cover page for intro & guide - Army Museum of South Australia

INTRODUCTION AND GUIDE TO THE STUDY
OF REGIONAL (LOCAL) WAR MEMORIALS
Unley Memorial Gardens
Barmera War Memorial
Magill War Memorial
Glandore War Memorial
Berri Roll of Honour
Booleroo Centre Memorial
Salisbury War Memorial
Alford Memorial Park
Blyth War Memorial
West Torrens War Memorial

INTRODUCTION
Whilst the great majority of war memorials in Australia are of World War I or II origins the process of
additions to these existing memorials and the construction of new ones continues today.
Following World War I, “Australia raised the largest memorials of any
nation to commemorate their dead (or rather, in the hallowed phrases
of Binyon and Kipling, "the fallen"). The sacrifice of individuals, the
private anguish of relatives, are all subsumed within a totalizing grief
of a public desperate to celebrate a truly national event. The public
ownership of the experience is borne out in the community nature of so
many township memorials where, unlike most other the world over, the
names of the surviving volunteers are recorded in addition to the names
of the dead.“ 1.
“The war memorial was there to help people express and usage their
grief. It was there to let the civic leaders who had sent men to their
death provide reassurance in symbol and word that those deaths had
meaning, that men had died for country and empire and freedom and justice and humanity, sometimes
for God. It was there to entreat remembrance from the living and from prosterity. .....In Australia the
burial of so many loved ones on the other side of the world enhanced the meaning of a war memorial:
looking at a name on the pedestal, placing a wreath against the base, could be a substitute for visiting a
grave. ......whatever its design, an empty tomb is what people thought a war memorial to be.” 2.
“When the Great War had to be re named World War I, each community had to decide whether to attach
new names to the old monument or make a fresh tribute. If they did opt for a separate World War II
memorial it was likely to be ‘useful’, having some secular as well as sacred purpose: a hospital, a hall, a
swimming pool.” 3.
War memorials are a distinctive feature of Australian urban and regional landscapes and an important
part of our cultural heritage.When studying the involvement of Australians in war an ideal starting point
is to examine how local communities commemorated those who served and lost their lives. The best
known and most common type of war memorial takes the
form of a monument or statue. Many of these were
constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. War memorials,
however, can take many other forms. Some examples
include War Memorial Gardens, War Memorial Arches,
War Memorial Gates, Avenues of Honour, War Memorial
Halls, War Memorial Hospitals, and War Memorial
Swimming Pools. This resource will assist teachers and
students to identify and research war memorials and
related sites in their local area.
CONTENTS
This resource includes a Guide to the Study of Regional (local) War Memorials which
contains background information for teachers and suggested student activities.
Prior to Anzac Day 2005 further information will be sent to metropolitan secondary
schools including
A series of student questions and activities related to selected commemorative
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and related sites in the suburbs of metropolitan Adelaide. This contains
background information for students on each location, ‘on site’ and
‘classroom’ activities and references to useful internet sites to help them
with their research.
A teachers question and answer sheet for the above; and
An update to the Adelaide War Memorial Walk produced in 2003. This
includes activities for three new sites that are located adjacent to
Pennington Gardens. These are the Naval Memorial Gardens,
King George V Statue and Sir Ross Smith Statue.
If you are not able to visit your local war memorial, or the one in your area is
not included in this resource a photograph or digital image of it, related plaques
and notes including location details are available on request. Hard copies can be posted or documents
and images emailed to you. Please contact Bronwyn McGree Commemorations Projects Officer on
(08) 8290 0502 or Bronwyn.McGree@dva.gov.au. Assistance can also be provided to teachers to
develop specific student activities for their local war memorial.
ADELAIDE WAR MEMORIAL WALKS
For teachers planning a visit into the Adelaide CBD the Department of
Veterans’ Affairs South Australian and Northern Territory State Office has
produced a Secondary School and Primary School version of our Memorial
Walk. This includes photos, background information and student activities
relating to historical and commemorative sites in the area of the Adelaide
CBD. Most of these are located between Pennington Gardens and North
Terrace. The walk includes the Cross of Sacrifice, Torrens Parade Ground,
Pathway of Honour and the major memorials along North Terrace including
the South African (Boer War) Memorial, National State War Memorial and
the Light Horse Memorial. If you would like a copy of the CBD War
Memorial Walk, complete with teacher’s notes and answer sheets please
contact Bronwyn McGree on (08) 8290 0502.
