Wednesday 23 May 2007

RIP Byrnesy







It has become very common in recent years in Australia to see impromptu memorials set up along roadsides where people have been killed in road accidents.

This memorial in East Hills is the most elaborate I've ever encountered. It includes messages written all over the road surfaces and telegraph poles.
Are roadside memorials a feature of your city or country?

33 comments:

  1. oh yes here the memorials are on the side of the road as well. Mostly plactic flowers and a cross.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've never seen one so elaborate - how long will they keep it up? Very sad, he looked so young

    ReplyDelete
  3. c'est triste. A Evry, il y a des fleurs posaient souvent aux endroits où il y a eut des accidents et des morts


    it is sad. In Evry, there are flowers often posed at the places where there A were accidents and deaths

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, so sad. I found this obituary from the Sydmey Morning Herald:

    BYRNE, Jarrod Peter.
    Aged 17 years
    Life taken unexpectedly. Great son of Chris. Cherished
    brother
    of Dean. Amanda's "Go to guy". Endeared grandson of Pat and
    Peter.

    Filled 30 years of life

    into 17 years.
    Relatives and friends of Mr
    JARROD PETER BYRNE are advised that his funeral will be
    held on Thursday April 26 2007, in St Joseph's Church,
    Newbridge Road, Moorebank, commencing at 11am.
    The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday, 24 April 2007

    Too young and always tragic.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Poignant and moving. Certainly the most elaborate. Here in Poland...usually it is a simple cross or flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maybe a necessary way to make people more careful.
    Peut-être qu'avec de tels monuments, les gens seront plus prudents au volant.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree with Calusarus - whenever I pass one of those memorials, in addition to feeling sad for the victim's family, I tend to slow down...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have never seen anything like this before and your photos captures them all.

    We have mothers and fathers who often put up a cross or set out some flowers and sometimes a photo along the road where their child was found, dead in an auto accident.

    It is common.

    This is the second episode of the Robin feeding the babies. Mom had her head down a throat today.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Quite the biggest memorial, so often young people gone. Have seen the items getting tended, grass cut etc. I had wondered about posting this theme, and if others do this - its valid by me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My only fear is that young men continue to regard themselves as invincible, and despite the best efforts of everyone, they continue to be the biggest vehicle accident statistics....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your last comment is true. About memorials as Olivier said (France and Italy have more or less same use and costume), here people leave flowers by where the incident happened.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I once thought we'd never take up the practice which had long been part of certain regions in Europe; but there's been a move to theatre and display in all aspects of Australian life, and be it funerals, sporting events or most other social gatherings, we tend to place increasing emphasis on the spectacle rather than the event.

    I'm not even vaguely religious, but I understood recent concerns expressed by the local Catholic Church, that funeral services were becoming extravagent parades. [They used more tactful phrasing than mine, of course]

    But those who aren't impressed with the increasing bread and circuses mentality, are best advised to simply sit and watch bemusedly from the sideline.

    ReplyDelete
  13. These sort of memorials are popular at accident sites where candles and flowers are placed near the sites where someone died.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I live very near to this site, and was there the night it ocurred. People in the street were affected too, but several feel it has been there too long - we are reminded every day and can not move on....

    ReplyDelete
  15. Interesting to read the comments....this never happened in UK, but now it's common...and controversial. It seems to be the same in Oz and elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Mmmm, never saw anything like it elsewhere in OZ or in France.
    Accidental death of young boys I'm afraid is to a certain extent genetic. Although if you manage to sedate them with enough maccas, coke and game boys they will end up testosterone free couch potatoes with none of the drive that sent their predecessors to their early deaths. Is that any better?

    Maker safer roads and rules however is a good thing.

    ReplyDelete
  17. An even more reliable cure for this and many other problems, Nathalie, is to bring back genuine poverty; but that probably wouldn't be an electorally popular programme?

    ReplyDelete
  18. jay
    babey
    i miss you so much
    i want to see your smile just one last time
    be proud of everything you did for us
    it meant so much

    RIP Jarrod Peter Byrne
    Byrnesy
    in my heart always

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love you so much Jay, life is hard without you there.
    Miss you forever, you we're the best boy i knew even since we were young kids.
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  20. this gorgeous boy was the best bloke to grace this planet and was sadly taken in a tragedy, just because he was young and male does not make it his fault.
    he is loved and missed, it should just be left as that.
    Love you jarrod, always RIP xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for article!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for interesting article.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Here is a youtube video of a tribute payed to him where all of his friends rode pushbikes from a certain place to the scene of the accident escorted by police.

    RIP

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73_ETnxhN0&mode=related&search=

    ReplyDelete
  24. Glad to read articles like this. Thanks to author!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Excellent website. Good work. Very useful. I will bookmark!

    ReplyDelete
  26. thVExL You have a talant! Write more!

    ReplyDelete
  27. PohKB8 Magnific!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jarrod Mate i love u mate may all the good times roll every since u have been gone i have been making up for the partying as u would of wanted me to i just want to say thanks for all the good times at school rest in peace mate i will see u again sometime to come!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Jarrod.
    Not one day has gone past where everyone has been thinking about you.
    We all miss you like crazy and cant wait to see that cheeky smile of yours again.
    R.I.P buddy
    Love Alex x

    ReplyDelete
  30. best bloke i ever me never took anything for granted world would be a better place with more people like him, maybe the memorial should stay to at least reminsd us that,

    ReplyDelete
  31. Jarrod. We miss you.
    There are so many things that i wish that i could have said to you. For me, i remember you as being about 12 or 14. Im sorry that we lost contact with each other. From the looks of things you built quite a legacy that you should be very proud of.
    Thank you for living the life that you lead, and for inspiring us all to make something of ourselves. In the way that you did in just 17 years.
    On behalf of all of us who weren't quite as close to you as your friends or your family: We miss you & thank you for the beautiful life that you lead. And the joy you brought to us here on earth.
    Love You Jarrod,
    And thankyou for teaching me how to rollerblade!
    See You Soon xox

    ReplyDelete
  32. Jarrod love you so much and still think about you everyday its so sad about ur dad but at least he is now out of pain and you are together again we will meet again soon love you cant stop thinking about you and i kno no1 else hasnt either happy christmas babe xxx

    Lou

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi, thank you for sharing this great info. Was just browsing through the net in my office and happened upon your blog. It is really very well written and quit comprehensive in explaining with a very simple language.

    ReplyDelete