History of the Memorial
On the 25th April 1916, the first anniversary of the landing of the Australians at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, a fund was opened to raise money to erect a permanent memorial to those from NSW who served in World War 1. By the end of the year the fund had reached 60,000 Pounds. In 1923 the Institute of Architects suggested the Memorial be erected in Hyde Park. In 1929 a competition was held for the design of the memorial and 117 designs were received from all over the world. The first prize was awarded to Mr C Bruce Dellit, which included proposed sculptures by Raynor Hoff.
Building commenced in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression, and the Memorial was officially opened on 24th November 1934 by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester.
In 1984, following a proposal by the Trustees, the Anzac Memorial (Building) Act 1923 was amended to enable the Memorial to be rededicated as a Memorial to all Australians who serve their country in war.