REFERENCES
1. Martin Ball - review of Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape, by Ken
Inglis. ‘Australian Humanities Review’, December 1988
2. & 3. War Memorials in our Landscape, by KS Inglis ‘Heritage Australia’, Summer 1983.
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REGIONAL WAR MEMORIALS (BACKGROUND
INFORMATION AND SUGGESTED STUDENT
INTRODUCTION
Regional or local war memorials are considered to be those that are not the focus of
National or State based commemorative activities. They represent the great majority of
war memorials which have been built using funds raised by local communities throughout
South Australia. They are to be seen in great numbers in both urban and rural settings
throughout the state. The best known, readily accessible and frequently the most valuable
of these for the purposes of student study takes the form of a monument or statue. This
type of war memorial is often located in a public space, which allows for commemorative
activities to take place and hence the opportunity for students to visit and examine them.
Accordingly the background information and suggested student activities which appears
below relates primarily to the study of this type of war memorial which is not surprisingly
the most frequently visited by schools. However some of the information and background
activities contained below will be relevant to other types of war memorials such as those
mentioned earlier (ie. memorial arches, memorial gates, memorial gardens).
TEACHERS BACKGROUND NOTES
AND SUGGESTED STUDENT ACTIVITIES
What conflicts and peacekeeping missions are being commemorated
Background
It is estimated that there are approximately 5,000 war
memorials located in cities and towns throughout South
Australia. Some local war memorials date back to the Boer
War (1899-1902). A few were erected whilst the First World
War was still in progress. However the greatest period of
activity in relation to the construction of war memorials in
South Australia was the 1920s and 1930s when communities
sought to honour those who served and died during the First World War. With the end of World War II
many of these existing memorials were added to with additional plaques commemorating those who
served in the 1939-45 war. In some cases separate war memorials were constructed. Following World
War II functional memorials (such as buildings, parks and pools) were often proposed in preference to
monuments. As the Cold War conflicts - Korea, Malaya/Borneo and Vietnam – ended, additional
plaques were again added to existing memorials or new monuments or plaques were commissioned and
built. This ongoing process has seen the peacekeeping missions since 1946
involving Australians and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan also
appearing on some newly constructed and recently updated regional war
memorials.
Activities
In introducing the study of local war memorials students could be asked the
following;
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Are they are aware of a memorial in their area, which
commemorates those who served in war
What conflicts are commemorated by the local war memorial
What conflicts and peacekeeping roles are not commemorated
and why These will generally be post 1945 conflicts and
peacekeeping roles. Reasons given could include the huge
impact of two World Wars, community awareness of subsequent
conflicts (and peacekeeping roles) and possibly the controversy involved with some post 1945
deployments.
Are the students aware of any aesthetic ways communities have commemorated those who have
served their country in wars and on peacekeeping missions These can include war memorial gates,
arches, gardens, avenues of honour, street names, drinking fountains, pathways and individual
plaques.
What are more functional ways that the communities have
commemorated those who served in war These can include memorial
halls, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, swimming pools,
sporting grounds, grandstands or other community assets which are
generally prefixed by the words “War Memorial” and pay tribute to
those who served from the area.
The last two activities could take the form of a classroom discussion and/or an internet search to identify
the different types of war memorials.
Students may then wish to download images or take photos of the different types of war memorials
which can then be used to create posters or collages that illustrate the many ways communities have
commemorated the service of local veterans. A useful internet site is
www.tributesofhonour.info
Styles, features and symbolism of War Memorials and their surroundings.
