Nearly 600 people signed Liberal MLA Peter Cain’s petition, presented to the Legislative Assembly yesterday, for a memorial bench at Shepherds Lookout, Strathnairn, in honour of the late Brontë Haskins.

Brontë died in 2020 at the age of 23. She had been, her mother said at a remembrance ceremony for drug-related deaths last year, a youth worker and a formidable AFL player, rescued animals, and was awarded a medal for saving another girl from drowning. But mental illness and being assaulted wrecked her life.

The bench, Mr Cain said, “would serve as a memorial of a deeply loved and missed person, and as a reminder of lives lost too soon”.

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Mr Cain noted that the Government had rejected the application to install the bench. Regulations only permit ACT Government-funded memorials for notable Canberrans who can reflect the spirit of Australians and of Canberra.

“I believe their rejection represents very poor judgment, as Brontë’s legacy deserves to be memorialised,” Mr Cain said. “Brontë saved a fellow Venturer from drowning in 2011, while also saving a further four lives by donating her organs through ‘Donate Life’.

“The bench will be of public use, as a place to rest, relax and overlook the winding Murrumbidgee River, as Brontë once did. Brontë’s parents, Janine and Peter, have even offered to pay for its installation.”

Labor MLA Tara Cheyne, Yvette Berry, and Greens MLA Jo Clay spoke in support of the petition, and offered their condolences.

“I am glad that we might, at last, see a favourable outcome for Brontë and her loved ones”, Mr Cain said.

Shepherds Lookout was Brontë’s favourite place to “just be”, Mr Cain said.

“Shepherds Lookout was the one place that provided her with a sense of peace and respite to escape the struggles of her life. Today, Brontë’s family now feel the same tranquillity when they visit Shepherds Lookout: a place to reflect on the beauty of nature and Brontë’s memory.”

“A bench seat would benefit the wider community. A place to rest, relax, and reflect, whilst absorbing the majestic countryside of Canberra.”

Mr Cain said the 596 signatures, many from Ginninderra and surrounding suburbs, showed how passionate people in the area are about the bench being constructed.

“Brontë embodied the sense of community, generosity, and love that we as the Canberran community cherish and strive for,” Mr Cain said.

“While Brontë was young, she lived a full and purposeful life, and more importantly, she represents hundreds of young Australians gone too soon in tragic circumstances. A memorial to her would also be one to them.”