Mildura Rural City Council will fly flags at half-mast at Council sites tomorrow as a mark of mourning and respect for Mr Denis Ryan AM, who sadly passed away last week.
There will also be several prominent public sites lit up with blue lighting tonight (Wednesday) and Thursday night this week as further acknowledgement of Mr Ryan's passing. Sites include Powerhouse Place, Deakin Avenue plantation between Seventh and Eighth Streets, the Mildura Arts Centre, Rio Vista Park and areas of the Langtree Mall.
These buildings will be coloured blue, the official colour of Sexual Assault Awareness, in recognition of Mr Ryan's courage, advocacy and tireless efforts to uncover and seek justice for the many victims of institutional abuse in the Sunraysia region.
Mildura Mayor Helen Healy said Mr Ryan's courage and sacrifice had left a lasting legacy.
"There are certain pivotal moments in history where amazingly brave individuals have stood up for what they believed was right and taken action, whatever the cost. These moments are very few, maybe a handful in a generation, and they inspire us all to be a little braver," Cr Healy said.
"Mr Denis Ryan is one of those powerful individuals, a man we've been fortunate to call one of own as a resident of our municipality.
"It is through his bravery and strength that perpetrators have been brought to justice, and future generations of children protected from sexual abuse. We owe him a great deal."
Mr Ryan is an Order of Australia recipient for 'significant service to the community of Victoria through a range of roles, particularly in the area of child protection investigations, and to local government'.
He is also a Mildura Rural City Council Freedom of the City recipient and 2018 Mildura Citizen of the Year.