Background
‘stone or marble
digger’
There are a great variety of regional war memorials in South
Australia with some Adelaide suburbs and South Australian regional ‘obelisk’
towns boasting quite unique designs. Their surroundings can vary
considerably, from locations in the middle of road junctions to
centrepieces in elaborate gardens. War memorials and statues are
often situated in parks or small reserves, which are generally
designed to compliment them and form part of the commemorative
site. Some of these war memorials and statues can date back to
Australia’s involvement in the Boer War (1899-1902) but it was
between the World Wars I and II that most were erected. All war
memorials, and frequently their immediate surroundings, have
distinctive functional and symbolic elements. Some of these are
commonly found and others are quite unique. Within South Australia
there are four common styles originating from World War I war memorials. Of these,
there are two World War I war memorials most frequently seen in suburbs and towns
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throughout South Australia. These are the so-called “stone or marble digger” and the obelisk. Other
popular choices of war memorials are the Cross of Sacrifice and the column.
Stone or Marble Diggers - “The Digger, unlike other types of war monuments, has no counterpart
in our cemetries. As a potent reminder of what World War I meant to the newly
emergent Australia, the deathly pallid Digger statue has no equal. He has
become an important relic of our heritage, ......clearly demonstrating public
aspirations and taste of the 1920’s.” These ‘stone/marble diggers’ often
feature a World War I soldier with arms reversed and head down. Some are
“resting on arms reversed”, many are described as “at ease” and a few
“properly at ease” because they have their knees bent. Most of the ‘stone/
marble diggers’ were purchased from Italy as few local masons could carve a
soldier. The tradition of ‘resting on arms reversed’ as a mark of respect or
mourning has been observed for centuries and is said to have originated from
the ancient Greeks. The earliest documented instances of carrying arms
reversed in more recent times are descriptions of 16 th century funerals.
Australian soldiers still rest on arms reversed as a mark of respect for the dead. 1.
The Obelisk borrows heavily from Egyptian, Greek and Roman architectural
styles. Shaped like a finger pointing to the sky or ray of the sun, their simple
design originally represented “Ra”, the Egyptian sun god and “giver of life”. In
addition to their symbolic significance, obelisks stand out due to their shape, and
their pedestals have the practical advantage of having at least four inscription
faces. Obelisks were used in the 18 th and 19 th centuries as grave markers in
cemeteries and Australian stone masons knew how to make them, which made
them a popular design for war memorials throughout Australia.
The Cross of Sacrifice is a specific version of the
Christian Cross. It is the cross that is found in war cemeteries. Some better known
examples in Adelaide include the cross at the Women’s War Memorial in
Pennington Gardens, North Adelaide, where the Anzac Day services are held, and
the Great Cross of Sacrifice at the A.I.F Cemetery, which forms part of the
Adelaide’s West Terrace Cemetery. The English Architect, Sir Reginald
Blomfield designed the cross, for the Imperial War Graves Commission
cemeteries in Europe. To use it, Australia had to gain permission from the United
Kingdom. Its original design is described as a stone cross with a bronze sword
attached to either side. The Cross of Sacrifice is closely associated with Christ’s
suffering and resurrection.
Columns are also featured in some South Australian regional war memorials.
These may serve to elevate the memorial, represent individuals who have fallen
or in the case of the broken column symbolise the life of a young person being
cut short.
Regional war memorials and statues will sometimes incorporate urns, wreaths,
crossed flags and drinking spouts as part of their design. These have obvious
symbolic significance which can be discussed with students.
Urns - Have a strong association with death and cremation. Scholars today generally agree that
cremation probably began during the early Stone Age. In the time of Homer, in Greece in 800 B.C.
the burial of slain warriors was considered expedient for reasons of public health. By the time of the
Roman Empire - 27 B.C. to 395 A.D. - cremation was widely practiced, and remains were generally
stored in elaborate urns, often within columbarium-like buildings. Monuments with a "shrouded urn"
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on a pedestal are seen in cemeteries throughout Australia. At the turn of the
last century this traditional style carried over to the design of some Australian
Boer War memorials. The image of the urn with its association with fallen
Homeric warrior can also be seen in the design of some World War I and
subsequent war memorials.
Crossed flags - As shown on the Magill War Memorial,
the two crossed flags are the Australian Flag and the Union
Jack. These symbolise the close ties between Australia and
Britain during World War I. Often a flag pole or poles will be located near the war
memorial on which the Australia flag will be flown at full and half mast on
appopriate occasions. At the National State War Memorial, on the corner of North
Terrace and Kintore Avenue the Anzac flags, which are the Australian Flag, the
Union Jack and the New Zealand flag, are flown on Anzac Day.
