Australia Post has released a commemorative stamp issue in the lead-up to Anzac Day that recognises the significance and diversity of war memorials.
Philatelic Manager at Australia Post, Michael Zsolt said war memorials began to appear in Australia in different forms following the immense loss of life during World War I.
“Each memorial stands as a symbol of sacrifice — a place to reflect upon the impact of war and to honour those who have died serving their country or are serving today,” Mr Zsolt said.
He said this stamp issue was the fifth and final in the five-year series A Century of War, which focused on the Australian experience of war across the past century, since World War I.
Mr Zsolt said the following memorials featured on the base-rate ($1) stamps.
Cobbers Statue:
The Australian Memorial Park in Fromelles, France. The statue, sculpted by Peter Corlett, is in memory of the fallen soldiers of the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916. It depicts Sergeant Simon Fraser, 58th Battalion, carrying a wounded man on his back.
Avenue of Honour, Ballarat:
The longest and one of the earliest memorial tree plantings of its type, spanning 22 km and incorporating the Ballarat Arch of Victory. The Ballarat memorial is one of 547 known avenues of honour in Australia.
Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, Canberra:
Located in the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial, it holds the remains of an unknown soldier who died on the Western Front and bears the simple inscription “An Unknown Australian Soldier Killed in the War of 1914–1918”.
Darwin Cenotaph:
Commemorates Australian personnel who have served in all conflicts since World War I and was the first such memorial in the Northern Territory, dedicated in 1921. It has been relocated several times and now overlooks Darwin Harbour, the site of a Japanese air attack during World War II.
Legacy Memorial, Melbourne:
Legacy, a voluntary organisation, assists approximately 65,000 families of veterans who have died or been incapacitated by their military service. The statue Widow and Children, sculpted by Louis Larmen, is a memorial to those who serve and those who bear the scars of war at home.
