The Hall of Silence
Let silent contemplation be your offering

The Hall of Silence, located in the centre of the building, is striking in its starkness, and has a powerful effect on visitors.

The room is circular and George Rayner Hoff's sculpture Sacrifice stands in its centre. The floor is white Ulam marble. There is a bronze flame that flares out from the sculpture designed to symbolise the eternal flames of Sacrifice. The ceiling curves up toward the carved marble balustrade that defines the Well of Contemplation, a large circular opening in the floor above. This opening provides only natural light for the Hall of Silence and has the effect of focusing that light onto the central sculpture. The cornice is a marble frieze in which are carved the names of the great battles fought by Australian forces during the war. According to architect Charles Bruce Dellit, the names “complete the message which the sculpture symbolising Sacrifice is intended to deliver”

On this day

On this day
3 June

1942 — Battle of MIDWAY began. This decisive victory by the US Navy over the Japanese Navy shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific and forced Japan to abandon plans to attack New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa. Japanese losses were 4 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 248 aircraft, and over 3,000 sailors.  American losses were 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 men

1944 — 78 Squadron, RAAF, carried out the last major air combat by the RAAF in WW2, off BIAK Island, New Guinea. 10 enemy planes were shot down for the loss of one Australian plane and pilot

1969 — HMAS MELBOURNE collided with USS FRANK E EVANS in the South China Sea.  EVANS was cut in half and 74 of her crew were killed