South African War Memorial at Millers Point unveiled - 2 June 1940
Sydney's historic South African War Memorial on Observatory Hill at Millers Point was dedicated on 2 June 1940, almost 38 years after the war ended. It was built and paid for by the South African Soldiers' Association of New South Wales, as the first public memorial for the Boer War (1899–1902) to be built in Sydney.
The memorial is a sandstone-block pillar, approximately 9 feet or 2.7 metres high. It is set within a paved area, bordered on one side by a low semi-circular stone wall. The blocks for the construction came from the demolished Governor Macquarie stores building, at nearby Circular Quay, making them more than 200 years old today.
Attached to the pillar is a large bronze honour roll, inscribed with the names of the units more than 6,000 NSW men served in. Positioned in front of the memorial is a 75mm Krupp gun, dating from the 1890s, which was moved to the site at a later date.
On the day of the dedication, more than 300 veterans marched from The Cenotaph in Martin Place to Observatory Hill for the ceremony, which was performed by Major-General Charles Frederick Cox, whose name appears on the roll. The service concluded with Drum-Major Charles Edward Downes sounding "Reveille" on his bugle.
See more photos of the memorial on the NSW War Memorials Register.
Image caption: South African War Memorial, Millers Point. Taken by NSW War Memorials Register, 27 May 2021.