National War Memorial, War memorial in North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia

The National War Memorial stands at the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, beside the Government House grounds. Its design by Woods, Bagot, Jory & Laybourne-Smith frames two scenes by sculptor Rayner Hoff: marble reliefs and bronze statues showing the prelude to war and its aftermath. An inner sanctuary is lined with bronze tablets listing South Australians who died in the First World War.

First proposed in 1919, the memorial was funded by the Parliament of South Australia, making it the first Australian state war memorial confirmed after the war. A 1924 competition drew 26 designs, all lost when the Richards Building in Currie Street burned on 10 November 1924. A second competition in 1926 selected Woods, Bagot, Jory & Laybourne-Smith; the memorial opened in 1931.

On days such as Anzac Day, veterans, families, and school groups gather here to honor those who served. The site takes on a different weight on those occasions, with ceremonies that feel personal rather than formal.

The site is open every day and sits along North Terrace, one of Adelaide's main central streets, making it easy to reach on foot from the city center. Nearby museums and public buildings can help add context to the visit.

The inner sanctuary is lined with bronze tablets listing the names of South Australians who died in the First World War; they were cast at the insistence of W. F. J. McCann, president of the Returned Soldiers' League. The sculptor was Rayner Hoff, and the two scenes show the prelude and the epilogue to war rather than battle itself.