Memorial wall gives truck families a place to grieve together

More than 300 gathered at the Victorian Truck Drivers Memorial (VTDM) annual service earlier this month to remember their loved ones and commemorate 24 new names, bring the total up to about 247. The memorial, established in 2014 in Alexandra, is a place where families from around the state return on birthdays, anniversaries and difficult days, where they share a barbecue, lay flowers and spend time with loved ones whose working lives were tied to the road. Bette Phillips-Campbell, lead of Grief Work at Uniting and vice chair of VTDM, said the Alexandra memorial had become a sacred space for families affected by transport industry deaths. “It’s almost as sacred as a cemetery,” she said. “The wall is a place where they can go and visit. “There are relationships often between the drivers, their mates on the road, and they’re with their mates on the wall.” The memorial was born from the work of Grief Work, which supports Victorian families after work-related fatalities. Ms Phillips-Campbell said Grief Work received its first transport referral in 2006, and by 2012 was supporting 28 families connected to transport incidents. From that need, a small committee formed and began looking for a place where grieving families could gather. Ms Phillips-Campbell said the annual service held in June each year was deliberately family focused, with two relatives each year speaking about loved ones newly added to the wall. “It certainly helps in their healing,” she said. “Grief is a journey. “For them it’s a gathering and a meeting and catching up and sharing their journey with others.” Grief Work provides counselling, peer support and practical advocacy for families navigating the aftermath of a workplace death. Ms Phillips-Campbell said that could include helping families understand complex systems, attending legal appointments or sitting with them during coronial inquests. She said about 80 per cent of families connected with the memorial took up some form of support. “We do everything from grief support to advocacy work,” she said. “Sometimes there needs to be some advocacy work done to help families navigate a really sometimes difficult system.” The service is backed by ongoing support groups, including monthly online groups for widows and daughters, as well as three retreats each year where women affected by workplace deaths can spend time together. Ms Phillips-Campbell said connection was central to helping families through grief. “When something like this happens, you feel like you’re the only person in the world that this has happened to,” she said. “Being connected to other families who have gone through this experience, they learn from each other. “They share strategies for coping.” Those shared strategies can be as simple as how to get through anniversaries, Father’s Day, Christmas and other difficult dates. Ms Phillips-Campbell said people at different stages of grief often supported one another in powerful ways. “It’s role model for peer support,” she said. While the memorial recognises Victorian truck drivers from across the state, Ms Phillips-Campbell said the transport industry had long ties to communities such as Euroa and the North East, where timber, livestock and freight have been part of local life for generations. Names can be added for Victorian drivers who died in truck incidents, or for career drivers who spent significant years in the industry. For the wider community, Ms Phillips-Campbell said the message was one of awareness and compassion. Speaking from personal experience, she said many people believed workplace deaths and traumatic grief would never touch their own lives until they did. “Nobody escapes a grief journey,” she said. “The most important gift you can give someone who’s newly bereaved is to just listen. “You don’t have to say anything or fix it, you just need to listen.” She said the number of names added each year showed the need for continued specialist support and a deeper understanding of the impact workplace deaths have on families. “There needs to be much more support and understanding,” she said. Those who wish to view the honour roll virtual or are seeking support can visit https://vtdm.asn.au/.

Memorial wall gives truck families a place to grieve together

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 23 September, 2026

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