The tradition of lowering flags to half mast as a sign of remembrance is believed to have its origins on
the high seas. As a sign of respect or honour for important persons, sailing ships would lower their sails,
thus slowing the vessel and allowing for the VIPs own vessel to come alongside and for him to board if
he so desired. Lowering of sails was also used to honour VIPs who were reviewing a naval procession
from the land. In time, only the ship's flags were lowered in a symbolic gesture. This practice was also
adopted on land. For more information about the customs and traditions of a commemorative ceremony
see;
www.awm.gov.au > Anzac Day > History and Tradition > The Anzac Day tradition
>Features of a commemorative ceremony
Wreaths - Wreaths were originally used as a sign of
importance and victory. In ancient Rome wreaths were worn
on the heads of leaders, such as Julius Caesar, much like the
crown of a king. The Greeks placed wreaths on the heads of
victorious athletes in the original Olympic Games. The
tradition of hanging a wreath on a wall for decoration
probably came about when a warrior or athlete decided to save
his or her award as a memento of victory. In the dead of
winter, the ancient Germanic peoples would set fires and place
evergreen boughs in a circle to indicate hope of the coming spring. Both the evergreen and the
circular shape symbolized ongoing life. Christians later kept this tradition alive by creating the
Advent wreath that is adorned with four candles and placed on a table. The lighting of the candles
traditionally takes place on Christmas Eve to represent the light of Christ coming to the world.
www.montanawreaths.com/history
Water Spouts - Water themes are a common feature of many war memorials.
Water fountains have in some cases been erected in South Australia by grieving
relatives in memory of those who were killed during war. The ebb and flow of
water can symbolise the Christian belief of eternal life. In the case of the South
Australian National State War Memorial, “the murmur and movement of the
water from the fountain of compassion, being ceaseless, typifies the constant
flow of memories of the heroes the memorial honours.”
www.anzacday.org.au/education/tff/memorials/sthaust
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The positioning of the monument and their surroundings will often have both
functional and symbolic significance. Many war memorials face East - West
with morning light representing re-birth and afternoon shade the shadow of
death. The three steps leading up to many war memorials represent the
Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Surrounding gardens or paved
areas may take the shape of a cross with its associated symbolism. Memorial
gardens often feature red and white roses. Red being symbolic of the
shedding of blood and white representing the cleansing of the soul and purity
of commitment and sacrifice.
Activity
Students should be asked to observe and then either sketch or photograph the monument and/or its
surroundings and then to describe it in their own words.
Students can then be asked to identify and comment on any symbolic elements in the design of the
monument and its surroundings.
History of Regional War Memorials
Background
Most war memorials will have a story to tell. A number of years often elapsed between the decision to
build a local war memorial and its dedication. Whilst sourcing original documents and/or conducting
interviews with those concerned, or examining the deliberations of the
local “ war memorial committee”, can provide great insight into
community debate, this type of research can be time consuming and
difficult for students. However, most memorials have plaques attached
that give some details about the date and people involved in the
planning, construction, and dedication (opening) of the war memorial
which all students can easily locate and record. Local history books will
sometimes outline in great detail all aspects of the local war memorial’s
history and design. In other cases, local historical societies will have
completed research on local war memorials and it’s only a case of
contacting them or looking on their website. One aspect that should be
stressed with students is that most regional war memorials were built
from funds raised by the local community. This reflected the gratitude
and pride of the community in their local soldiers’ contribution to the
war effort.
Once erected, the history of war memorials does not necessarily end. War
memorials will be often updated either with additional names of those who
served or the addition of plaques commemorating new conflicts. Changes
may also occur as the result of damage or environmental factors. The
different condition of the parts of the war memorial will often help to
identify additions and renovations and serve as clues to students of changes
that have occurred over time. Finally, it is not uncommon for war memorials
to have been moved from one location to another. This may be the result of
the need to widen a road or the need to find a more suitable location for
commemorative services to be held. Sometimes the relevant authority will
record the move by way of a historical marker at the old site and some
appropriate notation at the new site.
