Public Art Around the World - Royal Australian Regiment Memorial

Royal Australian Regiment Memorial

Public Art : Royal Australian Regiment Memorial

Sculptor : © Dennis Adams

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 memorial consists of a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers in action. In one scene an armed soldier emerges from the sandstone wall as though he just stepped out from the jungle. With determination on his face he wades through the water and through live reeds, encaptulating the harsh environment the soldiers were subjected to. The bronze relief figures represent members of the regiment who served in Korea 1950-1953, Malaya 1955 - 1963, Borneo 1963 - 1966, Malaysia 1964 - 1965 and Vietnam 1965 - 1972. The 8m x 1.5 m wall is made of Sydney sandstone

Date Unveiled : The Royal Australian Regiment Memorial was unveiled by the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Roden Cutler, in 1976.

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

Funding : The memorial was funded in part by members and friends of the the Royal Australian Regiment Association and with the gift of $3,000 from the government of South Korea .

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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