About 50 people gathered in Lismore’s Quad yesterday to remember the young visitor from Germany who lost her life in the city 20 years ago.
MC Rose Hogan thanked those present for remembering Simone. ‘Here in Lismore, she was murdered. It felt important to gather in remembrance for her, and especially for her family in Germany, so they know that she has not been forgotten by this town so far away from her birthplace.’
She then mentioned some of the other women and children who have been murdered or disappeared in the Lismore area. ‘You may know other women who have died at the hands of another.’
Ms Hogan went on to say, ‘Simone was 25 years old, and she was living her best life. She studied early education. She was a preschool teacher for four years, and her class was called the hedgehogs, the children loved her.
‘She had family, she had friends. She wanted what many of us want; adventures and a good life. She was fun, loving. She was curious, vibrant, interesting, engaging.
‘She wanted to travel and see the world. Simone left her home in Germany in July, 2004 with plans to travel Australia, New Zealand and Thailand.
‘She found Lismore, and she liked the diversity, and sadly, it’s where her life ended. She didn’t get to fulfill her dreams of working with children, or perhaps having children of her own. She didn’t get to dance more or to laugh or continue on her world crossing adventures.
‘All of this was taken from her, unexpectedly, suddenly, brutally. She was murdered. Someone took her life, and it wasn’t his to take. Simone mattered, and she still does.’
Angel
Ms Hogan explained that the picture of Simone had been sent by her mother, framed by wood from the cross used for her funeral in Germany in 2005, and featuring Simone as an angel, with the church where she used to pray.
Former Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell said she had a message to Lismore from Simone’s family. She explained that the story was very personal to her.
‘My daughter was 23 when this happened to Simone, and I know there are other mothers here, who felt that that could have been your daughter. It certainly could have been mine, across another side of the world, who lost her life.
‘When Simone’s body was found, our community, if you will recall, was deeply shocked. We felt shame. We felt that we had let Simone down. We felt that possibly one of our own was responsible for her death. It was a truly shocking time, and if you were here, you’ll remember that fence down near what was the bocce courts, now the newly developed skate park. It was just filled with flowers and candles.
‘We raised money for her traveling companions to take her body home. There was a lot of extra money that went to her family to help with her funeral.’
Memorial
Jenny Dowell remembered, ‘When I became mayor, the family communicated with me directly about having a memorial. And many of you will know that there is a beautiful granite seat. It doesn’t have a name on it, the beautiful granite seat near the corner of Uralba Street and Dawson Street, near the caravan park where they were staying, with a favorite verse of a poem.’
She said that the fresh flowers from the ceremony would be taken to the memorial seat, as they have been on other significant dates, so Simone’s family could see via photographs that Lismore still cared.
‘We are sorry that your beautiful daughter, sister, auntie, lost her life in our community, that she was not safe here… Simone has become like our daughter, too, and she will always be in Lismore.’
Ms Dowell then read the message from Simone’s family, who said they were ‘deeply grateful for the commitment and compassion with which you are selflessly providing for our daughter and sister on this sad day, the 20th anniversary of Simone’s death, on the 11th of February, 2025…
‘It’s amazing what impact Simone’s death had on so many people. You’d think people would forget her after 20 years, but that’s not the case. The best example is your community. Simone has brought together so many people who would never have met in normal life, the close ties that were formed have once or have always been noticed by our family as a kind of phenomenon.
‘Simone had and has something special about her that touched people’s hearts. She still has a strong presence for many people, although she’s not physically present.
‘We all miss her very much. We are very committed to you from the bottom of our heart for everything your community has done for us and the memory of Simone.’
The message from the family ended with the words, ‘Friends are angels who help us get back on our feet when our wings have forgotten how to fly.’
28 per cent increase of gender-based violence in Australia
There was a minute’s silence for Simone, before those present wrote messages to those who had been affected by the murder of Simone and others in the area. Rose Hogan noted the alarming, rising statistics of extreme violence against women across Australia, and urged others who may be living in fear or experiencing domestic violence to seek help.
‘Gender-based violence is a reality,’ she said. ‘It continues to thrive through systematic and racial discrimination, political oppression and misogyny.’
Jenny Dowell closed the public proceedings by reading a poem that Simone Strobel loved, which she quoted in her last email to her brother.
‘To discover who we are is the most important thing that we can learn in life. To find one’s own being and to remain faithful to oneself, that alone is what matters, that we realise who we are ourselves, and they gain the courage to live ourselves.
‘Because there are melodies, there are words, there are pictures, there are songs that in us, in our soul, lie dormant, and it is the central task of our lives to testify, to sing out. Only for this purpose we are made, and no task is more important than to find out what riches in us, in you, are located.’
Yesterday’s memorial event did not touch on the murder case or the latest inquest into Simone Strobel’s death, which was held in November. The findings have not yet been released.
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