Sunday, 9 November 2025
Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you, Colonel Roche,^[1]

I, too, acknowledge the Gadigal, Traditional Custodians of these lands and waterways, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present, and future. I extend that respect to the Elders of all parts from which you travel and pay tribute to the generations of First Nations people who have served, and continue to serve, with our Defence Force with such distinction.

We gather today in the spirit of remembrance in a monument whose origins lie in the dark turmoil of the First World War.

Needing a memorial to honour those who had lost their lives and were buried overseas, with only two bodies having ever been returned from that war, as well as a place for returned services organisations to gather in camaraderie and support, public fundraising began on the first Anzac Day, the 25th of April 1916, and continued through and beyond the War’s end.

In 1929, a site was chosen here in Hyde Park and a design competition held.

Its winner was the architect Bruce Dellit, who, working in a restrained and elegant Art Deco style, designed the two interconnected contemplative spaces: here, the Hall of Memory, and below, the Hall of Silence, at whose threshold, in black slate is inlaid with the words: “Let silent contemplation be your offering.”

The focal point is Raynor Hoff’s sculpture Sacrifice, depicting a warrior carried aloft on his shield by his mother, his sister, and his wife nursing his infant child, representing the cost of war borne so heavily by all.

Over 15,000 people witnessed the official dedication of the Memorial’s two foundation stones in 1932, with funds for its construction further supplemented by public purchase of gold stars for 2 shillings each. The 120,000 stars in the dome above represent the people from New South Wales who served overseas in the First World War.

In 1934, more than 100,000 people attended the official opening. It was solemn and simple, featuring a short speech by His Royal Highness Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, and a prayer of dedication by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Howard Mowll.

In 2018, a century after the War’s end, the original vision of the Memorial’s architect came to final fruition with the completion of the Centenary Project, which added a southern water cascade as well as new spaces for education, interpretation, and reflection.

At the centre of that extension is the Hall of Service, representing the ongoing service and sacrifice of Australians across generations. In its walls are displayed the soil from 1,701 NSW towns, cities, and suburbs given as home addresses by First World War enlistees. In its floor is the soil from 100 battlefields or sites of military significance from 1860 to recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions.

Built by and for the people of New South Wales, the Anzac Memorial has, since its opening, remained our State’s principal commemorative and interpretive monument, a place of mourning and reflection for families grieving the loss of loved ones to service, and an enduring embodiment—in marble, stone, and bronze—of our Nation’s most sacred vow: Lest we Forget.