The National Defence Chaplains' Memorial Grove

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The text on the interpretative sign for The National Defence Chaplains' Memorial Grove in Toowong's Anzac Park, since 19 April 2024.

Canon Garland Memorial.

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Finished just ahead of ANZAC Day 2024, The National Defence Chaplains’ Memorial Grove in Toowong’s Anzac Park honours the unsung gallantry, sacrifice and humble devotion to Australian Defence Force personnel, in times of war and peace, of our military chaplains.

It is the first time — anywhere in Australia — that a portion of a civic park has been set aside for a public memorial dedicated to ADF Chaplains and the incredibly significant role they have performed — in effect since the First Fleet arrived and “nationally” since the Commonwealth formed in 1901 — for the spiritual and material wellbeing of our fighting men and women.

Designed by Brisbane City Council architects and delivered by Council staff and contractors, the Memorial Grove consists of a circular polished and engraved concrete circle, flanked by dainty flowerbeds set inside a grand guard of eight magnificent, mature pine trees. At the ends of the east-west arms of a "Maltese Cross" motif, outlined on the ground in ochre-coloured, decomposed granite, is a backless, monolithic "seat" of Brisbane tuff sandstone, that entices visitors to pause awhile and contemplate the simple proposition advanced in the Memorial Centrepiece inscription:

THE NATIONAL DEFENCE CHAPLAINS' MEMORIAL GROVE
Dedicated to Australian Defence Force Chaplains who have
humbly served this nation in times of war and peace.
LEST WE FORGET

In February 2020, lead proponent, Brisbane resident, Mr. Peter Collins CGMM, Convenor of Canon Garland Memorial. and the Stone of Remembrance Centenary Committee, submitted an e-Petition to Brisbane City Council, setting out the case for the Grove.

He wrote:

We, the undersigned residents, ratepayers, business proprietors and other interested persons, respectfully call on Brisbane City Council to consider the merits of setting aside a suitable portion Toowong’s Anzac Park for the provision, planting, cultivation, ongoing nurture and preservation of a grove of saplings in a clearly delineated space, to hereafter officially be named, Brisbane’s Anzac Park — reputed since its creation in 1916 to be the world’s first "Anzac" Park — presents an ideal, enviable and noble location for the establishment of a National Memorial to honour the unheralded contribution of volunteer military chaplains within the Australian Defence Force, in times of war and peace.

The devotion to duty, gallantry and sacrifice of these redoubtable men and women has never before been permanently and prominently acknowledged in the civic landscape of any Australian city.

Typifying the resourcefulness and impact of this long-overlooked cohort is Brisbane’s Reverend Canon David John Garland OBE, the "Architect of ANZAC Day," Padre Garland gave some four decades of his life to the pastoral, social and practical care of soldiers on and off the battlefield.  

A place of reflection, light and peace commends itself as a living expression of the debt of gratitude owed these men and women — of many faith traditions — whose personal, unflinching steadfastness in the heat of battle, and its dreadful aftermath, inspired and comforted so many.

This grove might well: –

  1. Be planted in a space that overlooks Canon Garland Overpass;
  2. Be planted with wattles (for instance, Queensland’s Mount Morgan Wattle, Acacia podalyrifolia) to flower around April, and therefore Anzac Day;
  3. Overlook the graves of the hundreds of former First and Second AIF personnel located in Toowong Cemetery;
  4. Be an Australian-first and world-unique; with unrivalled scope for plantings to honour the memory and service of current, former and future Padres associated with the ADF; 
  5. Be a link to, and in the safe keeping of, Padres associated with Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera.
  6. Complete historical linkages to Gallipoli Barracks, dating back to before World War I, when this now serene part of Toowong hosted a military rifle range. The community’s grief over the death in battle of so many soldiers who had local connections, in turn inspired the creation of Anzac Park.

The e-Petition was presented to Council's 11 August 2020 meeting by Walter Taylor Ward representative, Councillor James Mackay, and then forwarded to Council's City Planning and Sustainability division for investigation. 

On 2 December 2020, Council wrote back:

"...given the strong connection with WWI and remembrance of Australian and Queensland war efforts at Anzac Park, Council agrees to establish The National Defence Chaplains' Memorial Grove and will begin preliminary work on a design that will complement the original Avenues [of Honour] as well as these more recent plantings. Council looks forward to working with you to investigate a suitable location within Anzac Park and to select appropriate tree species to establish the Grove..."

Over the next 40 months Council settled upon a design, determined a budget, did soil and technical studies, engaged expert landscaping contractors and liaised with the proponent and the office of the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force Directors-General (Chaplaincy) to discern a suitable form of words for the centrepiece engraving and associated interpretative sign.

At the invitation of the Stone of Remembrance Centenary Committee, his Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC CGMM (Retd.), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Mrs. Linda Hurley, visited the Memorial Grove on Thursday morning, 4 April 2024, having spent an hour inspecting The Stone of Remembrance and The Cross of Sacrifice in Toowong Cemetery's Canon Garland Place (located just across Mount Coot-tha Road from Anzac Park).

At as ANZAC Day 2024, The National Defence Chaplains' Memorial Grove was yet to be officially unveiled, blessed and dedicated.

 

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