The Shrine of Remembrance was today declared a national memorial by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin. “The Shrine is an iconic memorial and it is fitting that, at the time of its 75th anniversary commemorations, it is formally recognised as one of Australia’s most significant memorials,” Mr Griffin said.

The Minister made the announcement at the launch of A Place to Remember – A History of the Shrine of Remembrance, a book charting the Shrine’s history from its inception to the present day. The launch is one of a number of events marking the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Shrine on 11 November 1934.

“Built to remember the 114,000 thousand Victorians who served in the Great War, including the 19,000 who did not come home, the Shrine is a uniquely Victorian creation that has become a symbol to many Australians,” Mr Griffin said. “Designed and built by Victorians using mainly Victorian materials the Shrine was intended to stand permanently as a monument of remembrance. Under the Military Memorials of National Significance Act, an eligible memorial must be of an appropriate, scale, design and standard, and be dignified and symbolic. It must be a memorial for the sole purpose of commemorating a significant aspect of Australia’s wartime history and must have a major role in community commemorative activities. Also, the memorial must be owned or managed by an authority at the state, territory or local government level and be maintained by that authority. Clearly the Shrine of Remembrance meets all these criteria, and I am proud to today sign the instrument making this formal declaration.”