The history of the isolated Peppermint Bay region has been closely associated with the sea. Necessity and a good access to raw materials allowed a significant wooden boat building industry to develop, and until relatively recently sea transport provided a vital commercial link with the outside world. Reading through records of the boats built near Peppermint Bay I was intrigued by their life history, particularly the way some were used as transport during World War II where they were either destroyed or never returned.
When a merchant vessel ceases to operate, as a symbolic death, its register is closed. To respect such loss inspiration was sought from the arrangement of graves located within small country graveyards. The timber ‘ribs’ comprising Register Closed are arranged to resemble the outlines of small dinghies. As the only remaining feature these form a poignant reminder of how objects, like memories, decay with the passing of time.
