National War Memorial — Attraction in Adelaide

The National War Memorial is a monument on the north edge of the city centre of Adelaide, South Australia, commemorating those who served in the First World War. Opened in 1931, the memorial is located on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, adjacent to the grounds of Government House. Memorial services are held at the site throughout the year, with major services on both Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November).

First proposed in 1919, the memorial was funded by the Parliament of South Australia, making it the first Australian state war memorial to be confirmed after the war. The design of the memorial was selected through two architectural competitions. The first competition, in 1924, produced 26 designs—all of which were lost before judging could be completed after fire destroyed the building in which they were housed. A second competition, in 1926, produced 18 entries, out of which the design by the architectural firm Woods, Bagot, Jory & Laybourne-Smith was selected as the winner.

The design—effectively a frame for two scenes depicted through Rayner Hoff's marble reliefs and bronze statues—shows the prelude and the epilogue to war, depicting both the willingness of youth to answer the call of duty and the extent of the sacrifices which they made. In this, the work is not displaying a material victory, but instead a victory of the spirit. At the insistence of W. F. J. McCann, president of the Returned Soldiers' League, bronze tablets were cast to line the walls of an inner shrine, on which are listed the names of all South Australians who died during the Great War.

Although the National War Memorial was initially proposed as a memorial to those who served in "The Great War", the site has since grown to incorporate a number of smaller memorials. These include a memorial to the Battle of Lone Pine; the "French Memorial", which commemorates South Australians who fought and died in France during the first and second World Wars, unveiled in 1993; an honour roll of those who died in World War II; and the "Australian Armed Forces Memorial", encompassing the Malayan Emergency of 1948–1960, the Korean War, the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation in Borneo, and the Vietnam War. In addition, the wall which surrounds the northern and western sides of the site features the six "Crosses of Memory"—a series of "simple wooden crosses" commemorating the Siege of Tobruk from 1941, the 10th, 27th, and 48th Battalions of 1916 and 50th...

This is an imposing and beautifully crafted memorial that honours South Australians who served in World War I and subsequent overseas conflicts. It occupies a prominent space in Adelaide’s cultural precinct and is central to state ceremonies like ANZAC Day. The design is symbolic, dignified, and undeniably moving.

However, from an Aboriginal perspective, it also reflects a deeper imbalance in how Australia remembers its history. There is no equal memorial here for the First Peoples who died defending their land, families, and culture during the Frontier Wars—Australia’s true first wars. Aboriginal resistance to colonisation remains largely unacknowledged in the nation’s official memorial landscape.

Until South Australia formally recognises the Frontier Wars with the same prominence and respect, monuments like this one will feel incomplete—beautiful in form, but silent on the violent foundation of the colony itself.

Lest we...

Big intricate statues at the front and at the back of the monument. Very well displayed. It is on the corner of the street. You can't miss it. You can go inside. There are 2 entrances. One from each side of the monument. Inside is clean and tidy. There are beautifully designed wooden boards all around interior walls with names of the people that served in the year of wars. At the top of the wooden boards you will find the year they served in. Statues outside are beautiful and great effort was made to make sure the details are there. There are benches nearby so you can sit down and take it all in or just relax. I recommend you visit this place if you are...