On 16 October 2017 the FV Dianne, a sea cucumber harvesting vessel, sank five nautical miles off Round Hill Headland with the loss of six young lives. The tragedy had a profound effect on the local community in the Town of 1770 and Agnes Water who assisted in the search and rescue activities. In 2019 Rounsefell Design was engaged by Maritime Safety Queensland to design a memorial within the Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Beche-de-mer and air bubble patterns inscribed into the concrete represent context for the men’s reason for being on the boat. Pavements are in soft natural colours reflecting the local environment. Six connected stone slab seats, one for each man lost, are provided at the rear wall, with each name inscribed above. On the pavement, black-stained bronze rod inlays centrally connect each seat to the dedication stone and plaque, and visually connect loved ones to the sink site beyond. The rods symbolise the hookah or ‘lifelines’ used by the men to provide air from the surface as they dived for beche-de-mer. Facing the vast ocean beyond, this clifftop memorial invites us to contemplate the fragility of life and unforgiving nature of the sea.

Consultation was undertaken throughout the design process with the First Nations Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda People and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships.

This sensitively designed and highly symbolic memorial was opened on the 5th anniversary of the sinking.