The King George V Memorial has been located outside Old Parliament House, Canberra since the 1940s. Commissioned in 1936 and largely completed by 1941, it took until 1953 to officially unveil the monument due to delays to the final elements of its construction which resulted from the Second World War. The Memorial was originally located directly in front of the-then Parliament House, but was moved to its current location in 1968.
The memorial was commissioned by the Australian Government in 1936 to commemorate King George V, who had been Australia's head of state from 1910 until his death that year. [1] The Government sought submissions for the design of the monument, and a proposal submitted by sculptor Rayner Hoff and architect Harry Foskett was selected. However, Hoff died in 1937 before work began on the memorial, and John E Moorfield was selected to complete the memorial using Hoff's design. [1]
The memorial includes a bronze statue of King George V on one of its faces. A stone statue of Saint George mounted on a horse is also located on the rear face, and commemorates George V's leadership of the British Empire during the First World War. The Museum of Australian Democracy's website states that: [1]
The King George V memorial is not just a memorial to the King. It is also a war memorial, commissioned before the Australian War Memorial was completed. The monument has two distinct sides – the King George side, which honours both the reign of the monarch and the Australian federation, and the Saint George side, honouring Australia’s contribution to the First World War.
Completion of the memorial was delayed by the Second World War. While it was largely complete by 1941, the casting of the statue of George V and bronze plaques to be mounted on the Memorial did not proceed as the models could not be shipped to the United Kingdom where they were to be cast. These elements of the memorial finally arrived in Australia in 1952. [2] The King George V Memorial was officially unveiled on 4 March 1953. [1]
The memorial was originally located directly opposite Parliament House, with the statue of George V facing the Parliament and that of Saint George facing the Australian War Memorial. This location had been selected by the Government against the views of Hoff and Foskett, who preferred a site away from the direct axis between the Parliament and the War Memorial. In 1968 the memorial was moved to its current location just off the axis so that the view of the Australian War Memorial from the parliament was no longer obstructed. [1] The Minister of the Interior Doug Anthony, gained Prime Minister Robert Menzies' agreement to begin work on the project after convincing him that the memorial was "not ... good statuary" and spoiled the view from parliament. [3] Menzies successor as Prime Minister, Harold Holt, publicly spoke in support of moving the memorial in 1967, describing it as an "excrescence" and joking that he hoped it would be destroyed "if we are so unfortunate as to have an enemy attack". [4] At the time the memorial was moved it was a popular tourist attraction. [4] It was also often used as a meeting point by Canberrans. [5]
The King George V Memorial has been heritage listed since 2004. [5] During 2015 it was restored at a cost of $326,000; these works included installing features to prevent it from being used by skateboarders. At this time, the Canberra Times reported that the memorial was a "revered site for the city's skaters and has even featured in promo videos for international pro skate teams as they toured Australia". [6]
Some Indigenous Australian residents of Canberra called for the memorial to be removed in 2020 on the grounds that it is inappropriate to have a British Empire-era monument adjacent to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. [7]
Felix Weihs de Weldon was an Austrian-born American sculptor. His most famous pieces include the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia and the Malaysian National Monument (1966) in Kuala Lumpur.
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a permanent protest occupation site as a focus for representing the political rights of Aboriginal Australians. First established in 1972 as a protest against the McMahon government’s approach to Indigenous Australian land rights, it is made up of signs and tents. Since 1992 it has been located on the lawn opposite Old Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital. It is not considered an official embassy by the Australian Government. The targets of protests at the Embassy have changed over time, and as of 2020 include not only land rights but also Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.
George Rayner Hoff was a British-born sculptor who mainly worked in Australia. He fought in World War I and is chiefly known for his war memorial work, particularly the sculptures on the ANZAC War Memorial in Sydney.
Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 after Parliament's relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra. In 1988, the Commonwealth Parliament transferred to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill. It also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions, lectures and concerts.
