Australian War Memorial, London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian War Memorial |
|
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
 |
|
| For Australia's military personnel who died during the First and Second World Wars | |
| Unveiled | 11 November 2003 |
| Location | |
The Australian War Memorial in London is a special place built to remember the 102,000 Australian soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War and Second World War. It was officially opened in 2003. You can find it in London at Hyde Park Corner, a busy spot where several other memorials are also located, like the New Zealand War Memorial.
What Does the Memorial Look Like?
The memorial is a curved wall made of beautiful grey-green granite stones. This special granite comes all the way from Western Australia. On these stones, you can see the names of 23,844 towns. These are the towns where the Australian soldiers were born, whether in Australia, the UK, or other places.
Some parts of these town names are written in bolder letters. If you look closely, these bolder letters actually spell out the names of 47 important battles where Australian soldiers fought. During the summer, water gently flows over these names. This is meant to remind people of the service, suffering, and sacrifices made by the soldiers.
The curved wall faces a grassy slope, creating a natural outdoor theatre. There are also four blocks with the Australian crest and symbols of the Australian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Three other blocks have special messages, including a quote from Robert Menzies, a former Prime Minister of Australia. Three seating blocks are placed in front of the wall for visitors to rest.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission helps to look after this memorial.
The Story Behind the Memorial
The idea for an Australian war memorial in London was announced in July 2000. This was during the 100th anniversary of the Australian Federation, when Australia became a nation.
The memorial was designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects and artist Janet Laurence. The Australian Government paid for the memorial, which cost about £3 million. It even won an award in 2006 for being the Best International Project in stone architecture.
Work on the memorial began in early 2003. It was officially opened on 11 November 2003, which is Armistice Day. This date marks the end of the First World War. Queen Elizabeth II, in her role as Queen of Australia, unveiled the memorial.
Many important people attended the ceremony. These included Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and the Australian Prime Minister John Howard. About 3,000 people were there, including 27 Australian veterans. The ceremony ended with a flypast of Jaguar planes.
In May 2013, a metal plaque was stolen from the memorial. Luckily, it was found and put back before Armistice Day in November 2013.
