Shrine of Remembrance

It is needless to remind that once you're in Melbourne, remember to visit the Shrine of Remembrance. As Melbourne's most recognizable landmark, the Shrine of Remembrance is a must see attraction in the city. It is Victoria’s memorial to the service and sacrifice of its men and women in times of conflict.

The Shrine of Remembrance was built between July 1928 and November 1934 in remembrance of those 114,000 men and women of Victoria who served and those who died in the Great War of 1914-1918. Located inside the Shrine is the Sanctuary and “The Stone of Remembrance” is contained within it. It is a marble stone sunk below the pavement. Visitors must bow their heads to read the inscription: GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN.

The Stone is aligned with an aperture in the Sanctuary's roof so that a ray of sunlight falls on the word LOVE on the Stone of Remembrance at exactly 11am on 11 November, to mark the hour and day of the Armistice which ended World War I. A special feature of the Shrine is the Ray of Light. Thanks to combined skills of an astronomer, a mathematician and a surveyor, the Ray of Light falls on the word LOVE on the sacred Stone of Remembrance at 11am on the 11th of November and will continue to do so for 5,000 years at least.

But daylight saving time was introduced in Victoria and as a result, the ray of sunlight was no longer in the right place at 11am. A mirror has been installed in the roof to direct sunlight onto the Stone at 11am. During the rest of the year, a light is used to simulate the effect. Simulated Ray of Light services of remembrance are held for visitors every half hour.

Meanwhile, around the Sanctuary walls is a frieze of 12 carved panels by sculptor Pietro Porcelli depicting the armed services at work and in action during World War I. Surrounding the Sanctuary a narrow walkway called the Ambulatory. Lined along the Ambulatory are 42 bronze caskets that contain hand-written, illuminated Books of Remembrance with the names of every Victorian who enlisted for active service with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) or Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force in World War I or died in camp prior to embarkation. These books are opened to a different page every day.

The Crypt lies beneath the Sanctuary. It contains a statue of a father and son to represent the two generations who went to war together. Around the walls are panels listing every unit of the AIF, down to battalion and regiment, together with the colors of their shoulder patch.

After World War II a Memorial Forecourt, shaped like a cross of sacrifice, was added and this included 3 flagpoles, the Eternal Flame and the Cenotaph.

A water garden, known as Remembrance Garden is built on the western slope of the Shrine grounds in commemoration post-World War II armed conflicts such as those in Borneo, Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kuwait, Somalia, Balkans and East Timor in which Australian soldiers served.

The Shrine of Remembrance attracts many visitors each year - to contemplate, to commemorate, or to simply visit as tourists. This significant and magnificent monument, one of the largest war memorials in the world, commands views of the city & surrounds from the upper balconies. More importantly, it is the site of annual observances of ANZAC Day (April 25) and Remembrance Day (November 11).