A family is “overjoyed” that beachside memorial plaques honouring two brothers who died in separate freak accidents will be reinstated following their battle with a local council.
The McCurdy family from Mandurah, south of Perth, had the plaques attached to a bench at a local beach about 15 years ago after the deaths of Ryan, 22, and his brother Wade, 19.
The family had pleaded with the City of Mandurah to reinstate the plaques after the bench they were displayed on was damaged during a storm at Madora Bay, about 65 kilometres south of Perth.
The two memorial plaques were installed on two benches by the beach 15 years ago. (Supplied: Matt McCurdy)
But the council denied the request, saying it did not align with its new memorial policy, which determined that memorials would be removed when they had fallen into disrepair.
‘It means a lot’
Matt McCurdy, Wade and Ryan’s brother, said the family had met the council’s deputy mayor and CEO on Monday, and was told the policy would be amended to allow for existing memorials to be reinstated if they had been damaged by vandalism or weather.
“It means a lot [to the family], we go down there often and sit there even if the waves are bad or the weather is bad,” he told 102.5 ABC Perth.
“We go down there because we know that is their spot, that’s where their ashes are, everyone gets down there and reminisces.”
Matt McCurdy, brother of Wade and Ryan, had called for the plaques to be reinstalled. (Supplied: Matt McCurdy)
Mr McCurdy said his mother, who had maintained the plaques over the years, was elated at the council’s decision to overturn its policy.
“She was really humbled by the conversation with the council yesterday and how thoughtful they were and how they were willing to amend their policy just to support these kind of cases,” he said.
Big part of community
Mr McCurdy remembered his brothers as being “a big part of the Mandurah community” who loved the water, their family and animals.
Ryan McCurdy died a year before his brother after falling out of a tree. (Supplied: Matt McCurdy)
Ryan died in 2008 after falling out of a tree on his property.
A year later Wade, who was a bodyboarding state champion, died on Christmas Eve in 2009 after jumping with a friend into an estuary from the Dawesville Bridge.
Wade McCurdy died after jumping from the Dawesville Bridge south of Perth. (Supplied: State Library of Western Australia)
City of Mandurah CEO Casey Mihovilovich said the policy had been aimed at ensuring plaques were not replaced when they had reached the end of their life and were in poor condition, but said there was a gap for when they were damaged by mother nature or vandalism.
That gap would be addressed at the next council meeting when the policy would be amended, she said.
When asked if the council’s initial refusal to restore the plaques was “heartless”, she said the council received hundreds of requests regarding memorial plaques and officers had been applying the policy correctly.
A photo of Wade McCurdy body surfing, supplied by his family. (Supplied: Matt McCurdy)
“We are all parents and people that have family … every time they say no, it hurts them and they get emotional too, but they are having to apply a policy,” she said.
“I can tell you it has impacted our staff. Every time they have to go back and say no when they are so part of the community as well, it is hard for them.”
