Australian Army National Memorial

War Memorials in Australia

Place: Reid, Australian Capital Territory, 2612
District: Southern Tablelands (ACT)
Orientation: Suburb of Canberra
Location: Anzac Parade, west side
Position: 35 17 08 S 149 08 70 E
Ref: 00003

__________________________

The memorial incorporates two larger than life bronze soldier figures on an elevated base which is rugged and stepped to symbolise the Army's relationship with the Australian continent. The figures stand on a podium which is paved in the radiating pattern of the Army's rising sun insignia. Seven cylindrical pillars, representing the major campaigns, sit in a reflecting pond symbolising the journeys across water which characterised all the campaigns. A series of 36 panels on a curving wall behind the figures incorporate descriptive text outlining the major events in the history of the Army.

The orientation of the Army insignia is towards the east, the direction which the two soldiers face. In this way a reference is made to the Rising Sun and the dawning of new days.

Sculptor Joan Walsh Smith, the memorial's designer, described her intention to "create a space, a place of ceremony, pageantry and contemplation with its focus of attention, that basic component of the Australian Army, ...the Digger".

Plaque at front of memorial

Rising Sun Badge

THIS PLAQUE WAS UNVEILED BY
HIS EXCELLENCY THE HONOURABLE BILL HAYDEN, A.C.,
GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
ON 1 NOVEMBER 1989

TO COMMEMORATE THE DEDICATION OF THIS MEMORIAL
WHICH RECOGNIZES THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY TO THE NATION
PRESENTED ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE BY THE PRIME MINISTER
THE HONOURABLE R.J.L. HAWKE, A.C., M.P.

Below this is another plaque

THIS MEMORIAL HONOURS THE COURAGE AND SELF SACRIFICE OF GENERATIONS OF
AUSTRALIANS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY.
THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE MEMORIAL, THE TWO DIGGERS, REPRESENT THE SUPPORT
AND COMRADESHIP EPITOMISED IN THE WORD "MATES".
THE FIGURES ARE SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF SEVEN PILLARS WHICH REPRESENT THE
SEVEN MAJOR CONFLICTS IN WHICH THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY HAS BEEN INVOLVED.
THE WATER, REPRESENTING THE SEA, SYMBOLISES THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE CONFLICTS
WERE FOUGHT OVERSEAS. THE DAIS AND STEPS REPRESENT DIFFICULT TERRAIN WHILE
THE RISING SUN, THE TRADITIONAL BADGE OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY, IS INCORPORATED
ON THE SURFACE OF THE DAIS.
SCULPTED AND CAST IN SILICA BRONZE BY JOAN WALSH-SMITH AND CHARLES SMITH
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY, IN PARTICULAR THE ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS.
ARCHITECTS: KEN MAHER AND PARTNERS

Plaques on curving wall

	SUDAN 1885 _________________________________

	NEW SOUTH WALES SENT A SMALL VOLUNTEER FORCE OF INFANTRY AND ARTILLERY TO SUAKIN TO HELP THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE SUDAN. IT WAS THE FIRST BRITISH COLONY TO SEND

	TROOPS TO THE AID OF THE MOTHER COUNTRY. SUAKIN 1885 WAS THE FIRST BATTLE HONOUR AWARDED TO AN AUSTRALIAN UNIT.

	SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902 _________________________________
	THE BOER REPUBLICS INVADED CAPE COLONY AND NATAL IN 1899 AND ALL AUSTRALIAN COLONIES DESPATCHED VOLUNTEER COMPANIES TO SOUTH AFRICA WHERE THEY WERE ATTACHED TO BRITISH REGIMENTS. FIGHTING

	CHIEFLY AS MOUNTED INFANTRY, THEY WON RENOWN FOR THEIR SKILL AND ABILITY TO SURVIVE AND FIND THEIR WAY IN TRACKLESS COUNTRY

	GALLIPOLI 1915 _________________________________
	THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORPS LANDED ON GALLIPOLI ON 25TH APRIL AS PART OF AN ALLIED FORCE TO OPEN THE WAY TO THE DARDANELLES FOR THE FLEET. THEY HELD THEIR POSITIONS AGAINST

	INTENSE OPPOSITION UNTIL FORCED TO WITHDRAW IN DECEMBER. THEIR HEROISM, DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE WERE THE GENESIS OF THE ANZAC TRADITION.

	SINAI AND PALESTINE 1916-1918 _________________________________
	THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE BRIGADES, ORGANISED IN TWO MOUNTED DIVISIONS WHICH INCLUDED NEW ZEALAND AND BRITISH TROOPS, PARTICIPATED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WHICH FORCED THE TURKS TO SEEK AN ARMISTICE IN OCTOBER 1918

	THEY FOUGHT THEIR WAY FROM THE SUEZ CANAL TO NORTHERN SYRIA AND WON VICTORIES AT ROMANI, MAGDABHA, RAFAH, BEERSHEBA AND MEGIDDO.

	FRANCE AND BELGIUM 1916-1918 _________________________________
	FIVE AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONS WON RENOWN FOR THEIR COURAGE AND SKILL IN MANY BATTLES INCLUDING POZIERES, BULLECOURT, MESSINES,YPRES AND VILLIERS-BRETONNEUX.

	THE FIVE DIVISIONS WERE UNITED AS THE AUSTRALIAN CORPS IN DECEMBER, 1917, AND PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMAN ARMY.

