Time to Honour and Respect

200 tonnes of granite paying tribute to great great Austalian's

Location: Hyde Park Corner, Nr Park Lane, SW1X

Description: If you're ever around Hyde Park Corner, where Park Lane, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Place, Knightsbridge and Constitution Hill meet, have a look at the roundabout area in the middle.

As you walk towards it from Hyde Park tube look in the right hand corner and you'll see the 'Australian War Memorial' commemorating Australians who have died fighting along side Britain in two world wars. This memorial was opened in 2003 on 11 November, Rememberance Sunday, by John Howard, Tony Blair and the Queen.

It's made from 200 tonnes of Verde Laguna granite from Jerramungup, Western Australia and was designed by a team of Sydney architect's. The curved wall is around 8ft high and on it are the names of 24,000 Australian towns where servicemen have come from and the names have been sandblasted in such a way that certain letters are cut densely enough to spell out the larger names of 47 battle sites where Australians have fought when viewed from further back. Parts are also a water feature, with a slow trickle of water from the top of the wall not a cascade.

It's a very well made and though-out piece of work and it seems to fit perfectly in it's location. There are no large signs around advertising it and as the path cuts across the roundabout and the memorial is in a corner, its easy to miss - so don't - go and pay your respects to some great Australian's.

Themes: Military Military Theme