Historical information

The order of service of the ceremony to dedicate the Shrine Forecourt by the Queen on 28 February 1954. It was the official commemorative document of the occasion. The Queen lit the Eternal Flame as part of the ceremony. The design of the Forecourt was part of a competition that was run to find a suitable memorial. The Forecourt is cross shaped. The Cenotaph is 65 feet high and rises as a focal point to the Forecourt, it is balanced on the other side by three 70 foot high flagstaffs. The sculpture at the top of the Centoph is "carved in Footscray basalt. It represents six men in battle dress of the Navy, Army and Air Services, carrying a bier on which lies the figure of a dead comrade draped with the national flag. Its simple symbolism harmonises with the great shrine itself and sums up with dramatic power the whole message of the monument - the debt of the living to the dead, the eternal bond between the fallen and those who enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice."
Also from the souvenir booklet: "In front of the Cenotaph, surrounded by a protective railing, the Eternal Flame which burns continually in its great bronze bowl. The eternal flame is an ancient symbol signifying at times the continuing spirit of a city, at others the constancy of man to an ideal, and again as they symbol of continuing faith."

The document was in a file with other documents concerning the Shrine and it's history (01181 - 01190).

Significance

A record of the dedication of the Forecourt at the Shrine of Remembrance by the Queen. There was an effort to record historical events for the "Archive Committee" which collected this and other documents relating to the Shrine together in a file (see items 01181 - 01190)

Physical description

Booklet x 12 pages with sepia photos and brown text in a cream card cover for the dedication of the Shrine Forecourt on 28 February 1954.