January 31st 1909

On 31 January 2009, on the centenary of the Clan Ranald tragedy, a new plaque was unveiled at Edithburgh Cemetery naming all of the individual lascar seamen buried in the communal grave. It stands as a tangible, quietly powerful reminder of the workings of the White Australia policy, the intersection of immigration and maritime history, and the impacts of government legislation on human lives.

– Kim Tao, Curator