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Activity
Students may conduct either a simple or detailed study into the
history of their local war memorial. This can involve varying levels
of research depending upon the age and ability of the students. For
more senior students, this could involve reference to local history
books, contemporary newspapers and conducting interviews with
those likely to have information about the memorial such as
members of the local RSL or council.
Students may be able to form their own war memorial committee to work through the issues that
might have been dealt with by the original committee. They would need to
look at such things as the likely cost of the war memorial, fundraising
strategies, location and design of the war memorial, determining whose
names should appear, agreement who should open it and who should be
invited to the dedication.
Inscriptions that commonly appear on war memorials.
Names included on the monument
Students may be asked to consider a series of questions regarding the names
that appear on local war memorials. These might include;
(a)
What names appear on the War Memorial
Background
Regional war memorials are dedicated to all who served in war and those who lost
their lives. During World War I, 331,781 Australians served overseas with
61,919 losing their lives. Statistically this represented about one Australian in
every seven at that time who went away to the Great War with one in three or four
of the males and every second man between 18 and 45 serving. More than half of
those who returned had suffered some sort of wound and between one in five and
one in six did not return. During World War II just under one million enlisted in
the Armed Forces with 39,366 losing their lives and 66,553 wounded in action.
Individuals names of these servicemen and women and those who served and fell
in other conflicts will normally be inscribed on the face of the war memorial or
appear on plaques attached to it. Those who lost their lives will sometimes be
listed separately or may appear with a cross next to their names. Some war
memorials also list those who died of war related injuries.
Activity
Students can count and record the names of those who served and/or those
who lost their lives in various conflicts. Results can be compared with the
numbers who served and died for the entire state or country. When the
names are counted they will frequently discover how evenly the contribution
and sacrifice was distributed across communities. Students may be asked to
compare the number of those who served from their community and those
who fell during various conflicts and suggest reasons for the variations.
Their answers may relate to the population in the area at the time, the
nature of the fighting (ie. trench warfare in WWI), or the numbers of
enlistments.
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Individual names appearing on war memorials and local honour rolls, can be researched by accessing
the biographical databases at the Australian War Memorial Website. They contain a wide range of
information about servicemen and womens’ war service, backgrounds and fate. This can be used to
compile a profile of those who served from the local area by examining their age, education, date of
death, rank, occupation, marital status and other information that is contained on primary and
secondary source material.
The website addresses are;
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Roll of Honour
for details of those 102,000 Australians who lost their lives during wars
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Nominal Rolls
for information about Australians who served in various conflicts
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Honours and Awards
for information on those who received military honours or awards.
Additional information about those who died in World War I and II can also be located at
Commonwealth War Graves Website;
www.cwgc.org
(b)
The order on which names appear on war memorials.
Background
The order in which names appear on a war memorial varies. They may be
Alphabetical lists, sometimes with additional names being added,
In order of military rank,
In order of date of enlistment
In order of the service in which they enlisted i.e AIF (Army), RAAF
and RAN, or
In some cases names appear apparently randomly.
Activity
After determining how the names are recorded on the local war
memorial, students may wish to consider why the particular method
was employed. For those monuments where names appear apparently
randomly, students can check the World War I and II Nominal Rolls to
determine if the names in fact appear in order of enlistment.
(c)
Causes and location of Death (Acronyms).
Background
Various acronyms are found on war memorials and honour rolls, which relate to
cause of death of servicemen or women. The most common are
Enlistment Date
KIA (Killed in Action);
DOW (Died of Wounds); and
DOD (Died of Disease).
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Other variations include the use of colour to
indicate who served (eg. Black) and who lost
their lives (eg. Red). Some monuments provide
additional information about how and where the
servicemen died.
Activity
Students may research the individual fate of Australian servicemen and women
by accessing the Roll of Honour database on the Australian War Memorial
website and/or the Commonwealth War Graves Website. This can lead to further
investigation into the battles/theatres of war in which the service personnel lost
their lives.
(d)
Decorations (Acronyms)
Background
Letters will sometimes follow a veteran’s name on a war memorial that may denote
that they have received a military honour or award. The best known of these is the
Victoria Cross (VC) which is the highest award Australian soldiers can win for
valour. The most frequent military honour seen on plaques is the Military Medal
(MM). A complete list of all honours awarded to Australians, including acronyms
and details of individual awards, appears on the Australian War Memorial Website.