Romaldo "Aldo" Giurgola AO was an Italian academic, architect, professor, and author. Giurgola was born in Rome, Italy in 1920. After service in the Italian armed forces during World War II, he was educated at the Sapienza University of Rome. He studied architecture at the University of Rome, completing the equivalent of a B.Arch. with honors in 1949. That same year, he moved to the United States and received a master's degree in architecture from Columbia University. In 1954, Giurgola accepted a position as an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Shortly thereafter, Giurgola formed Mitchell/Giurgola Architects in Philadelphia with Ehrman B. Mitchell in 1958. In 1966, Giurgola became chair of the Columbia University School of Architecture and Planning in New York City, where he opened a second office of the firm. In 1980 under Giurgola's direction, the firm won an international competition to design a new Australian parliament building. Giurgola moved to Canberra, Australia to oversee the project. In 1989, after its completion and official opening in 1988, the Parliament House was recognized with the top award for public architecture in Australia.
The Australian–American Memorial is in Canberra, the national capital of Australia, and commemorates the help given by the United States during the Pacific War.
The Australian Army Memorial on Anzac Parade commemorates the service of Australian soldiers.
The Mounted Memorial, Canberra is on Anzac Parade, the principal ceremonial and memorial avenue in Canberra, the national capital city of Australia. It is a copy of a memorial that was originally constructed in Port Said in 1932 but removed in 1956; a second copy was erected at Mount Clarence, Western Australia. The memorial was sculpted by Melbourne born sculptor, Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal (1863-1918) - it was his last piece before his death.
The Australian Merchant Navy Memorial is a memorial honouring the Australian Merchant Navy's involvement in World War I and World War II. It is located in Kings Park, on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, the national capital city of Australia. Its location at the shore of the lake represent's the Merchant Navy's relationship with water. It was unveiled on 7 October 1990 by Bill Hayden AC, Governor-General of Australia. A memorial service is held on the first Sunday on or after 21 October each year.
Field marshal is the highest rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of field marshal. It is a five-star rank, equivalent to the ranks in the other armed services of admiral of the fleet in the Royal Australian Navy, and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force. The subordinate army rank is general.
Kings Park is a park in Canberra, Australia on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin.
Lennox Gardens, a park in Canberra, Australia, lying on the south side of Lake Burley Griffin, close to Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and Albert Hall in the suburb of Yarralumla. Before the construction of Lake Burley Griffin a road ran through the present garden, this road being one of two main crossing points across the Molonglo River. The name of the road was Lennox Crossing from which the present garden takes its name. The northern segment of the road is still present on Acton peninsula. The garden was officially named in 1963. Lennox Crossing was named after David Lennox, an early bridge builder in NSW and Victoria.
Kings Avenue is a road in Canberra which goes between New Parliament House, across Lake Burley Griffin at the Kings Avenue Bridge, to Russell near the Australian-American Monument..
Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal, usually known as Bertram Mackennal, was an Australian sculptor and medallist, most famous for designing the coinage and stamps bearing the likeness of George V. He signed his work "BM".
Magna Carta Place is located in Canberra, Australia to the north-west of Old Parliament House. Centrally located in the place is a Magna Carta Monument which was provided as a gift to the people of Australia from the British Government to commemorate the centenary of Federation of Australia. The site was dedicated in 1997 which was the 700th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta by King Edward I of England. A 1297 copy of Magna Carta, purchased by the Australian government in 1952, is on display in nearby Parliament House, Canberra. The monument was unveiled by the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard in 2000 prior to the centenary of federation in 2001. Magna Carta Place is located on a semicircular network of roads consisting of King George Terrace, Queen Victoria Terrace and Langton Crescent.
Although most Australian civilians lived far from the front line of World War II, the Australian home front during World War II played a significant role in the Allied victory and led to permanent changes to Australian society.
The National War Memorial is a monument on the north edge of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia, commemorating those who served in the First World War. Opened in 1931, the memorial is located on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, adjacent to the grounds of Government House. Memorial services are held at the site throughout the year, with major services on both Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November).
The South African War Memorial is an equestrian memorial dedicated to the South Australians who served in the Second Boer War of 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902. It was the first war in which South Australians fought, and 1531 men were sent in nine contingents, with over 1500 horses to accompany them. Over 59 South Australians died in the war.
The Boer War Memorial in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, is on Anzac Parade on the western row of memorials near Lake Burley Griffin. This commemorates the Military history of Australia during the Second Boer War, 1899-1902.
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to King George V Memorial (Canberra) . |
35°18′04″S149°07′47″E / 35.30111°S 149.12977°E Coordinates: 35°18′04″S149°07′47″E / 35.30111°S 149.12977°E