don’t, to, uh, hope that those who still suffer from injuries & are recovering, both physical & mental, have the opportunity to do so. It’s an opportunity for us as a nation to wrap our arms around the Jewish community because people were targeted because they were Jewish Australians.
Today, we share their grief. A grief with no ending, only a beginning. Grief is love wrapped around an absence & today, uh, we remember those people. Uh, those people were deeply loved & uh, we look back though as well on the other thing that happened that night, which was that at the worst of times, we saw once again, the best of the Australian character.
Australia was born out of an instinct to unify. That’s what we did 125 years ago when the Federation came together.
The Day Of Mourning will be an opportunity for all Australians to stand with those who are grieving, those who lost loved ones, family members & members of the Bondi Chabad community but others as well.
Buildings and landmarks right across the country, uh, will be lit up this evening. The MCG in Melbourne, Story Bridge in Brisbane, Adelaide Town Hall, Optus Stadium in Perth. Following a request by the Executive Council Of Australian Jewry, a national commemorative installation titled 15 Pillars of Light will be lit up from sundown in each of these locations around the country: The Captain Cook Memorial Jet here on the Lake in Canberra, Bondi Pavilion and Byron Bay Lighthouse in New South Wales, Parliament House in Darwin, the South Bank Cultural Forecourt in Brisbane, Surfers Paradise Esplanade, Adelaide Holocaust Museum, the Tasman Bridge in Hobart, uh, the, uh, Town Hall in Launceston, uh, Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, Parliament House in Perth & the Town Hall in Albany in Western Australia as well.
This will be a very important Day Of Mourning. It will be an opportunity for us to pay respects as a nation to those people who lost their lives.
During what was a very difficult time, we have seen the very best of the Australian character and that’s, uh, what I want to see & I hope that there is, uh, very wide and broad participation in the National Day Of Mourning today.
I want to thank the spiritual leader of the Chabad community, Rabbi Ulman, for his extraordinary leadership during this time. I’ve met with him many times now in his home in, uh, at the, uh, Chabad, uh, Centre there in Bondi, uh, as well and with his community & it is, uh, him who has, uh – He came up with the theme, uh, today, Light Will Win: A Gathering Of Unity & Remembrance so, remembrance, respecting people who, uh, whose lives, uh, were taken so cruelly that night but a positive message as well: Light will win. How will light win? Through a gathering of unity by us coming together & that’s what today’s about.
Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister
Being chosen as one of just 15 locations to participate in the Pillar Of Light tribute is deeply significant. It reflects our City’s commitment to compassion, respect & unity in the face of such profound loss.
The beam of light above the Civic Centre will be a powerful symbol of remembrance & hope.
Lynette Martin, City Of Mount Gamier Mayor
Sydney Spectaculars 