Cairns War Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cairns War Memorial |
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Cairns War Memorial, 2013
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| Location | The Esplanade, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1925 |
| Official name: Cairns War Memorial | |
| Type | state heritage (landscape, built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600378 |
| Significant period | 1925-(social) 1925-1972 (historical, fabric)) 1925- (social |
| Significant components | time capsule, memorial surrounds/railings, memorial - clock tower, memorial - obelisk, memorial - soldier statue, guns/weaponry/armament |
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The Cairns War Memorial is a special place in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It's a heritage-listed memorial located on The Esplanade, right by Trinity Bay. Built in 1925, it remembers the brave soldiers who served in wars, especially World War I. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 because of its importance.
Contents
A Place to Remember
The Cairns War Memorial stands between the Esplanade and Trinity Bay. It includes a monument from World War I (WWI). This monument is made of granite, sandstone, and marble. It features a statue of a digger (soldier), which is what Australian soldiers were often called.
The memorial also has two old guns. One is an 1887 naval gun, and the other is a 1940 field gun. There's also a memorial garden walkway. This walkway has plaques that remember four conflicts after WWI. It also honours different military services and emergency service groups.
The WWI monument was first shown to the public in 1926. It was originally located at the corner of Abbott Street and Shields Street. In 1972, it was moved to where it stands today. This monument is very important for its beauty and for what it means to the community. It's part of a common way that towns across Australia remembered their soldiers after WWI. The newer memorials added later also show how Australians continue to honour those who served in more recent conflicts.
Why War Memorials Were Built
World War I had a huge impact on Australia. Out of 330,770 Australians who went to fight overseas, almost 59,000 died. Many more were wounded or went missing. This meant that about 69% of those who went overseas became casualties. No other war has affected Australia so much in terms of lives lost. Almost every town lost young people.
Even before the war ended, communities started building memorials. These memorials were a way to show their sadness and honour local people who had died. They were like substitute graves for soldiers whose bodies were buried far away in Europe and the Middle East. The word "cenotaph" means "empty tomb." This word was often used for war memorials, like the famous one in London.
War memorials in Australia came in many forms. These included honour boards, stone monuments like obelisks, soldier statues, and memorial parks. In Queensland, the "digger" statue was the most popular choice. In other states, the obelisk was more common. The first permanent WWI memorial was unveiled in New South Wales in 1916.
The Cairns Digger Statue
About 61 "digger" statues were built in Queensland to remember WWI. Most of these were carved from sandstone. The company Melrose & Fenwick, based in Townsville, made many of these statues for northern Queensland. They made the digger statues for Cairns, Gordonvale, and Mareeba, among others.
The soldier statue in Cairns stands "at ease." This means the soldier looks relaxed, not ready for battle. About half of Queensland's soldier statues stand this way. The Cairns statue is the only one made by Melrose & Fenwick that stands "at ease." Their other statues usually show the soldier in a mourning pose.
Planning the Memorial
People in Cairns started talking about building a war memorial as early as 1916. But nothing much happened for a few years. In 1919, the Mayor of Cairns, RCF Gelling, discussed ideas for the memorial. They thought about a soldier statue, trees, or even a hospital ward. They also considered different locations, like the Esplanade or ANZAC Park.
A committee was formed in 1922 to raise money for a memorial. They wanted to honour the soldiers from the area who had died. But raising money was slow. People even complained in the local newspaper that the committee was taking too long.
One reason for the delay was disagreement over what kind of memorial to build. Some people wanted a simple monument. Others wanted something useful, like a tea room or kiosk. This argument about "sacred versus useful" memorials happened all over Australia. Some believed a useful building was more helpful to the living. Others argued that a memorial should be a pure symbol of remembrance.
In the end, most Australian towns chose a monumental approach. In Cairns, after much discussion, they decided on a public clock on a column. Cairns didn't have a town clock, and people thought it would be both beautiful and useful. They believed that "every hour that it strikes the people will then realise that the clock is in memory of the men who left the district." This idea might have been inspired by a similar clock memorial in Townsville.
Building the Memorial
In October 1924, Melrose & Fenwick won a design competition for the memorial. A good spot was chosen at the corner of Abbott and Shields Streets.
The foundation stone was laid on January 4, 1925. People bought cards to put into a time capsule inside the stone. This helped raise more money. The capsule also contained local newspapers and an official message.
The memorial was supposed to be ready by ANZAC Day 1925. But there were delays with the clock. It turned out a striking clock would be too heavy. So, when the memorial was finally unveiled on ANZAC Day 1926, it had a non-striking clock. It actually had four "slave" clocks, controlled by a main clock.
