The memorial is an ornate rotunda set within beautiful Robertson Park in Mudgee, NSW. Built in 1903, the rotunda was erected in honour of Sir John Robertson, member for Mudgee and Premier of NSW. It was dedicated to three South African War (Boer War) volunteers, whose names are listed on a marble tablet attached to the base of the structure. The tablet was attached in January 1905 and unveiled on 24 May 1907.
By mid 1900 the Mudgee Town Band had been formed and in September that year the Mayor, Alderman A F Cameron, proposed the building of a band rotunda in Robertson Park. In August 1902 Mudgee Council's Parks Committee set aside £20 for the erection of the rotunda, which was designed by Mr James Stoddart and estimated to cost a total of £100 (Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 28 August 1902).
Early in January 1903, Messrs Stoddart and Casimir commenced the erection of the Band Rotunda in Robertson Park. By mid year Mayor Cameron hoped to obtain funds to fence off the mound and plant it with flowering shrubs, and at the end of July the rotunda was almost complete (Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 13 July 1903). However delays occurred due to lack of funding. In February 1904 the Mayor called a meeting to organise further fundraising with picnic races, and further events were held later that year including a football match and band rotunda races in an attempt to raise a further sum to free the structure from debt.
The marble tablet inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives in the recent South African War, was attached to the rotunda by Mr B D Acton on 25 January 1905. By October, an Art Union had been developed in an attempt to raise further funds for the structure and an appeal was made to Mayor Cameron to unveil the South African tablet (Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 26 January 1905; 2 October 1905). It was not until six months later that the Mayor proposed to celebrate Empire Day, 24 May, by officially opening the band rotunda and unveiling the memorial tablet.
Despite this announcement, the unveiling ceremony was not held until the following year, on Empire Day 1907. Celebrations commenced in the afternoon with a large procession comprising of the town's school children, Mounted Police, the 2nd Australian Light Horse, Mudgee "F" Company Infantry, the Fire Brigade and the Town Band, which paraded through the town to the rotunda, decorated with bunting and a large portrait of Sir John Robertson placed opposite the entrance. Mayor Cameron presided over the event which included a variety of speakers, with the unveiling of the South African tablet and the plaque to Sir John Robertson performed by Mrs G H Cox (Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative, 30 May 1907).
The rotunda is surrounded by elegant garden beds and is adjacent to the Mudgee District Fallen Soldiers Memorial. Various commemorative services are held throughout the year in the park.