Australian Merchant Seamens Memorial & List of Names
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The memorial is formed around the central block of three large concrete and stone structures in the sculpture garden on the west side of the main Australian War Memorial building.
The north and south sides of the block carry plaques recording the names and ships of merchant seamen who died during World War I and World War II. On the west side of the block is a bronze sculpture depicting men helping others into a rubber raft. 'Survivors' was designed by Dennis Adams who was a war artist in World War II. The sculpture was cast in Sydney and acquired in 1973. Below the sculpture is a flat surface of polished black granite in the centre of which is a circular light for illuminating the work.
Inscription on lower left hand corner of flat surface below sculpture
This memorial commemorates the service and sacrifice of Australian
merchant seamen who manned ships in all parts of the world during the
First and Second World Wars. The support these men provided was vital
to the success of the war effort. Merchant ships carried vital supplies
and troops but were vulnerable to enemy attack because they were
generally slow, poorly armed and often loaded with dangerous cargoes.
Information supplied by Michael Southwell-Keely
