War Memorials in Australia
French-Australian War Memorial
Place:
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory, 2600
District:
Southern Tablelands
(ACT)
Orientation: Suburb of Canberra
Location: In grounds of French Embassy, 6 Perth Avenue
Position: 35 18 33 S 149 00 03 E
Ref: 00023
__________________________
The memorial is a stone masonry column fifteen feet high designed by French architect Desmaret. It is surmounted by a winged figure in gilded bronze, symbolic of Victory, the work of French sculptor Bizette-Lindet.
On 28 July 1961 the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, unveiled in the grounds of the French Embassy in Canberra, a memorial erected by the French Government to honour the memory of the Australians who lost their lives in France during the First World War. Two special representatives of the French Government came to Canberra for the ceremony - General Zinovi Pechkoff (son of Maxim Gorki), as the envoy of General de Gaulle, and General Apfert, commander of the French Pacific Forces.
South face
AUX AUSTRALIANS
QUI SONT TOMBES
SUR LA TERRE DE
FRANCE
EN SOUVENIR DE
LEUR SACRIFICE
POUR LA LIBERTE
DES PEUPLES
1914 - 1918
TO THOSE
AUSTRALIANS WHO
FELL ON FRENCH
SOIL
IN MEMORY OF
THEIR SACRIFICE
FOR THE FREEDOM
OF ALL PEOPLES
West face
ARMENTIERES
FROMELLES
HAZEBROUCK
POZIERS
BULLECOURT
AMIENS
East face
VILLERS-BRETONNEUX
DERNANCOURT
MONT ST QUENTIN
SOMME
HARGICOURT
BELLICOURT
Information current to March 2000
Sources: Stand-To, May-June 1962
About France website at
http://www.ambafrance-au.org/aboutfrance/pages/monument.en.htm
as at 8 August 2002