Sunday 13th October 2002 

This day changed Australia for ever. As the day unfolded it became apparent that the unthinkable had happened. Our closest neighbour and most popular holiday destination, Bali  had been devastated by 2 explosions late on Saturday Night 12th October  This friendly island with its beautiful, gentle people lost its innocence. 

As we woke to a lazy Sunday , Australia was rocked by the news that the explosions in Bali involved two  popular  night clubs frequented by young Australians. Communications were confused and no on sure of the extent of the damage, reports  dribbled in. By early afternoon speculation was mounting that this was no accident, and that the number of Australians injured or missing was mounting.

This was no time to talk about life health and feeling good. Instead we elected to invite experts into the studio who might help make sense of what was happening and report updates as they happened. We are grateful to our guests who responded at  short notice.

Now as the days pass and the extent of the tragedy becomes apparent we mourn the passing of so many people in this tragedy and we hope for speedy recovery for those injured  - no matter what their nationality. In particular our hearts go out to all those families who have been unable to locate loved ones - closure is so important. Families and friends remaining  need support - we must care for them .

Many of the people who  survived this tragedy will have horrendous injuries  ( both physical and mental ) which will alter their lives forever. While many people point out that "life goes on" after something like this - we must not ignore or  forget these people and their families and their need for support and compassion

Also lets not forget those heroes who helped others. They too will bear scars - you might not see them but they cut deep. They are most likely to minimize their role and be humble in the face of the injuries others suffered but again we must support them too.

Post Traumatic Shock Disorder - is a term given to the psychological problems that can occur following exposure to an horrendous event such as this . Not everyone will get it. but debriefing, support, talking openly and seeking help early all help to minimise the likelihood

In Studio guests :- 

Associate Professor David Tuxen ( centre)- Chair of the Australian Intensive Care Appeal and Director of the Intensive Care Unit at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne - one of Australia's most respected trauma centres - walked us through the  medical issues and  most likely plans for  deployment of medical staff to Bali 

Retired Chief Commissioner of WA Police Bob Falconer ( on the far right in this picture) discussed the issues relating to the crime scene and management of the mayhem in Bali.

Dr Penny Brabin - Penny is a consulting Psychologist . On of her  interests is  in Post Traumatic Shock Disorder. She is also a founder of SANDS a support group for parents who have lost a baby. She discussed the issues surrounding people's our reaction to events such as this and how best to cope.

I have  put some special links to important sites on the Links Page.- please visit them