The monument was unveiled by Mayor Draper in front of 3,000 people. It was 41 feet (about 12.5 metres) high and made of granite, freestone, and marble. The total cost was met through fundraising, including help from Scouts and Girl Guides. A speaker at the ceremony said the clock would remind people of the time of day, but also of the brave men who helped Australia become a nation.
The Cairns monument was the most expensive soldier statue memorial in Queensland. This was probably because of the extra cost of the clock. Only one other memorial in Queensland, the Bowen War Memorial, combined clocks and a statue.
Moving and Updating the Memorial
War memorials were usually placed in important, easy-to-reach spots. But as towns grew and traffic increased, some memorials became traffic hazards. This happened in Cairns. The monument stood at Shields and Abbott Street until 1972. Then, it was moved to its current spot on the Esplanade, across from the RSL building.
By 1972, the clocks on the memorial had stopped working properly. They were replaced with painted replicas. These replicas are set to 4:28 AM, the time of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.
During the move, the soldier statue was accidentally dropped. Its arms and head broke off, and the rifle broke into pieces. It needed repairs. The original time capsule contents were taken out (their location is now unknown). A new capsule with Cairns City Council and RSL records was placed under the paving at the new site.
At the new location, two guns were added next to the WWI monument. One was a 1940 field gun, and the other an 1887 naval gun. The naval gun had been sent to Cairns in 1889 for the Cairns Naval Brigade.
Over the years, the memorial has been updated. In 2001, the monument and guns were repaired. Around 2003, new landscaping was added. This included new platforms for the guns, paving, flagpoles, and palm trees. A memorial garden walkway and a flame sculpture were also added. The walkway has plaques for conflicts after WWI, like World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This shows how the memorial has grown to honour all those who served Australia over time.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The Cairns War Memorial faces Trinity Bay to the north-east. It's in a park on the Esplanade, near Florence Street. You can clearly see the WWI monument from the road and the walkway along the foreshore. The view of the monument, with the peaceful ocean and palm trees behind it, is very powerful. A memorial garden walkway is located to the north-west of the monument.
The WWI monument has a square shape and sits on a stepped concrete platform. It has an unpolished granite base. The sandstone pedestal has marble plates on each side. These plates list the names of 140 men and two female nurses who died in the war. Above this is a tapering sandstone obelisk with four clock faces. These clocks are set to 4:28. At the very top of the obelisk is a sandstone statue of a soldier. He faces the sea, standing "at ease" with his rifle. The statue is now painted.
On either side of the WWI monument are the two guns. The 1940 field gun is to the north, and the 1887 naval gun is to the south-east. The area around the monument and guns is paved. It has lines of bollards, flags, and foxtail palms.
To the north-west of the 1940 field gun, there's a small concrete cairn. It has metal plaques honouring special units from World War II. There's also a metal plaque for the 31/51 Australian Infantry battalion.
The memorial garden walkway is to the north-west of the monument. It has ten curved sections with bronze memorial plaques. These plaques are dedicated to different conflicts, like World War II, the Korean War, Malaya, Borneo, and the Vietnam War. They also honour the three armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force) and emergency services like the Queensland Police, Ambulance, and Fire and Rescue.
Further north-west is a memorial flame artwork. It's a metal flame shape on a round concrete base.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Cairns War Memorial was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992 for several reasons:
It shows how Queensland's history has changed. The WWI monument, first shown in 1926, honours those from the area who died in WWI. These memorials are a key part of Queensland's towns and cities. They show a common way of remembering soldiers across Australia. The newer memorials added nearby show how people continue to remember those who served in later conflicts.
It's a great example of its type. The WWI monument is an excellent example of a war memorial. It's in a very important spot and lists the names of those who died. It uses high-quality materials and a strong design. The addition of memorials for later conflicts nearby also makes it a special example.
It's important for its beauty. The Cairns War Memorial is very important for its beauty and what it means to the Cairns community. It's a serious place for ceremonies and quiet thought. Its location on the Esplanade, looking out over the Coral Sea, makes it even more powerful. The way the paths, memorials, plants, and flagpoles are arranged adds to its beauty.
It has a strong connection to the community. The Cairns War Memorial is a central place for remembrance ceremonies. It is highly valued by the community for its spiritual, symbolic, cultural, and social meaning. The WWI monument has a long and special connection with the people of Cairns. The newer memorials have added even more meaning over time.
