Twenty-five years after SIEV X sank, the 353 poles beside Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra remain a reminder that debates over migration, borders and belonging must never lose sight of the human beings behind them.

Twenty-five years ago, on 19 October 2001, a small fishing vessel carrying around 400 asylum seekers towards Australia sank in waters south of Indonesia. It became known as SIEV X, with SIEV standing for Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel.

353 people died. They included 146 children, 142 women and 65 men. Only 45 survived.

For many Australians, SIEV X may now be little more than a name from a difficult period in our history. In Canberra, however, 353 poles beside Lake Burley Griffin continue to tell the story. Each pole represents a person who died.

The memorial grew from a national community project involving schools, churches and community organisations. More than 300 decorated poles were created, with students and community members contributing to a permanent place of remembrance in the national capital.

I have been involved with the SIEV X community in Canberra for some time. My involvement has been modest, but I have always regarded the memorial as a place worth supporting and the story as one worth remembering.

The 25th anniversary comes at an important time.

Australia is again debating migration, multiculturalism and what it means to be Australian. There is now open discussion about whether Australia should become more monocultural.

We should be able to have that debate. But we should also remember the country we are talking about.

Australia is the ancient and continuing home of the First Nations peoples. Their connection to this land goes back tens of thousands of years and must always be recognised.

Modern Australia has also been shaped by generations of migration. Since the arrival of the First Fleet, people from almost every part of the world have come here. They have brought different languages, cultures, faiths, traditions and experiences. They have worked, established businesses, built communities, raised families and contributed to Australia’s social, economic and public life.

Migration needs to be managed properly. Australians are entitled to expect governments to consider housing, infrastructure, employment, public services and social cohesion. People who come here also have responsibilities. They should respect Australian laws, participate in the community and contribute where they can.

But good migration management does not require cultural uniformity.

A person can retain a language, cultural tradition or faith and still be fully Australian.

We should be able to discuss migration numbers without questioning the belonging of Australians because of where they, their parents or their grandparents were born.

This is where SIEV X still matters.

The people on that boat were not simply numbers in a migration or border protection debate. They were families and individuals seeking a safer and better future. Among the 353 who died were 146 children. Whatever our views on asylum seeker policy, those children did not make decisions about Australia’s migration system.

Remembering them does not require agreement on every aspect of asylum seeker or border protection policy. It requires us to remember the human beings behind the policy debate.

The memorial itself shows what can happen when communities decide that remembering matters. Students, teachers, churches and community organisations from around Australia came together to create a lasting place of remembrance. Twenty years after the first poles were raised, its continued existence depends on people being willing to care for it.

For me, standing among those poles will be personal.

As a migrant who was fortunate enough to find a home in Australia, and as someone who spent more than 30 years serving this country, I will stand among those 353 poles and think about the people who never had the opportunity to build the life they were seeking.

I will also think about what Australia gave my family and me: the opportunity to work, raise a family and contribute to public and community life.

Twenty-five years ago, 353 people lost their lives while trying to reach a safer future. We cannot change what happened. But we can decide what we learn from it.

Australia could have done better. We can do better now, and we should aim to do better in the future.

That does not mean abandoning secure borders or a properly managed migration system. It means ensuring that our policies and our public debate never lose sight of human dignity.

It also means recognising the Australia we actually are: a country with an ancient First Nations history and a modern society shaped by generations of people who have come here from around the world.

These histories do not have to compete with one another.

Twenty-five years after SIEV X, those 353 poles remain beside the lake. We should remember those 353 people, tell their stories honestly and allow their memory to inform the Australia we continue to build.

The 25th anniversary gathering will be held at the SIEV X Memorial at 2 pm on Saturday, 17 October 2026. It will also mark 20 years since the first poles were raised at the site in 2006.

The SIEVX Memorial Association ACT is also looking for people who can help care for the memorial and keep its story alive. Volunteers can assist with regular maintenance of the memorial grounds, community presentations, engagement with schools and community organisations, and future events.

For information about volunteering, the 25th anniversary gathering or how you can help, contact the SIEV X Memorial Association ACT at info@sievxmemorial.com.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.