A powerful candle lighting ceremony will take place in Sarina this month, honouring the lives lost to domestic and family violence and uniting the community in a moment of remembrance and resolve.
Hosted by the Sarina Neighbourhood Centre, the event will be held on Wednesday, 21 May, from 5.30pm at the Sarina Sporting Services Club, on the corner of Broad Street and Brewers Road. The formal ceremony will begin at 6pm.
Open to all, the gathering aims to shine a light—literally and symbolically—on an issue that continues to impact thousands across the country. It forms part of Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, held each May to raise awareness and reinforce the message that violence in any form will not be tolerated.
A highlight of the evening will be a special video-audio installation by local artist Donna Maree Robinson. Titled Wilt, the work draws on the decaying beauty of flowers and the quiet captivity of caged birds as haunting metaphors for abuse.
Through layered visuals and fragmented sound, the work captures the quiet erosion of identity and the silencing of voice that occurs in abusive environments. The immersive audiovisual experience invites viewers to confront the emotional and psychological landscapes of domestic abuse, bearing witness to what often remains hidden in plain sight.
The ceremony comes at a time when statistics continue to paint a grim picture. Since 2024, 577 Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) have been initiated in the Mackay region. Nationally, one in six women and one in 16 men have experienced some form of domestic violence, while the rate of women killed by their partners has risen by 28 per cent since 2021.
An estimated 41 per cent, or eight million Australians, have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15.
For more information on the ceremony, contact the Sarina Neighbourhood Centre on 4961 9290.
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