Australian Army Memorial, Memorial in Campbell, Canberra, Australia.
The Australian Army Memorial on Anzac Parade consists of two bronze soldiers in slouch hats with Rising Sun badges, standing on a raised podium paved in a radial pattern. Seven pillars around them represent the seven major 20th-century conflicts involving the Australian Army, and water surrounds the pillars, recalling the sea journeys of Australian campaigns.
The Australian Army Memorial was unveiled on 1 November 1989 by Governor-General Bill Hayden, with Prime Minister Bob Hawke presenting it on behalf of the Australian people. It commemorates the service of Australian soldiers since the Second Boer War. The design is by sculptors Joan Walsh-Smith and Charles Smith with architects Ken Maher and Partners; RAEME assisted with the bronze casting.
The two bronze soldiers face east toward the rising sun, a pose tied to the Australian term 'mates' and the comradeship it names. Both wear the slouch hat with its Rising Sun badge. Seven pillars around them stand for the seven major 20th-century conflicts involving the Australian Army, and water surrounds the group, recalling the sea voyages to those campaigns.
The memorial is an open-air site on Anzac Parade, reached on foot along the parade ground; the figures stand on a raised podium and the seven pillars are ringed by water, so surfaces can be wet. There are no galleries, cafes or shops here; the Australian War Memorial lies further along the road.
The two central bronze figures face east toward the rising sun, a reference to the Australian term 'mates' and the support soldiers give each other. They wear slouch hats bearing the Rising Sun badge, and stand on a podium paved in a radial pattern taken from the Army insignia.
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