Shrine of Remembrance

Hours Open
10am - 5pm

Address
St Kilda Road, Birdwood Avenue

Architects
1927-34 Philip Burgoyne Hudson and James Hastie Wardrop; 1950-54 Ernest E Milston; 2003 Ashton Raggatt McDougall

Year Built
1927-34; 1950-54 (World War II Memorial forecourt)

Building Type
Monument

What is Open
Visitor's centre, Crypt, Sanctuary, Balcony, Shrine Reserve, Education Centre and the Resources Facilities area

Tour Frequency
Scheduled guided tours at 11am and 2pm and as needed

Tram Stop
Stop 19: Shrine of Remembrance and St Kilda Road on routes 3, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67 and 72

Description
The Shrine of Remembrance is a sacred place and is one of Victoria's most recognised landmarks built between 1927-1934. When the hostilities of the Great War had ceased officially at 11am on 11 November 1918, discussion began as to the appropriate form for a memorial to those who had given their lives. Early proposals centred on an arch of victory linked by axial avenues to the rest of the city, but opinion shifted to a notion of commemoration rather than celebration. The existing site was chosen in 1922, the memorial to be visible from the city, the bay and surrounding suburbs. It is axially located on three major streets and its elevated site would preserve a sense of quiet for its solemn function.

It was dedicated in 1934 as Victoria's memorial to the men and women who served in World War I and it now commemorates service in all armed conflicts and peacekeeping operations throughout our Nation's history. Of ancient Greek architecture, the Shrine of Remembrance is a captivating place of solitude and reflection. It consists of four levels: the Undercroft Visitor Centre, The Crypt, The Sanctuary and Balcony and is surrounded by the Shrine Reserve covering 13 hectares of beautiful parkland containing monuments and remembrance trees. Near the Shrine can be seen the 'Lone Pine', grown from one of the five seeds of a cone taken from the single pine tree at Gallipoli by a soldier serving with the 24th Batallion.

Significance
The Shrine of Remembrance is arguably Melbourne's most important public monument; a focus of cultural identity balancing the monumental scale of Melbourne's colonial grid plan across the northern side of the Yarra. This year is the 75th Anniversary of the Shrine. It was dedicated on 11 November 1934 by His Royal Highness, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in the presence of 300,000 people.

What’s Open?
The guided tour will include the visitor's centre, Crypt, Sanctuary, Balcony and Shrine Reserve. As part of Melbourne Open House, the tour will also include the Education Centre and the Resources Facilities area – two areas not normally open to the public. You will also be free to wander around the building at your own pace.

Referenced from: "A guide to Melbourne architecture", by Philip Goad, 1999, p. 124-125. The Watermark Press, Sydney.