HAC War Memorial Library

Over 740 HAC men (staff, ex-students and students) served in WWII, at least 46 of them having previously served in WWI.

This War Memorial Library, while no longer operating as a library, was erected in their honour, in particular the 83 that never returned; most of their names cast in bronze and displayed at the entrance. One was a captured serviceman, a POW who drowned with the sinking of the 'Montevideo Maru' on 1st July 1942. Two of the more-than 200 civilian POWS also aboard that vessel and who also lost their lives were HAC men, one who had served in WWI. All three had been captured in New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Forty seven HAC men were taken POW during the course of the war, of which 13 lost their lives. Seven of them died on the Thai-Burma Railway; six during the Battle for Singapore or later as POWs, such as at Sandakan POW Camp. Of the 83 who lost their lives, 41 were Killed in Action, ten of those in PNG.

The library originally had fifteen stained glass windows depicting previous HAC Principals, facets of College life, and service in the war. These were later relocated to a new library (1980). One of the original seven windows from the northern wall of the Memorial Library was recently reinstated and can be seen in the attached photos.

Like the Soldiers Memorial Hall, funds for the Memorial Library were largely raised jointly by the HAC Old Boys Union and the NSW Government.