ANZAC Square, War memorial square in Brisbane City, Australia
ANZAC Square is a heritage-listed town square and war memorial between Ann Street and Adelaide Street in central Brisbane. Its centrepiece is the Shrine of Remembrance, a neo-Greek rotunda of 18 columns with an Eternal Flame in a bronze urn, dedicated in 1930. The square also holds the Shrine of Memories in an enlarged crypt, a mounted trooper statue for the Boer War, and a 2022 bronze memorial to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service people.
The site opened on Armistice Day in 1930 as a memorial to members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Over time, it has expanded to acknowledge service across multiple conflicts and from different communities.
The square's name comes from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and its 18 Shrine columns stand for the year of peace, 1918. Each 25 April a Dawn Service is held at the Shrine of Remembrance. Bottle trees recall the Queensland Light Horse Regiments in the Boer War, while Middle East date palms mark Australian campaigns there in both World Wars.
The square sits between Ann Street and Adelaide Street, opposite Post Office Square, with elevated pedestrian bridges linking the two. Three paths at the foot of the Shrine's stairs correspond to the Army, Navy and Air Force. The Dawn Service is held at the Shrine every 25 April.
A sculpture on the site honors Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members who served, added in 2022 as an important recognition. This artwork highlights contributions from communities whose stories were previously overlooked.
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