The Flame Room

 

The Flame Room is a tiny enclave in the eastern wall of the Hall of Memory. It houses a Flame of Remembrance burning in a flat dish mounted on a pedestal. At the rear of the Flame Room, behind the pedestal are the flags of Australia, New Zealand and New South Wales. The Flame is a symbol of eternal life. The Flame of Remembrance at the Anzac Memorial burns to symbolise the gratitude of the Australian people to those who gave their lives in the service of our country in time of war.

Architect Bruce Dellit had originally intended this space to serve as an 'Archive room, a small chamber wherein will be placed suitably bound volumes of the official history of Australia's part in the Great War...' from The Book of the Anzac Memorial, NSW (1934). The creation of this space was found to be impractical and in the 1990s the alcove was given a new purpose as the room to house the Flame of Remembrance. The Australian Gas Light Company (AGL Energy from 2006) donated and installed the Flame of Remembrance.

'Above the doorway leading to this chamber is a beautifully carved feature symbolising the rising sun borne aloft on the wings of time, together with the flaming sword of Sacrifice which points portentously to the years 1914–18' from The Book of the Anzac Memorial, NSW (1934)
 

 

 

 

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