The Australian–American Memorial is in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, the national capital of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and commemorates the help given by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

during the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vas ...

Background

In 1948 the Australian-American Association proposed "to establish a Memorial in Canberra in the form of a monument or statue, to perpetuate the services and sacrifices of the United States forces in Australia and to symbolise Australian-American comradeship in arms". After an appeal for finances by then

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the princip ...

, Sir

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, the Australian people subscribed more than the eventual cost of £100,000, then a vast sum of money for such a public memorial (), indicating the gratitude of the nation. Additional memorials were constructed in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

and

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

that used the surplus funds. A committee, which included Richard Casey (then Minister for External Affairs and a former Australian Ambassador to the United States) and

Sir Keith Murdoch Sir Keith Arthur Murdoch (12 August 1885 – 4 October 1952) was an Australian journalist, businessman and the father of Rupert Murdoch, the current Executive chairman for News Corporation and the chairman of Fox Corporation. Early life Mur ...

, was formed to examine designs for the monument. Sydney architect, and World War 2 veteran, Richard M. Ure won the design following a nationwide competition. Work commenced in December 1952 and took just over a year. As Vice President,

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

visited the site in the early stages of construction. It was unveiled by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

on 16 February 1954.

Description

The memorial is a hollow, octagonal, tapered column with a

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

framework sheeted with

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

panels that were sandblasted to give the appearance of

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

. Two

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanis ...

s feature at the base, one relating the story of American combat in the Pacific and the other a profile map of the United States in

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pink ...

. The column is surrounded by a water-filled moat about wide. Under the dedication is a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...

wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a circle . In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and Chri ...

, carved by Walter Langcake, where floral wreaths are often laid on official commemorations. The column is topped with a bronze sphere surmounted by a stylised figure of the American eagle by the distinguished sculptor and

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

veteran,

Paul Beadle Paul John Beadle (25 November 1917 – 28 December 1992) was a New Zealand sculptor and medallist. Early life and training Born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England in 1917, Beadle studied cabinetmaking and building construction at Cambridge Art S ...

. The Memorial's height is ; the eagle and sphere are together around high and weigh 3.5 tons. The memorial has been nicknamed 'Chicken on a stick'and

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merr ...

Location

It was built at Russell Hill on the extended line of Kings Avenue, near one of the three nodes of the

Parliamentary Triangle The National Triangle, which is referred to as the Parliamentary Triangle, is the ceremonial precinct of Canberra, containing some of Australia's most significant buildings. The National Triangle is formed by Commonwealth, Kings and Constitutio ...

. Russell Offices has since been developed around the memorial, as the headquarters of the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Fo ...

and the

Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

, with the immediate surrounds called Blamey Square after

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Sir

Thomas Blamey Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey, (24 January 1884 – 27 May 1951) was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to attain the rank of field marshal. Blamey joined the Australian Army as a regul ...

. It underwent a major restoration in 2014, after which a new plaque at its base was unveiled.

Gallery

Image:PIC 9983 1-61 LOC Album1097-P. M. Hamilton album of the construction of the Australian American Memorial.png, Original model of the Australian–American Memorial in 1953 Image:The Australian-American Memorial at Russell Hill, Canberra, 15.9.1953.jpg, Eagle and sphere Australian–American Memorial at Russell Hill, 15 September 1953 Image:Official unveiling of the Australian American Memorial.jpg, Official unveiling of the Australian–American Memorial on 16 February 1954 Image:AA-memorial-1.JPG, Inscription marking the unveiling of the monument Image:AA-memorial-3.JPG, Detail of eagle File:Rear of the Australian-American Memorial May 2016.jpg, Rear of the eagle Image:Australian american memorial in russel.jpg, View from below Image:Australian American Memorial towards Kings Avenue.jpg, From the base of the memorial looking west along Kings Avenue towards the New Parliament House.

References

External links

Australian-American Memorial at the National Capital Authority website

Australian - American Memorial at Monument Australia website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian-American Memorial 1954 sculptures Australia–United States relations Monumental columns Military memorials in Canberra Monuments and memorials in the Australian Capital Territory 1954 establishments in Australia