Perched on top of a hill, the Rocky Hill War Memorial and its associated Museum is very different from most memorials we have seen around Australia. Overlooking Goulburn in New South Wales, this 10.5m tall tower was opening in 1925 to commemorate all those who served in the First World War.
War Memorial
On entering the tower, you see a large marble memorial engraved with the names of service personnel from the Goulburn region who served in World War One. A spiral staircase decorated with photos from the war leads up to the viewing platform. We loved the way the photos told a story of the war and what the soldiers endured.
Rocky Hill War Memorial
Memorial to the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Flying Corps
Memorial to those who served from Goulburn in WW1. Those killed are marked with *
Photos lining the walls of the interior staircase
Museum
Outside the museum, two 150mm German Field Guns stand guard. Donated to the town following the war and installed here following the new museum’s completion 2020. This new state of the art museum replaced an older one in the old caretaker’s cottage.
The displays inside the museum are very good, included some World War one body armour, which we had not seen before. An impressive collection of rifles from different armies and trench warfare weaponry are also worth seeing.
Illustrated in a poster is a sombre reminder of the cost of World War One with the number of dead and wounded Australians shown in relation to the size of the countries’ population. Interestingly, this poster also shows how the war trophies were divided up to the towns and cities depending on their population.
This was a great place to visit, both for the memorial and museum showing the impact of the war so far away from the local community.
German 150mm Field GunWeapons on DisplayGerman Mauser, Turkish Mauser, Siamese Mauser Japanese Arisaka and British Lee Enfield riflesShell casing and a cartridge carrier from World War OneFirst World War Body ArmourGas mask and horse gear. Including a horse’s gas mask
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Canberra’s most popular attraction, the Australian War Memorial is an outstanding tribute to the men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Forces since federation. Access to some galleries is currently limited (2022) because the Memorial is undertaking a major renovation. During this period some exhibits are in storage. However, there is still a lot to see here, and a visit is highly recommended.
Outside and the Sculpture Garden
We arrived before opening time, so took the opportunity to look around the Sculpture Garden. There are two distinct areas. a grassed area with memorials and an area closer to the buildings with large military equipment on display.
Armoured vehicles used by the Australian Army on display include a Centurion tank from the Vietnam War, a Bushmaster and LAV armoured personnel carrier. Captured German guns from World War One are nearby.
Not far from here the old bridge of HMAS Brisbane is visible, along with its deck gun. The bridge can be accessed inside the memorial, where you can walk around the interior.
The sculpture garden has memorials to all branches of the Australian Defence Force from most conflicts. There are even memorials to the animals used by the armed forces. One is a memorial to all animals, having hoof and paw prints while another memorialises explosive detection dogs. Located near Poppies Restaurant this last one was our favourite.
LAV-25 Light Armoured VehicleCenturion Tank“Lest we Forget” Memorial originally from Camp Russell in AfghanistanAustralian Merchant Seaman Memorial “Survivors”Animals in War Memorial. with hoof and paw prints“Australian Serviceman” Bomber Command Memorial dedicated to Australian who flew in RAF Bomber Command during WW2Bronze sculpture “War”“Elevation of the senses” Explosives detection dogSir Edward “Weary” Dunlop
Shrine of Remembrance
Central to the whole memorial is the Shrine of Remembrance containing the eternal flame and tomb of the unknown soldier. The cloisters leading to the shrine contain panels engraved with the names of all those who have died fighting for Australia. This is a very sombre area, especially when you realise how many names are there. During our visit many had poppy flowers pinned to them.
Inside the shrine, beautiful stain glass windows represent the fallen, while the eternal flame burns in the pool of reflection.
The Shrine of RemembranceStain glass window in the Shrine of RemembranceOne of the Walls of Remembrance covered in poppies
Inside Australian War Memorial
World War One
From Gallipoli, the North African Desert and the Western Front, the displays here cover them all. A landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign still filled with bullet holes greets you on entry, highlighting the dangers they faced.
Along with weapons and uniforms, dioramas bring the battlefields to life, showing what they looked like.
Landing boat from the Gallipoli CampaignBritish 4.5 inch howitzerWorld War One trench warfare dioramaDiorama of fighting at GallipoliWorld War 1 AIF Uniform
World War Two
Australians fought in many theatres of the Second World War, each of which is represented here. From Bomber command, where flight crews manned several bomber squadrons, to North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific.
Captured German and Italian equipment, including a German BMW sidecar and an Italian tankette are on display here. Unfortunately, the larger displays such as the Lancaster bomber and Japanese mini-submarine that attacked Sydney Harbour are currently in storage. However, a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter is there, hanging from the ceiling.
BMW R12 750cc motorcycle and sidecarL.3/33 Italian tankette captured in North AfricaMitsubishi A6M “Zero”Hawker Sea Fury
The Hall of Valour
Displayed in the Hall of Valour, the medals of many Australians tell a story of their bravery. Accompanied by a story and photo, each set shows what the servicemen endured and accomplished. Many of the Victoria Cross (Australia’s highest military award) recipients have their medals here. Many of these were donated by families wishing to have their deeds remembered.
The medals of Warrant Officer Class II Keith Payne
Conflicts 1945 to the Present
These galleries are only open at limited time, which unfortunately did not match our time in Canberra, Having seen some of them before, they are worth visiting if you are there at opening times.
What Did We Think?
Visiting here is a very moving and sombre experience. The Memorial shows the human side of war and how it affects both combatants and civilians. The human toll of war is emphasised rather than glorifying warfare. An amazing experience and rightfully the number one attraction in Canberra.
