Ex Prisoner of War Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was dedicated on Friday, 6 February 2004. It is located on the Southern approaches to the Ballarat Botanical Gardens
, on Wendouree Parade and adjacent to Lake Wendouree
.
, World War I
, World War II
and the Korean War
. It is a place of national honour, remembrance and healing for all Australians. The Memorial takes visitors on a journey to a different time and place, where heroism, sacrifice and mateship were the defining characteristics of the prisoners of war.
(The national capital).
By the early 1980s the Ballarat City Council granted a parcel of land adjacent to the city gardens to allow local veterans a place to establish a permanent focal point for the Ballarat POW's. By the mid-1990s the Australian Federal Government still had no plan for a permanent monument to be established in Canberra, thus the surviving POW's in Ballarat were prompted to action and planned for the building of a permanent memorial in their city to be largely privately funded and established with minimum government assistance.
With significant support from the Ballarat branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL) of Australia, a local sculptor, Peter Blizzard, was commissioned to design a concept for the memorial. The vision provided by the sculptor was for a monument far greater in scale and scope than that originally envisaged by the veterans. However, support for a significantly larger monument that would commemorate all Australian POW's was immediate. Funding was provided through, lotteries, private donations, benevolent organisations (most notably Tattersall's), the City of Ballarat
, local businesses, and finally the Federal and Victorian State Governments. Work commenced on the construction of the memorial in early 2003 with much of the labour and materials donated or provided at cost.
The Ballarat RSL, assisted by volunteers worked for over 10 years to compile names to form the first national database of Australian Prisoners of War. Prior to 2004, the Australian Federal Government and the Australian Defence Force
held no complete central list, database, or consolidated record of its Prisoners of War. POW information was recorded only on individual personnel Records of Service held in Defence archives at the Central Army Records Office (CARO) in Melbourne
. It is believed that there may be some names still missing, and the memorial has a 'Post Script' section allocated to enable further additions.
To the Northern flank of the memorial is a larger basalt obelisk that serves as the focal point and cenotaph of the memorial which is flanked by the flags of the Royal Australian Navy
, the Australian National Flag (Representing the Australian Army
), the Royal Australian Air Force
, and the Australian Merchant Navy. At the Western end of the memorial is another stone wall with cascading water that has the words 'LEST WE FORGET', and this marks the completion of the journey. The memorial is surrounded by plantings of native and jungle grasses as well as conifer and deciduous trees.
Ballarat Botanical Gardens
The Ballarat Botanical Gardens Reserve, located on the western shore of picturesque Lake Wendouree, in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, covers an area of 40 hectares which is divided into 3 distinct zones. The central Botanical Gardens reserve in the 'gardenesque' style of the Victorian pleasure...
, on Wendouree Parade and adjacent to Lake Wendouree
Lake Wendouree
Lake Wendouree is an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake located in the suburb of the same name in the city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia...
.
Purpose
Now recognised nationally as the official National Prisoner of War Memorial, the memorial honours more than 35,000 Australians who were held prisoner during the Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. It is a place of national honour, remembrance and healing for all Australians. The Memorial takes visitors on a journey to a different time and place, where heroism, sacrifice and mateship were the defining characteristics of the prisoners of war.
Background
Surviving prisoners of war from the Ballarat region met regularly throughout the 1950s - '90s and various plans for the establishment of a focal point for commemoration were periodically discussed. Throughout that time the Australian Federal Government had given periodic undertakings that a permanent monument would be eventually built in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
(The national capital).
By the early 1980s the Ballarat City Council granted a parcel of land adjacent to the city gardens to allow local veterans a place to establish a permanent focal point for the Ballarat POW's. By the mid-1990s the Australian Federal Government still had no plan for a permanent monument to be established in Canberra, thus the surviving POW's in Ballarat were prompted to action and planned for the building of a permanent memorial in their city to be largely privately funded and established with minimum government assistance.
With significant support from the Ballarat branch of the Returned and Services League (RSL) of Australia, a local sculptor, Peter Blizzard, was commissioned to design a concept for the memorial. The vision provided by the sculptor was for a monument far greater in scale and scope than that originally envisaged by the veterans. However, support for a significantly larger monument that would commemorate all Australian POW's was immediate. Funding was provided through, lotteries, private donations, benevolent organisations (most notably Tattersall's), the City of Ballarat
City of Ballarat
The City of Ballarat is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia around Ballarat. It is located in the western part of the state. It has an area of 740 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 81,000...
, local businesses, and finally the Federal and Victorian State Governments. Work commenced on the construction of the memorial in early 2003 with much of the labour and materials donated or provided at cost.
The Ballarat RSL, assisted by volunteers worked for over 10 years to compile names to form the first national database of Australian Prisoners of War. Prior to 2004, the Australian Federal Government and the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
held no complete central list, database, or consolidated record of its Prisoners of War. POW information was recorded only on individual personnel Records of Service held in Defence archives at the Central Army Records Office (CARO) in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. It is believed that there may be some names still missing, and the memorial has a 'Post Script' section allocated to enable further additions.
Design
Approximately 170 metres long, the memorial features a long pathway of light-grey basalt pavers cut to resemble railway sleepers, reminiscent of those used on the Thai Burma Railway. To the southern side are two canted black polished granite walls with the names of all known Australian Prisoners of War. They are listed by war and alphabetically and no rank is acknowledged. The two walls are separated in the middle by a square pool of water that features six large basalt obelisks. These feature the names of the countries where Australian POW's were held. The obelisks centralised in the pool of water symbolises the Australian POW's being cut off and isolated from their homeland by the ocean. The sixth obelisk is deliberately toppled onto its side and broken. It symbolises 'The Fallen'.To the Northern flank of the memorial is a larger basalt obelisk that serves as the focal point and cenotaph of the memorial which is flanked by the flags of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, the Australian National Flag (Representing the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
), the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, and the Australian Merchant Navy. At the Western end of the memorial is another stone wall with cascading water that has the words 'LEST WE FORGET', and this marks the completion of the journey. The memorial is surrounded by plantings of native and jungle grasses as well as conifer and deciduous trees.