Searches can be conducted by name, conflict and award.
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Honours and Awards.
Activity
Students may research the background to a specific honour or award. By using
their own surname, a common surname or the name of someone they have
found on a war memorial or honour roll who have been awarded a military
honour, they can access the Australian War Memorial website, Honour and
Awards database, which will enable them to locate primary source documents
relating to the circumstances for which individual awards were given.
(e)
Ranks, units and roles (Abbreviations).
Background
The inscriptions on many war memorials will preface a name with an
abbreviation. This could be either their military rank or job title ie.
Private, Gunner, Farrier (WWI, rank for a person responsible for
shoeing horses). Following their name, some war memorials will also
have the military unit or service in which the person served. ie. 10th
Infantry Battalion, Signals Corp, 1 st Field Battery, RAAF, RAN etc.
These will generally appear as abbreviations.
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Activity
Students may be asked to research the role of particular individuals or units. A list and explanation of
abbreviations for World War I units appears at
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Nominal Rolls > First World War Nominal Rolls >
Nominal Roll > Introduction > Abbreviations.
Students can use this website as a starting point for their research. They can also search the Australian
War Memorial Website for images of particular units from any conflict they wish to investigate. Some
examples are Light Horse + World War I, Tanks + World War II, Navy Divers + Vietnam.
www.awm.gov.au > Collections database > Collections
search by entering the relevant key word or words.
(f)
Women’s names
Background
Regional war memorials often contain exclusively male names.
During World War I, the only vocation available to women who
wished to serve their country was with the Australian Army Nursing
Service (AANS) or Red Cross. During World War II, women’s roles
were expanded and they also served in the auxiliary forces to free
men for active duty. Female names may be found on war memorials
and honour rolls and a careful search will sometimes locate them.
They are primarily identifiable by their title (Miss, Mrs), their
christian name(s) or their vocation (Sister) or Arm of Service. These
are the acronyms of women’s services that may appear on war
memorials,
AANS (Australian Army Nursing Service);
WAAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force);
AWAS (Australian Women’s Army Service); or
WRANS (Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service).
Activity
Students should be asked if they can locate any
female names that appear on local war memorials
and honour rolls. Whether or not they are able to
locate any names, they should be asked to consider
the importance of the contribution of women
during war and whether that contribution has been
adequately commemorated. Some of the roles they
could consider include:
as nurses and medical staff;
on the home front duties including munitions work and aircraft spotting;
during and following World War II in the womens’ auxiliary services; and
their modern day roles in which they are fully integrated into the armed forces.
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(g)
Dates for the end of World War I (and other conflicts).
Background
War memorials often bear inscriptions showing the years during which a
conflict took place. These dates can vary from one war memorial to
another reflecting differing views of the significance of historical events,
the period of Australian involvement and the span of the conflict. The
most common example is seen with World War I where the
commencement date is invariably 1914 but the end date of the conflict
may be recorded as either 1918, 1919 or 1920.
The 1918 date refers to the signing of the armistice, which took
effect at 11.00am on the 11 November 1918 and saw the official
end of hostilities.
The 1919 date refers to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, to which Australia was a signatory,
which formally ended the war on June 28 1919.
The 1920 date has no clear origins but may relate to January
10 1920 when the Treaty of Versailles was ratified. Once this
occurred, Germany and its allies had accepted responsibility
for causing the war and were required to pay large amounts of
compensation (known as war reparations). Also by 1920 most
Australian soldiers were repatriated (returned to Australia) and
Australians serving in North Russia were withdrawn.
Dates for the end of the Malayan Emergency and Vietnam War also vary on war
memorials according to the local interpretation of when Australian involvement in
these conflicts was considered to have effectively ended.
Activity
Students should be asked to research the significance of the years and associated
key dates relating to the commencement and completion of conflicts recorded on
their local war memorial. A good source of reliable information about key dates in
Australia’s military history can be located at the Australian War Memorial
Website.
www.awm.gov.au > Australians At War > Australian Military History Overview
and This Month in History
REFERENCES
1. Queensland’s Digger Memorials by Judith Mc Kay - ‘Heritage Australia’, Winter 1984
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