The NSW War Memorials Register will undergo essential upgrades from 3 July. If you have draft submissions ready, please submit them before 3 July.
This war memorial has plaques with descriptions of every war or battle Australia has been involved in, as well as peacekeeping efforts. The plaques are attached to a modern S-shaped sculpture. The memorial site also contains pictures all 98 Victoria Cross recipients. A granite 'Lest We Forget' wall includes the badges of the services. Finally, it has a black granite wall dedicated to the first Aboriginal commissioned officer, Captain Reginald Saunders MBE wall with a famous quote.
Valued at over $430,000, the new war memorial was designed by Bryan Bathgate of Curtain Bathgate & Somers Architects and the commissioned sculpture is by Di Emme Creative Solutions.
The sculptural essence of the new memorial is to symbolize the solidarity, unison, courage and spirit of the Australian mateship at war.
The sailor, soldier and airman/woman are represented in a palette of materials:
The large S-shaped memorial sculpture is made of marine grade stainless steel, glass and stone with four bronze pillars in the middle with the words “Endurance”, “Mateship”, “Courage” and “Sacrifice” inscribed.
Attached to the sculpture are 20 descriptive plaques of each war Australia has been in and one plaque dedicated to peacekeeping.
The Capt. Reginald Saunders MBE wall recognises Australia’s first Aboriginal commissioned officer. It is emblazoned with the following quote:
On Anzac eve we dug in among friends. At last I felt like an Anzac, and imagine there were 600 others like me.
This quote is in bronze lettering across a large black granite wall with a cast bronze plaque that reads “Capt. Reginald Walter Saunders MBE – the first Aboriginal commissioned officer, said on 24 April 1951 at the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War.” This wall overlooks Bondi Beach.
The Victoria Cross recipients wall is made of black granite, and bears laser images, names, rank, and the theatre of war for all 98 Australian VC Award recipients.
The words “Lest We Forget” are emblazoned on a black granite wall in aged bronze lettering, alongside aged cast bronze badges of the Royal Australian Navy, Army and Royal Australian Air Force.
The memorial is located adjacent to North Bondi RSL Club.
'Endurance', 'Mateship', 'Courage', 'Sacrifice'
'On Anzac eve we dug in among friends. At last I felt like an Anzac, and imagine there were 600 others like me' 'Capt. Reginald Walter Saunders MBE – the first Aboriginal commissioned officer, said on 24 April 1951 at the Battle of Kapyong during the Korean War'
'Lest We Forget'
This War Memorial was donated to the community of Waverley on the 27th November 2011 by The Returned & Services League of Australia and opened by Brigadier D. T. Mulhall, AM, CSC Commander 17th Combat Service Support Brigade Australian Army Donald Rowe, OAM RSL NSW State President CR John Wakefield Mayor of Waverley North Bondi RSL Sub-Branch Executives & Trustees Frederick D. ALderman, President & Trustee David J. Griffiths, DCM, PatronMartyn Bell, CSC, President North Bondi RSL Club Ltd. David S. Sims, Vice President & Trustee Norbert C. Keough, JP, Honorary Secretary William Davis, Vice President Andrew Trickett, Treasurer Frederick D. Hyland, JP, Trustee
Last held rank | Given Name | Family Name | Conflicts | Fate | Service No. | Service | Campaign | Read more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Groves Wright | Anderson | view | ||||||
Thomas Leslie | Axford | view | ||||||
John | Badcoe | view | ||||||
Matthew | Beatham | view | ||||||
Frederick William | Bell | view | ||||||
Frederick | Birks | view | ||||||
John Hutton | Bisdee | view | ||||||
Arthur Seaforth | Blackburn | view | ||||||
Albert Chalmers | Borella | view | ||||||
Walter Ernest | Brown | view |