Not all war memorials are marble statues, bronze plaques, or sandstone pillars. Some are areas or spaces purposefully designated by communities to hold commemorative services, identify a place of significance, or provide a spot for quiet reflection.
One such memorial is Anzac Place in Wingham, NSW, which was dedicated on Australia Day, 26 January 2016. It is a decorative paved area located in Wingham's Central Park. The paving design was created by local artist Jane Hosking and features the iconic Rising Sun badge, synonymous with the diggers of the First World War.
The traditional 13 rays of the sun are made of 13 individual pieces of stone, each set into a bed of crushed gravel. At the centre of the sun is a Lone Pine sapling, surrounded by chip bark mulch and a brick border. The tree was planted in 2014 to replace the original tree that was planted in 1965. The artist honoured the Lone Pine by designing the memorial around it.
Anzac Place was positioned in the south-west corner of the park for two reasons. Firstly, it was where many young locals went to volunteer for the First World War. As such, the memorial acts as a permanent marker of the site's importance to the military history of the town. The second reason is more symbolic. It refers to the city of Albany in the south-west corner of Western Australia, which was the departure point of the first shipload of troops heading overseas (Manning River Times, 3 December 2015). This ties the memorial into the greater story of Australia's involvement in the war.
If you are visiting the area, Central Park is also home to the Wingham Vampire Jet Monument. The nearby Wingham Museum also contains several honour rolls for the First World War, such as the stately Municipality of Wingham First World War Honor Roll.
Do you have a special commemorative space like Anzac Place in your community? If so, we'd like to hear more about it. Read about how you can contribute to the NSW War Memorials Register.
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Image caption: Anzac Place, Wingham. Photograph provided by Graham Wilson, 2020.