Australian Merchant Navy Memorial

The Australian Merchant Navy Memorial is a memorial in Kings Park, Canberra, featuring seven columns arranged around a central granite pillar. Six concrete structures surrounding it are shaped like ship bows with wave patterns carved into their surfaces.

This memorial was inaugurated in October 1990 by Governor-General Bill Hayden to honor merchant navy personnel who died during World War I and World War II. It was created to recognize the sacrifices of sailors who served aboard merchant vessels during these global conflicts.

The paving patterns around this memorial show camouflage designs that merchant ships used during wartime, while red crosses mark the paths honoring crews who operated hospital vessels for the merchant navy during global conflicts.

The memorial is located on Wendouree Drive near Lake Burley Griffin and can be reached easily from the main areas of the park. Annual remembrance ceremonies take place on the first Sunday following October 21, when visitors gather to pay their respects.

Concrete drums positioned along the north-south axis of the memorial function as compass cards, reflecting the navigation skills that were vital to merchant maritime operations. This subtle detail reminds visitors of how merchant sailors oriented themselves across the oceans.