Australian Merchant Navy Memorial, Canberra
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The Australian Merchant Navy Memorial is on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, the national capital city of Australia.
Inscription: "In honour of those of the Australian Merchant Navy who gave their lives for their country and have no known grave but the sea. They will be remembered for ever more. 1914-1918 1939-1945."
The memorial was unveiled on 7 October 1990 by His Excellency The Honourable Bill Hayden AC, Governor-General of Australia.
[edit] Design
The memorial symbolises the Merchant Navy and the sea. It consists of seven columns, a dias, concrete drums, and a flagpole.
- The central granite column symbolises the "Remembrance";
- The six flanking concrete columns symbolise the bows of ships with the bow-waves either side;
- The plan symbolises the globe of the Earth spinning on its axis;
- The paving pattern of the dais represents the camouflage patterns used by merchant ships during World War I, while the red crosses represent the hospital ships that were manned by merchant crews;
- The concrete drums at each end of the north-south axis represent compass cards that symbolise navigation;
- The flagpole is a nautical style with a yardarm and gaff.
