The memorial is a square tower, made from stone conglomerate and concrete. It was designed by E. C. Manfred and stands 19.5 metres high, watching over the city of Goulburn and surrounding district below. The lookout gallery at the top of the tower provides spectacular views, and the tower is floodlit at night.
Located inside, on the main wall of the tower's stairwell, is a large white marble honour roll, comprised of four plaques. The names of those from the district who served in the First World War are inscribed on the plaques and blackened. Against an adjacent wall is a white granite pedestal, on which a bowl and remembrance flame stand. The flame was first lit during its unveiling ceremony on 11 November 1984. Attached to the wall directly behind the pedestal is a polished timber plaque. It bears the badge of the Australian Military Forces and the words 'Lest we forget,' 'R.A.N.', and 'A.F.C.', for Royal Australian Navy and Australian Flying Corps respectively.
The collection of objects, memorabilia, military heraldry, and technology allocated to the city after the First World War, as well as collections related to Goulburn's association with subsequent wars are housed in the nearby Rocky Hill War Memorial Museum. Each object tells a unique story of survival and the history of warfare. The museum was established around 1927 (The Canberra Times, 29 April 1927).
The Rocky Hill War Memorial, which includes the tower and Rocky Hill, is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
History
In July 1920, the Goulburn community decided a public 'soldiers' memorial’ should be built to commemorate those who served in the First World War. Several years later, the foundation stone of the memorial tower was laid on 25 April 1924. The tower was built by public subscription, as a lasting tribute to the men and women of Goulburn who served during this conflict. The land on which the tower stands was bought by W. J. Bartlett, a local citizen, and gifted to the people of Goulburn (Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 24 April 1924).
Officially opened by the Governor of NSW, Sir Dudley De Chair, on 15 December 1925, the memorial cost £5,500 to build. The Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 17 December 1925, reported on the event. Mayor Alderman Middlebrook was quoted as saying:
[I]t was now generally admitted that this was the finest memorial in Australia. The architect, Mr E. C. Manfred, had designed a tower which, rough and rugged in its beauty, conformed to the surrounding hill whereon it stood and which reminded them of the sturdy bravery of our illustrious soldiers.