For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here
Leading up to the Australian War Memorial, ANZAC Parade in Canberra contains memorials honouring those who served in Australia’s armed services. The best way to see all of the monuments is to walk the length of the Parade. We parked in the Constitution Avenue car park, so that we could walk up one side and back the other.
Taking time to see each memorial and taking photos, the walk took around 30 minutes each side. We broke the walk in two, visiting the War Memorial in between. At this point we also had morning tea at Poppy’s Café.
New Zealand Memorial
The New Zealand Memorial reflect the unique friendship between New Zealand and Australian people. The two kete or basket handles express the shared effort needed to achieve common goals in both peace and war. They also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of the servicemen and women of both countries who fought shoulder to shoulder on foreign soil.
New Zealand Memorial
Boer War Memorial
This is a remarkably realistic and life-like memorial of four horse-mounted troopers. Dedicated to Australia’s first war fought as a nation, which saw over 16,000 men serve during the Second Boer War from 1889 to 1903. Although made of bronze, the colouring used highlights the colours of the horses and uniforms. This was our favourite memorial because of the life like sculptures.
Boer War Memorial One of the 1.5 times life-size troopers and his horse
Desert Mounted Corps Memorial
The first memorial to be constructed on ANZAC Parade, The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial commemorates all the Australian Mounted Divisions. These include the Australian Flying Corps and every other Australian and New Zealand unit and formation that served in Egypt, Palestine and Syria from 1916 to 1918.
It depicts a mounted Australian Light Horseman defending a New Zealander who stands beside his wounded horse.
The original Memorial was in Port Said, Egypt. However, Egyptian nationalists destroyed it during the 1956 Suez crisis. Created by Melbourne sculptor, Ray Ewers OAM it is a recreation of the original which was by C. Webb Gilbert.
Desert Mounted Corps Memorial
Australia Vietnam Forces National Memorial
Dedicated to all those who served in Vietnam, this memorial features three large stelae with engraving representing the war. The central engraving is of a helicopter transporting troops while another consists of words from soldiers describing the war.
The Australia Vietnam Forces National Memorial Australia Vietnam Forces National Memorial Etching showing troops being picked up by helicopters
Australian National Korean War Memorial
The Australian National Korean War Memorial commemorates the Australian’s would served and those who died during the Korean War. The stainless steel poles represent those who were killed, while the three figures represent the soldiers, sailors and airmen who served. There are several boulders placed at the memorial, which were sourced from Korean battlefields.
Hanging above the memorial, a stone halo contains the names of all the service personnel who died during the war.
Australian National Korean War MemorialStainless steel poles with an airman and soldier
Australian Army Memorial Canberra
This memorial recognises all conflicts involving Australian soldiers since the Second Boer War.
Australian Army Memorial Canberra
Australian Hellenic War Memorial
Commemorating the lives lost during the defence of Greece and Crete during World War Two, this memorial looks like a Greek amphitheatre. The Doric column symbolises the rise of civilisation, while the rusted beams illustrate the destruction of war.
Australian Hellenic War Memorial Australian Hellenic War Memorial
Kemal Ataturk Memorial
This memorial is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) who, as a Lieutenant Colonel, commanded the Ottoman 19th Infantry Division when it resisted the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Arı Burnu on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 during World War I. He went on to be the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its first president, and received the honorific Atatürk (“Father of the Turks”) by the Turkish parliament.
It is the only memorial on ANZAC Parade dedicated to an enemy commander.
An inscription on the memorial, attributed to Atatürk, pays tribute to his former foes and reflects his understanding of the cost of war:
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.”
The quote honours all former enemy soldiers who have died in Turkey.
Kemal Ataturk Memorial Kemal Ataturk Memorial
Royal Australian Navy Memorial
The Royal Australian Navy Memorial honours those who have as well as those who still serve in the Australian Navy. The figures show sailors performing different duties and the geometric shapes represent different parts of a ship.
The flowing water adds to the whole navy theme, because different areas have different sounds. The front areas hisses, like the water at the bow of a ship, while the rear part throbs like a propeller.
Royal Australian Navy Memorial
Australian Service Nurses National Memorial
Commemorating all service nurses who died and those who suffered through war, the Australian Service Nurses National Memorial is a flowing blue cast glass sculpture. Covered in etched writing from diaries – in the original handwriting and photos, it illustrates the life and danger wartime nurses endured.
Several of the panels remain blank, symbolizing the inconclusive nature of this type of memorial.
Australian Service Nurses National Memorial Australian Service Nurses National Memorial
Royal Australian Air Force Memorial
This memorial honours the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Flying Corps. Representing a wing the memorial is symbolic of flight, but we found this too abstract. This was one of the harder to understand sculptures, without researching its meaning.
Royal Australian Air Force Memorial
Rats of Tobruk Memorial
Commemorating the Siege of Tobruk during the North African campaign of the Second World War Two, the memorial honours the 14,000 Australian and 8,000 Allied troops who defended the town for 241 days. Named the rats as a derogatory term by German propaganda, the defenders took on the name as a badge of honour. They successfully held of 37,000 German and Italian troops until relieved by the advancing Allied 8th Army.
The original memorial located in the Tobruk War Cemetery was destroyed. However, the inscription stone was retrieved and is now incorporated into this memorial. The twisting bronze sculpture represents the eternal flame.
Rats of Tobruk Memorial
Australian Peacekeeping Memorial
Since 1947 more than 80,000 military, police and civilian peacekeepers have served in 62 peacekeeping missions. This memorial commemorates their service.
Australian Peacekeeping Memorial
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