A public memorial acknowledging historical child sex abuse at government schools in Victoria is under consideration.
The Board of Inquiry into abuse at Beaumaris Primary School and 22 other schools held its final public hearing on Friday, almost three months before a final report is due to be handed to the state government.
Counsel Assisting Fiona Ryan said victims had described the path to healing as a complex and dynamic process, with some believing a memorial and official apology would help provide closure.
The state government has already promised to deliver an apology over the abuse, which happened from the 1960s until 1999, although the inquiry has heard differing opinions over how it should be done.
Much of Friday's session explored how existing memorials came about, including bright ribbons tied to fences which first appeared in Ballarat during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
LOUD Fence founder Maureen Hatcher told the inquiry the ribbons symbolise the voices of survivors and public acknowledgement of abuse in some form is needed.
"Whether it be a memorial, whether it be ribbons, I think that visual is incredibly important to most victim-survivors," Ms Hatcher said.
Trinity Grammar School Principal Adrian Farrer urged authorities not to rush any public memorial, with his school taking about three and a half years to plan and build a garden with input from survivors of abuse at that school.
He said it is not easy to talk to current students about the events behind the garden, but while it can be confronting for some people it is healing to others.
"A major part of this is to safeguard young people, so we don't want to hide from what's occurred in the past," Mr Farrer said.
Former Victorian Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin stressed communities need to be involved in monuments, referencing those dedicated to victims of the deadly Black Saturday bushfires.
"The ones that work really well are the ones that have emerged from the community level," he explained.
"The other thing is the need for recognition of embracing diversity because what works in one might not work in another town."
While public hearings have now finished, the inquiry is still accepting submissions, conducting private sessions and holding round table discussions.
Chair Kathleen Foley said victims and their families had offered valuable insight into opportunities for change and improvement going forward.
"At times the evidence has been very difficult to hear, but there have also been moments of great empathy, deeper understanding and hope," Ms Foley said.
The final report is due to be handed down on February 28, 2024.
