Royal Australian Regiment Memorial

Public Art : Royal Australian Regiment Memorial

Sculptor : ©

Description : The Royal Australian Regiment Memorial is one of my favourite memorials, despite its simplicity. Located in a relatively darkened area of Sydney's CBD, the armed soldier emerging from the jungle and wading through the water (and carefully placed reeds) encaptulates the harsh environment the soldiers were subjected to. Whether it is the location or the clever concept, each time I visit this memorial I feel just as cold and wet as the bronze soldier. The memorial consists of bronze relief figures representing members of the regiment who served in Korea 1950-1953, Malaya 1955 - 1963, Borneo 1963 - 1966, Malaysia 1964 - 1965 and Vietnam 1965 - 1972.

Date Unveiled : 1976

Location : Regimental Place, just off George Street on Wynyard Street, Sydney, Australia.

Inscription :

This memorial commemorates the foundation of Australia's first regular operational infantry regiment. In the past Australia has had permanent military units with special functions, such as coastal artillery batteries and earlier, other units seconded from the British Army.

The first three battalions of The Royal Australian Regiment were formed in 1945 from volunteers from the second A.I.F. and served in Japan as part of the British Commonwealth occupation force.

Since that time, infantrymen of The Royal Australian Regiment have served in various theatres of war to safeguard our nation.

LEST WE FORGET

Points of Interest : On October, 2003, a homeless man was murdered with a hammer as he slept beneath the memorial.

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