A community's devastation, horror and feelings of helplessness after hearing the stories of sexual abuse in Ballarat for the first time turned into a grassroots movement that continues to serve as a symbol of support.
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Loud Fence is celebrating its seventh anniversary this weekend, reflecting on the role the movement has played for so many in Ballarat and around the world and how it will continue to be needed in the future.
Bright colourful ribbons began appearing at the former St Alipius Boys' School site in Victoria Street in May 2015 as a show of support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
The movement has grown to become a formal organisation and ribbons have been tied on fences around the world as a show of support for survivors.
Nobody knew what to do but as a community we knew we had to do something.
- Maureen Hatcher, Loud Fence founder
Loud Fence founder Maureen Hatcher said she felt 'blindsided' by the stories she heard through the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and this was the trigger for action.
"I was just devastated really to hear those stories that came out of the royal commission and to know that was all happening so close by without absolutely any idea, it was just such a horrible feeling," she said.
"A lot of the people that spoke at the royal commissions, especially when it was in Ballarat, were families that I knew or had grown up with. It hit so many people I had known in my childhood.
"It was all around me really without having any idea that it was happening."
Ms Hatcher and a group of other former students of St Alipius Primary School came together with an idea to tie bright, colourful ribbons as a show of support and the movement grew from there.
"People felt helpless," she said.
"Nobody knew what to do but as a community we knew we had to do something, to show our support for the people who were brave enough to speak out and for the families who lost loved ones along the way.
"It is quite an easy action to do. Most people have access to a ribbon or a piece of material they could put on the fence. It didn't matter what colour it was.
"Even though it was a really simple act we soon learnt it meant a lot to a lot of people, not just the survivors but certainly to the families of victims as well."
Former catholic and Loud Fence supporter Helen Carrucan said Loud Fence had been an outlet for her to take a simple action to show support.
"I was certainly a concerned community member, a concerned former catholic, I had attended primary school here in Ballarat with the nuns and secondary school as well through the 50s and 60s," she said.
"I was a bit astounded at the time I hadn't noticed anything. I wondered why, why hadn't I seen anything? I now of course realise we were only children.
"I was trying to I suppose analyse it all myself in my head, my growing up years."
Queensland Loud Fence supporter and former catholic Patricia Hamilton travelled to Ballarat in the early years of the movement and felt so embraced as part of the community.
She and a group of other parish members on the Sunshine Coast made attempts to start a Loud Fence in their home town but it was not received well and the ribbons were removed.
"When we came up against that we thought no we are not going to be quiet. We got our courage from the Loud Fence," she said.
Ballarat survivor of sexual abuse Tony Wardley said he had not been able to go near St Alipius for many years but was able to tie some ribbons with messages on the fence in 2015.
He said being a witness in the royal commission was "massive, the anxiety, depression that went along with bringing everything up again".
"Seeing the ribbons start to appear that people were believing us and thinking of us was magnificent," he said.
"The core of it is still to support survivors but the side affect is it gets people talking about it, with their children, and knowledge is one of the main things in keeping children safe.
"If they know the dangers out there and what is right and wrong for people to do to them, they are a lot safer."
Mr Wardley continues to attend ribbon tying days and often meets up for a meal with members of the Loud Fence community.
Connection has become a big focus of the movement.
"A lot of people haven't had a social life for years, but this is a group they can be comfortable with," he said.
Ms Hatcher said Loud Fence had brought victims and survivors together.
"To be in the company of people that understand that and don't question it. I think it has been incredibly powerful," she said.
Ballarat survivor of child sexual abuse Nick Ridsdale, who is also the nephew of Gerald Ridsdale, said he changed from not being able to drive past any church in Ballarat to purposefully doing so to see the ribbons.
"From now I go out of my way to go past a church now because it makes me happier. Even when we were in Rome they were hanging ribbons there and that was amazing," he said.
"The ribbons have helped me immensely in moving on with life."
Survivor of child sexual abuse and Loud Fence supporter Holly Would said she participated in a ribbon tying day with her mother when she first moved to Ballarat about six years ago.
She said she has become more involved in the movement and has used her art to speak out, making earrings and badges with messages including 'loud' that victim and survivors wore proudly.
Ms Would said it was a 'blessing' to be part of a movement that spoke for all survivors, everywhere.
"They are everywhere these survivors, there are some who have the capacity to speak out and there are some who can't and some who are children who are going through this," she said.
"There have been lives lost and we are speaking for them as well. That is what all those ribbons are, they are represent a person, they all represent somebody.
"So many of us live with PTSD and other trauma related illnesses. Getting to see those ribbons, there is a strength we get to tap into when we see that. When I see that I know I am not alone.
"Even though I feel very alone, I know I am not alone. There is so much strength in numbers, I can't say how powerful that is."
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Ms Hatcher said Loud Fence was for all survivors of sexual assault and was not confined to any specific setting such as institutional abuse.
She said providing opportunities for connection would be a priority for the organisation moving forward, with plans to run creative workshops for survivors.
She said she also saw room for increasing connections with organisations, institutions and businesses to support them in their response to revelations of historical sexual abuse.
All supporters and survivors The Courier spoke to said Loud Fence would always be relevant to continue showing support, raising awareness and creating connections.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
