The Memorial's exterior | Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney

The Memorial's exterior

The Anzac Memorial was designed as a sculptural monument, a unique collaboration between architect Charles Bruce Dellit and sculptor George Rayner Hoff; it is arguably one of the finest examples of the union of architecture and art in Australia.

The building is a striking architectural form, symmetrical on both axes. It uses elements reminiscent of traditional Gothic architecture (buttresses, cathedral windows, high ceilings) in the Art Deco style. The Memorial is adorned externally with twenty sculptures representing the units of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). These are the sentinels of the building, keeping watch while representing the fallen to whom the building is dedicated.

The Pool of Reflection

Buttress sculptures

Corner figures

External Bas Reliefs

History of the Memorial

Find out more about how the Memorial came to be

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