Dubbo War Memorial dedicated Anzac Day 1925
The tower of the Dubbo War Memorial dominates the skyline around Victoria Park in Dubbo, NSW. Built between 1924–1925, the monument was first established to honour those who fell in the First World War.
The memorial was dedicated on Anzac Day 1925, in front of more than 4,000 people. When dedicating the memorial, Bishop Long, the Anglican Bishop of Bathurst, NSW, said:
This year Anzac Day came with a special message to the people of Dubbo and the district. Who could forget the day on which the news came to Australia of the splendour and wonder of what our boys did upon the Anzac Beach? What they had done they did with the word Australia ringing in their hearts. The fallen were beyond all earthly honor, but [this] monument to their deeds was a clarion call that would echo throughout the world.
The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate (28 April 1925)
His rousing speech refers to the origins of Anzac Day, which lie in commemorating the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula on the 25th of April 1915. The following year, the date was officially named Anzac Day, to mark the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.
During the 1920s, Anzac Day was commemorated across Australia and was deemed a public holiday in all states and territories. With the coming of the Second World War, Anzac Day also served to honour the lives of Australians who died in that war.
Today, the meaning of Anzac Day includes the remembrance of all Australians killed in military operations. As this national day has evolved, so too have war memorials been adapted to reflect the conflicts and peacekeeping missions in which Australia has been involved.
Over time, dedications have been added to the sides of the Dubbo War Memorial for the Second World War, Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation, and the Vietnam War.
Read more about the Dubbo War Memorial on the NSW War Memorials Register.
Learn about the history of Anzac Day at the Australian War Memorial website.