	MIDDLE EAST 1940-1942 _________________________________
	IN 1941 WITH BRITISH SUPPORT, THE 6TH DIVISION DROVE THE ITALIANS FROM CURENAICA AND THE 9TH DIVISION HELD TOBRUK AGAINST A COUNTER- OFFENSIVE BY GERMAN AND ITALIAN FORCES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE

	7TH DIVISION PARTICIPATED IN THE DEFEAT OF THE VICHY FRENCH IN SYRIA. IN 1942, THE 9TH DIVISION WON VITAL GROUND AT EL ALAMEIN.

	GREECE AND CRETE 1941 _________________________________
	AUSTRALIAN AND EMPIRE FORCES WERE DESPATCHED TO GREECE TO MEET THE GERMAN INVASION. HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED AND AFTER STUBBORN RESISTANCE THEY CONDUCTED A FIGHTING WITHDRAWAL AND WERE

	EVACUATED TO CRETE AND EGYPT. THE SURVIVORS IN CRETE FACED AN INVASION BY AIRBORNE FORCES AND INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES BEFORE BEING WITHDRAWN.

	MALAYA - SINGAPORE 1941-1942 _________________________________
	WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED MALAYA IN DECEMBER, 1941, THEY WERE OPPOSED BY EMPIRE FORCES WHICH INCLUDED THE 8TH DIVISION. THE JAPANESE ISOLATED THESE FORCES AND PUSHED THEM BACK INTO SINGAPORE.

	WHERE THEY BECAME PRISONERS. MANY AUSTRALIANS WERE TO DIE IN PRISON CAMPS AND ON THE BURMA - THAILAND RAILWAY.

	SOUTH - WEST PACIFIC 1942-1945 _________________________________
	AUSTRALIAN AND U.S. FORCES WERE ENGAGED IN ALMOST CONTINUOUS ACTION IN NEW GUINEA AND THE NEARBY ISLANDS. FRO KOKODA AND MILNE BAY TO BUNA, GONA, LAE, FINSCHAPEN, SATTLEBERG AND WEWAK AND ON NEW BRITAIN AND

	BOUGANVILLE. THE JAPANESE FORCES WERE DEFEATED AFTER HEAVY FIGHTING. IN 1945, THE OILFIELDS OF BORNEO WERE REGAINED AFTER ASSAULT LANDINGS BY AUSTRALIAN TROOPS.

	KOREA 1950-1954 _________________________________
	AUSTRALIAN TROOPS SERVED AS PART OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORCE WHICH OPPOSED THE INVASION OF SOUTH KOREA BY NORTH KOREA AND CHINA. THEY PARTICIPATED IN MANY ACTIONS INCLUDING THE BATTLES OF KAPYONG

	AND MARYANG SAN. THEY WON RECOGNITION FOR AGGRESSIVE PATROLLING AGAINST THE ENEMY'S STATIC DEFENCES.

	MALAYA 1950-1960, MALAYSIA 1964-1966 _________________________________
	AUSTRALIAN UNITS FOUGHT WITH OTHER COMMONWEALTH FORCES DURING THE MALAYSIAN EMERGENCY AGAINST TERRORISTS ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYA AND DURING INDONESIAN CONFRONTATION AGAINST THE NEWLY

	FORMED FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA. THEIR COURAGE AND ENDURANCE IN THESE JUNGLE CONFLICTS WERE COMPLEMENTED BY SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES LEARNED DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

	SOUTH VIETNAM 1962-1972 _________________________________
	AUSTRALIAN TROOPS SERVED IN THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY TRAINING TEAM WHICH HELPED TRAIN THE ARMY OF SOUTH VIETNAM AND ALSO WITH THE TASK FORCE WHICH CONDUCTED OPERATIONS AGAINST VIET CONG AND NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY FORMATIONS. THEIR

	REPUTATION WAS ESTABLISHED IN MANY ACTIONS INCLUDING LONG TAN AND THE ENEMY TET OFFENSIVE. THIS WAS AUSTRALIA'S LONGEST CONFLICT.

Plaque in garden bed on east side of memorial
AUSTRALIAN ARMY NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Insignia of The Australian Army

Australian soldiers who fought on the South African veldt, at Gallipoli, on the Western
Front, in the desert during the Second World War, in the Pacific War and in Korea and
South East Asia, are recognised everywhere as soldiers of skill, tenacity and bravery. This
is a memorial to these Australians - in all wars and campaigns - and to the continuing
tradition of service and excellence.

The memorial also reminds the visitor of the importance of the Australian Digger in the
formation of national character and sentiment. The term 'Digger' was first used to describe
Australian soldiers during the trench warfare of the First World War.

Designed by sculptor Joan Walsh Smith and architects Ken Maher and Partners, the central
focus of the memorial is two bronze figures representing Australian soldiers facing east
towards the rising sun. The figures stand on a raised podium paved in a radial pattern,
which refers to the Army insignia.

Seven cylindrical pillars recall the seven major conflicts in which the Australian Army has
been involved in the twentieth century. The pillars stand in water, reminding the visitor of
the long sea journeys involved in all Australian campaigns.

Coat of arms of Commonwealth of Australia

Information current to April 2001

Sources: The Memorials of Anzac Parade, pamphlet produced by the National Capital Authority, Canberra, undated
Booklet for Dedication Ceremony, 1 November 1989.

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