Royal Australian Air Force Memorial

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RAAF Memorial, highlighting the three stone walls with etched photographs. AS Air Force 2.jpg
RAAF Memorial, highlighting the three stone walls with etched photographs.

The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial is on Anzac Parade, the principal ceremonial and memorial avenue of Canberra, the capital city of Australia.

Anzac Parade, Canberra road in Canberra

Anzac Parade, a significant road and thoroughfare in the Australian capital Canberra, is used for ceremonial occasions and is the site of many major military memorials.

Canberra capital city of Australia

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 city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory; 280 km (170 mi) south-west of Sydney and 660 km (410 mi) north-east of Melbourne.

Australia Country in Oceania

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. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

The Royal Australian Air Force was formed on 31 March 1921, being preceded by the Australian Flying Corps that saw service in World War I. This memorial commemorates the 50th anniversary of the formation of the RAAF (initially as the Australian Air Force, the 'Royal' prefix being added in August 1921), and the service of members of the RAAF. It was unveiled by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 15 March 1973.

Royal Australian Air Force Air warfare branch of Australias armed forces

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), formed in March 1921, is the aerial warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). It operates the majority of the ADF's fixed wing aircraft, although both the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy also operate aircraft in various roles. It directly continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance, and humanitarian support.

World War I 1914–1918 global war starting in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the Seminal Catastrophe, and initially in North America as the European War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the resulting 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh (more)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms.

The redeveloped memorial incorporated three black granite walls and their images. This was dedicated in the presence of Peter Hollingworth AC OBE, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia; John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia; and Air Marshal Angus Houston AC AFC, Chief of Air Force.

Peter Hollingworth Archbishop of Brisbane; Governor-General of Australia

Peter John Hollingworth is an Australian retired Anglican bishop. Engaged in social work for several decades, he served as the archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane for 11 years from 1989 and was the 1991 Australian of the Year. He served as the 23rd Governor-General of Australia from 2001 until 2003. He is also an author and recipient of various civil and ecclesiastical honours. In 2003 he became only the third Australian governor-general to resign, after criticisms were aired over his conduct as Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s.

Order of Australia National order of chivalry of the Commonwealth of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious service. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens received British honours.

Order of the British Empire British order of chivalry

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of the order.

Sculpture

The central sculpture was designed by Inge King to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the RAAF, and was unveiled in 1973. It symbolises the aspirations and achievements of the RAAF; the three upturned wing shapes representing the endurance, strength and courage of RAAF people, while the bronze flight sculpture in the centre embodies man's struggle to conquer the elements. The RAAF motto is inscribed on the base: PER ARDUA AD ASTRA : Through struggle to the stars.

Inge King German–Australian sculptor

Ingeborg Viktoria "Inge" King was a German-born Australian sculptor. She received many significant public commissions. Her work is held in public and private collections. Her best known work is Forward Surge (1974) at the Melbourne Arts Centre. She became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in January 1984.

Motto Short sentence expressing a motivation

A motto is a maxim: a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group or organization. Mottos are usually found predominantly in written form, and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events, such as a civil war or a revolution. A motto may be in any language, but Latin has been widely used, especially in the Western world.

The three black granite walls at the back were designed by Robert Boynes and were unveiled in 2002. The images and the words of the poem High Flight by John Gillespie Macee Jr symbolise service and sacrifice related to all RAAF personnel and particularly the more that 14,000 who have paid the supreme sacrifice. The list of RAAF battle honours are on the back faces of the two shorter walls.

Granite A common type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock with granular structure

Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, or gray in color, depending on their mineralogy. The word "granite" comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock. Strictly speaking, granite is an igneous rock with between 20% and 60% quartz by volume, and at least 35% of the total feldspar consisting of alkali feldspar, although commonly the term "granite" is used to refer to a wider range of coarse-grained igneous rocks containing quartz and feldspar.

Robert Boynes is a contemporary Australian artist working primarily in painting, but has also produced prints, films and sculptures.

See also

Coordinates: 35°17′13″S149°08′38″E / 35.287°S 149.144°E / -35.287; 149.144

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Fighter Squadron RAAF Royal Australian Air Force squadron

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