The 25th of April 2015 will mark 100 years since the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in WWI and many will commemorate this day by attending dawn services across the world.
In 1934 in Sydney’s Hyde Park the ANZAC Memorial was opened with architect Bruce Dellit stating;
“The main intention of the design…is to perpetuate for all time the memory of those in whose honour the Memorial was erected” (The Book of the ANZAC memorial).
While the Memorial is a striking building and piece of architecture in its own right, it is the intricate detail of the building which really tells the story and allows visitors to gain a greater appreciation of the ANZAC story. For example, in the Hall of Memory the domed ceiling is covered in gold stars, and when you ask the question ‘why are they there?’ the symbolism of the building becomes apparent.
From the ANZAC Memorial we learn;
“The stars are made from plaster covered in gold paint and glued into position. The Book of the Anzac Memorial (1934) describes: ‘this Golden Galaxy symbolises all those men and women from New South Wales who served in the war – one star for every man or woman who heard the call – a constellation of honour and memory totalling 120,000. These stars, placed high above the eye of the spectator and lighted by the amber glass of the great windows, makes of the interior of the Hall a place of sacred memories.’ “.
To learn more about the story of the ANZACs and the symbolism of the ANZAC Memorial visit the ANZAC Memorial website or better still take some time to visit the Memorial.
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