Sheltering shape and calming water offer respite to visitors
Faithe JonesThree concrete stelae (slabs), rising from a shallow moat, form the dramatic centre of the memorial and enclose a space for quiet contemplation.
Fixed to the inner right-hand wall are 33 inscriptions, a series of quotations intended to recall events of political and military importance. The photograph etched into the rear wall shows Australian soldiers waiting to be airlifted to Nui Dat after the completion of Operation Ulmarrah. Suspended from the pillars is a `halo` of stones.
This memorial is dedicated to all those Australians who served in Vietnam from 1962 to 1973. The ‘wall of words’ highlights the colourful and distinctive language developed there. A black granite memorial stone carries the badges of the three Armed Forces and a suspended granite ring contains a scroll bearing the names of those Australians who died in the conflict. The sheltering shape and calming water offer respite to visitors.
The memorial was unveiled by Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Daly KBE CB DSO, Mr Keith Payne VC, Miss Bronwyn Blue and Mrs Robin Mahood on October 3 1992. They were joined by the Honourable Bill Hayden AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Prime Minister Keating.
The memorial was erected on behalf of the Australian Vietnam Force’s national memorial committee. Funds were donated by the Australian people, Tonkin Zulaikha Harford, architects, Ken Unsworth, sculptor, Integrated Construction and the National Capital Planning Authority.
